The Tiger in the Well (Point) (urspr publ 1991; utgåvan 1999)

The first chapter of this sucked me in like a gigantic vortex. Cannot put it down and cannot wait to read the two preceding books. ( )

Sally Lockhart is a rare woman in Victorian England. She’s a single mother, competent, independent, and a successful and prosperous business owner. She has never been married, so when she is served with divorce papers, she cannot understand how such a mistake could be made. It soon becomes clear it is not a mistake. The details about her in the document are correct -- all except one. She has never met the man claiming to be her husband, the man who wants to take custody of her daughter.
I would not have labeled this a YA book. There is nothing juvenile about it. It is a suspenseful Dickensian story of vengeance, greed, cruelty, and corruption, which vividly captures the social conflicts of the time. The images of Victorian London are detailed and clear. The contrasts between rich and poor, worker and owner are sharp. The only YA aspect may be a carryover from the first book in the series, The Ruby in the Smoke, in which Sally is first introduced as a 16-year-old orphan. I didn’t see that book as specifically YA either, though.
My only criticism, and it’s not a strong one, is that I thought Sally should have been a bit quicker on the uptake in identifying the real force behind her troubles. I figured it out long before she did, but then I, as a reader, understand this is a novel and therefore must make sense. Real life, of course, is not like that.
I highly recommend this book to all readers, especially those fond of Victorian mysteries. It’s a great story.
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Enjoyed this almost as much as The Ruby in the Smoke - back to a faster-paced, crazier mystery - though I knew all along who the bad guy had to be and thought it was a cop-out that Sally just didn't allow herself to admit that she knew his identity. I loved the inclusion of politics/current affairs and the Daniel Goldberg character, and getting to see Sally alone without Fred and Jim to help save her. I definitely recommend this series and am on to the Tin Princess now. ( )

As "The Tiger in the Well" begins, we find Sally Lockhart a single mother in Victorian England, her lover having died before they could be married. This is a hard enough situation, in those times, but soon Sally finds herself as the victim of a mysterious and elaborate scheme designed to ruin her reputation and have her daughter taken from her. Who could hate her this much, and why? Exciting, entertaining (and feminist) adventure. ( )

3½/5 ( )