No Name
by Willkie Collins. Long-time followers of this blog know that I included The Woman in White
as a top pick a few years back. There were a few grumbles, as the prose by this Victorian father of the detective novel is rather, well, VICTORIAN. But (I SWEAR!) once you get the cadence down, he is so worth it. I thought "No Name" was even better than "Woman in White," and so did Drew. From an Amazon reviewer, who summarized it aptly: “Two sisters go on different paths on coming to terms with life after being mistreated by a cruel twist of fate, and being the victim of inhumane Victorian-era society (and its laws). The elder sister carries on without mishap, while the younger sister seeks justice at any expense ... to the extent of performing unethical and criminal activities herself. While seeking justice she encounters some rather equally cunning individuals (..another woman in particular), and the story unfolds into a battle of who can outfox whom.” The characters in this book are absolutely amazing, and it is a TOTAL page turner. All three of Collins' books I've read have been that way - completely mesmerizing.
