Fingersmith

By Sarah Waters

Back in my college days, my best friend read Sarah Waters' debut novel Tipping the Velvet, and told me I had to read it. I never got around to reading that particular Sarah Waters novel, but I did just finish Fingersmith, and I'm happy to report I wasn't lead astray. Waters is a fantastic novelist, with a gift for bringing to life a particular time and place while building an enjoyable suspense novel. 

The novel takes place in Victorian England, and contains multiple Dickensian motifs: orphans, prisons, insane asylums, pickpockets, handsome villains and stolen fortunes. It seems to be the straightforward story of Sue Trinder, a small-time thief who is recruited by a family friend to help him seduce and marry the wealthy orphan of his employer. However, once Sue takes on the role of the young woman's maid her alliance begins to shift. Once the deed seems to be done the story takes a highly unexpected turn. 

Waters has an eye for detail, vividly bringing to life the slums of Victorian London, as well as the decaying country homes inhabited by the wealthy who spend their time in idle pursuits. Her intricate narrative mapping makes Fingersmith a gripping read right until the end of Sue's journey.