Sally Lockhart

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


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.


The following tropes are common to many or all entries in the Sally Lockhart franchise.
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.

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.