n the Victorian world of high-society, danger and deceit She can run a business, ride like a Cossack and shoot straight with a pistol. Sally Lockhart is the bold, fresh heroine of this thrilling and terrifying tale from Philip Pullman, award-winning writer of the acclaimed His Dark Materials trilogy, also adapted for the big screen. Sally, recently orphaned, is alone and being hunted by an assassin. With her new friends - young photographer Frederick and quick-witted street child Jim - she must discover her father's killer. Facing them is an unseen, murderous opponent and at the heart of it all, the deadly, blood-drenched secret of the ruby in the smoke.