Review Detail

Julia Goldings first novel is a rollicking adventure story set in the theatres and alleyways of late 18th-century London, where street gangs duke it out with wayward young nobles and escaped slaves to find a precious jewel that will mean either their fortunes or their deaths. Heroine Cat is not typical of a lower-class girl of her era, but makes no claims to be, and readers will warm to this resourceful ragamuffin and chuckle at her lively antics and deadpan narration. Supporting players are equally sympatheticor despicable, as the case may beand readers will wish theyd been given more scenes. The magnificent design and hilarious (fictional) reviews from famous critics are great examples of the spirit of fun that pervades this theatrical novel, which will leave readers eagerly anticipating the second Cat Royal novel, Cat Among the Pigeons.