Two Crafty Criminals

Two Crafty Criminals! by Philip Pullman
Illustrated by Martin Brown
4/5 stars
Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2012
275 pages
Historical Mystery Middle-Grade

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I think it would be nearly impossible to read these books and to be unhappy while doing so. The sheer charm and cheekiness of the main characters completely won me over as did the lighthearted tone of a romp. These stories are not very serious and there are many comedic moments that left me chuckle.

This book is actually two short stories featuring an overlapping cast of characters but focusing on different mysteries. I found the first one confusing due to the many different personalities present while the second one was more to my taste. Realism is not the priority but having fun certainly is!

We start with "Thunderbolt's Waxwork" and the New Cut Gang comprised of several youths. My main problem here was my inability to keep the kids straight. They all seemed very similar and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't tell them apart. Obviously this makes for a difficult read. The plot itself is also a bit confusing as first the gang is trying to get a sculpture of their friend into a wax museum while also investigating if the father of one of them counterfeited coins. It started with the wax plot and then added in the second awkwardly, which added to my confusion.

The second story is "The Gas Fitter's Ball" which I preferred. In this one, the kids are trying to have a guy propose to his lady love in order to collect on a bet. The mystery comes from some stolen silver. The culprit is fairly obvious but I loved the bumbling attempts of the guy as well as the kids' efforts to ensure that they win their bet. This includes a cute cameo from the Prince of Wales because, why not?

Overall: Cute stories that are well-told; great for younger readers too!

Cover: I love the cute drawings. It captures the chaos of living in their area and references an actual scene from the book.

The Ruby in the Smoke

The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman
Laurel-Leaf, 1985
230 pages
YA; Mystery; Historical
First in Series
3.5/5 stars

Source: Library

Why Read: Forever Young Adult and I saw that JJ Feild (aka Mr Tilney) was in an adaptation.

I really expected to love this book.  Sally is not a typical nineteenth century lady, knowing not how to sew, read, or entertain visitors but quite proficient in shooting and bookkeeping.  She is used to having her own independence, which is useful as her father dies at the beginning of the book leaving her an orphan.

Unfortunately her father's death as part of a sunk ship in his trading business also opens a long secret mystery involving opium, Asia, and a ruby.  Sally sets out to unravel the mystery, acquiring an enemy and allies.  The enemy is a woman named Mrs. Holland who has set her plan in motion and is a most determined and frightening foe.

The allies are delightful fun.  First is Frederick Garland, a brilliant photographer but hopeless businessman who thus appreciates Sally's talents in that area (as well as admiring her person).  His actress sister Rosa and assistant Trembler complete their bohemian household.  Another ally is Jim, a delivery boy at her father's firm, with a big heart and even bigger ambitions.  The group joins together to help Sally find the ruby and to protect her against the evil machinations of Mrs. Holland.

While I appreciated the brevity of Pullman (I believe some authors would have stuffed this with never-ending subplots to make the story much longer), something was missing.  Perhaps I would have preferred a more historically correct heroine-it is acknowledged that Sally is vastly different from the typical lady.  Perhaps I just don't like his writing style (I read The Golden Compass but didn't like it much).  Perhaps my expectations were too high.

Regardless, I am still considering reading the second book and I will definitely watch the adaptation to see Mr. Feild.

Cover: This isn't my cover but I thought that it was prettier. I love the font and the sparkling ruby.