The Ruby in the Smoke
by Philip Pullman (Oxford University Press, 1985); audiobook read by Anton Lesser (Bolinda, 2015)
Pullman captures the essence of Victorian London (without belabouring the setting), and his characters all stand out, especially in Lesser’s audiobook reading. The story, however, gains little from these virtues, its omniscient third-person narrative frittering away most of the tension and mystery.