Books like The ruby in the smoke (Sally Lockhart #1) by Philip Pullman
When sixteen‑year‑old Sally Lockhart uttering the phrase "Beware the seven blessings" provokes the fatal death of an employee who claims to know its meaning, she is thrust into a perilous investigation. Driven to find the truth behind her late father's murder, Sally navigates the grim streets of Victorian London. Amidst raids on opium dens and the hunt for a valuable ruby, she discovers that both secrets are linked to her—and that the answers will cost her everything.
First publish date: 1985
Genre: Mystery & Detective/Historical Mystery
Authors: Philip Pullman
★
★
★
★
★
3.8 (8 community ratings)
How are these books recommended?
The books recommended for The ruby in the smoke (Sally Lockhart #1) by Philip Pullman are shaped by reader interaction. Votes on how closely books relate, user ratings, and community comments all help refine these recommendations and highlight books readers genuinely find similar in theme, ideas, and overall reading experience.
Have you read any of these books?
Your votes, ratings, and comments help improve recommendations and make it easier
for other readers to discover books they’ll enjoy.
Books similar to The ruby in the smoke (Sally Lockhart #1) (23 similar books)
Set in north England, Jane Eyre follows an orphaned governess who faces abuse, hardship, and ultimately a complicated love with her employer, Edward Rochester, while contemplating marriage to her austere cousin St. John Rivers.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
During World War II, a foster girl in Nazi Germany steals books to share with neighbors and a hidden Jewish man, proving literature’s power to nourish the soul amid darkness.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A Christmas Carol is Charles Dickens’ allegorical novella about Ebenezer Scrooge, whose miserly ways are transformed through visits from Jacob Marley and the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Future.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A young orphan girl from Canada makes her way to a Prince Edward Island farm and becomes a cherished member of a family there, all while proving she has a talent for making friends and learning languages.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A lonely orphan girl on the Yorkshire moors befriends a disabled cousin and unlocks the secrets of a hidden garden.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens’s 1837-39 social novel, follows an orphan raised in a workhouse who flees to London, joins a gang of pickpockets, and uncovers family secrets while exposing child labour and exploitation.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Twelve‐year‑old genius Artemis Fowl, a millionaire criminal mastermind, kidnaps the fairy Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon Unit, sparking a magical adventure filled with twists, trolls and high‑tech intrigue.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
![The Complete Sherlock Holmes [4 novels, 56 stories] by 5902998|Arthur Conan Doyle book cover](https://covers.openlibrary.org/b/id/12501284-M.jpg "The Complete Sherlock Holmes [4 novels, 56 stories] by 5902998|Arthur Conan Doyle book cover")
A complete anthology of Sherlock Holmes, featuring four classic novels and 56 short stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Includes famous cases such as 'A Study in Scarlet,' 'The Hound of the Baskervilles,' and the 'Return of Sherlock Holmes.'
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Anne Shirley: A Teacher's Inspiration in Prince Edward Island, Canada
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A pioneering English detective story in which a priceless diamond, once stolen from a Hindu idol and presented to a young woman on her eighteenth birthday, disappears again, sparking intrigue and danger.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A coming‑of‑age narrative set in 19th‑century England, following young David Copperfield as he navigates orphanhood, hardship and society’s social hierarchies.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A 12‑year‑old girl who lives in a wandering house with chicken legs and is training to be a Yaga must break rules to find a real friend, setting her on a perilous journey to the afterlife.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Clara vanishes at her twelfth birthday party, suspicion of kidnapping leads the trio from London to a trap set by a witch.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
In *Clockwork Princess*, Cassandra Clare introduces readers to a London of secret societies and supernatural intrigue, exploring themes of identity and orphanhood within a 19th‑century backdrop.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
In 1881 London, 24‑year‑old Sally Lockhart confronts a mysterious assailant while a secretive figure called the Tzaddik draws her into a scheme to exploit the surge of Jewish immigrants.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A whimsical adventure for young readers featuring royalty, magical creatures, and dragons, blending humor and fantasy into a memorable tale.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
In 1882, sixteen‑year‑old Becky lands a tutoring role in London, only to find herself drawn into a web of assassination, intrigue, and political danger within the fictitious European kingdom of Razkavia.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A young orphan, Pinky Pinkerton, inherits a valuable deed in 1862 Nevada Territory and must evade dangerous outlaws led by Whittlin Walt and his gang.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A poor orphan turned apprentice to the king’s chief magician is called upon to rescue the vanished princess, confronting rumors of dark magic before the kingdom falls apart.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Some Other Similar Books
The Thief Lord by Cornelia FunkeHave a similar book in mind? Let others know!
Please login to submit books!