I was a little disappointed in this, the follow-up to "The Crimson Rooms." Compared to the previous book, in which I thought McMahon did a great job of balancing the mysteries (and their legal consequences), the romance and the historical context, in this one I thought she was trying too hard -- throwing everything at the reader just to be sure there was enough to hold her attention. Consequently, I felt that the book was about 50 pages too long, and some parts began to feel very skim-able (particularly long letters from family members who have been dispatched abroad, for a bit of colorful family drama; blow by blow accounts of several court cases; long, repetitious accounts of a scandal in the youth of Evelyn's actress grandmother; and yet more about how far Evelyn had to walk or cycle during the General Strike) .

Nevertheless, I kept reading -- and I would probably indulge in another volume of pioneering female solicitor Evelyn Gifford's adventures.

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