London Dust

By Lee Jackson

This is a mystery novel set in Victorian London. The atmosphere of the novel was totally brilliant and had me completely wrapped up in the story. You could literally feel the fog and the dark alleys.

The plot centres on the brutal murder of "The Brick Lane Butterfly", Miss Ellen (Nellie) Warwick. The chief suspect is her maid, Nathalie Meadows, who, to escape the horror she has just witnessed, jumps from Blackfriars Bridge. But Nathalie is rescued and the body the police salvages is that of a nameless, hapless suicide.

Feeling duty-bound to find the murderer of her best friend, Nathalie reinvents herself as Flora Thorne and is determined to get to the bottom of her mistress's murder.

Nathalie/Flora’s story is alternated with that of Harry Shaw, a con man who scrapes by on whatever he can con or thieve. Thinking Nathalie is out of the picture, the police turn their attention to Harry for 'help with their enquiries'. However, it is only Natalie who can discover the truth about who killed Nellie. A truth that is not too exciting or interesting, but the story itself (and not forgetting the Victorian atmosphere of the novel) makes up for it big time.

Some of the characters of this novel are also well worth reading the book to experience. Such as the cruel impresario Arthur Wilkes or Reverend Hengist Wallace, advocate of Hygienic Christianity and firm believer that the road to heaven is furnished with a daily bath.