Sally Lockhart
A series of books by Philip Pullman about Sally Lockhart, a young woman living in Victorian London, who solves various mysteries with the help of her friends.
The four books in the series are:
Main Characters:
- Sally Lockhart: Main character, a young woman who develops passion for solving mysteries after her father's death. "Uncommonly pretty" and works as a financial consultant.
- Jim Taylor: Sally's friend a young lovable Londoner who is courageous and outgoing. An office boy, helps Sally solve her mysteries.
- Frederick Garland: Love interest for Sally, photographer with an imaginative streak.
- Ah Ling: Villain in several of the books.
- Adelaide: Orphan who becomes a main character through the series.
The first two novels were adapted for television by BBC, notably starring Doctor Who's Billie Piper and Matt Smith as Sally and Jim Taylor.
For tropes specific to individual installments, visit their respective work pages.
- Action Girl - Sally
- Bavarian Fire Drill: Jim and Frederick pull one in The Shadow in the North to get back files stolen from Sally's office. It's not their first time.
Jim: We've done it before... It's funny, ain't it, Fred? Amazing what you can get away with. You could walk in anywhere with a bit of paper in your hand--you could get away with murder, almost. |
- Belligerent Sexual Tension: Sally and Frederick fight for a lot of the second book.
- Can't Stand Them Can't Live Without Them: Sally and Fred's attitude to one another for much of the second book.
- The Charmer- Jim
- Conveniently an Orphan - Adelaide
- Death by Sex: It's... unfortunate that Frederick dies not long after he and Sally first have sex.
- Deceased Parents Are the Best - Sally's father
- Everyone Can See It: Jim reflects that Sally and Fred are made for one another, so why do they have to fight all the time?
- Evil Cripple
- Fair Play Whodunnit
- Fiery Redhead - Rosa Garland
- The Film of the Book
- Heterosexual Life Partners: Jim and Fred.
- Her Heart Will Go On
- Heroic Sacrifice: Alas, poor Chaka and Frederick.
- Hey, It's That Guy! - Sally and Jim are Rose and Eleven, Mrs. Holland is Mrs. Weasley, Frederick is Henry Tilney, Hendrick Van Eedan is Lost in Austen's Darcy, and Axel Bellman is Lane Pryce.
- Historical Fantasy
- Lady of Adventure
- Like Brother and Sister: Jim and Sally. Another character says this of them at one point.
- Love At First Sight: Jim falls in love like this twice. Frederick tells Sally that he's loved her since their first meeting.
- Love Epiphany: "Do you know where I realised that? It was in the patent library..."
- London Gangster
- Married to the Job: Sally for quite some time.
- The Name Is Bond, James Bond
- Opium Den
- Platonic Life Partners: Jim and Sally.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Frederick gives a brutal one to Sally in The Shadow in the North.
Frederick: There's you and there's the rest of us, and we're all inferior... Have you any idea of how unlikable you are, Sally? At your best you're magnificent, and I loved you for it. At your worst you're nothing but a smooth, self-righteous, patronizing bitch. |
- Rags to Royalty - Adelaide
- Royals Who Actually Do Something - Adelaide
- Second Love
- Shoot the Dog: Unfortunately, a literal example. Sally's dog Chaka is killed in The Shadow in the North. It's a Heroic Sacrifice.
- So Beautiful It's a Curse: Lady Mary.
- Someone to Remember Him By
- Victorian London
- The Woman Wearing the Queenly Mask - Adelaide again
- Yellow Peril