A fingersmith from Southwark

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters is a delicious novel -- a heady mixture of Victorian novel, gothic, and thriller, with a touch of caper thrown in for good measure. And the prose -- mmm. Slow-moving in a Victorian way but so smooth it carries you downstream until you're caught up in the slow-motion emotional train-wreck -- and then Waters springs the first plot twist and you go "Aigh!" ( To say anything more requires spoilers )

Very odd. Very good. I want to reread it. Because, after all, love calls us to the things of the world -- but first, I have some advice for a prophet to read.

---L.