First published 2012
Dodger makes his living in London's sewers when lightning illuminates a desperate scene above. A young woman throws herself from a carriage, trying to flee her captors. The seventeen-year-old street urchin cannot stand by while she faces recapture. His rescue sets dangerous forces in motion. The girl's situation involves England's most powerful figures, pulling Dodger into their schemes. He encounters the deranged barber Sweeney Todd and earns the attention of writer Charles Dickens and politician Benjamin Disraeli. Each meeting draws him deeper into a web where history collides with the extraordinary. Dodger must navigate this treacherous world while protecting the girl whose identity remains hidden. His journey transforms him from a clever survivor into something greater, testing his courage against forces that could destroy them both.
Genres: historical-fiction, adventure, mystery, 19th-century
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking, whimsical
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: England, London
Period: 19th-century
360 pages · Hardcover · HarperCollins Publishers