The second in the Marion Halcombe series. Again more Victorian social commentary, this time child prostitution, mixed with Marion's thrilling adventures. An OK read, I galloped through it quickly. There's some interesting plot around public rectitude vs private immorality, although it doesn't get developed very far.

The King of the Book picks up three years after the incidents of Marian Holcombe. On the domestic front, this episode features the difficulties of boarding school life, attempts to regulate Victorian human trafficking, and a lot of dank details about nursing mothers. Meanwhile, events at Theo’s publishing house give rise to discussions of the popularity and perceived dangers of reading novels, and of coping with plagiarists, pornographers, and early writers of fan fiction. So this volume serves as a kind of meta-fiction. Along the way, hops farming, conflagration, and a jewel heist all play a part in the adventures. ( )

This second book in the Marian Halcombe series had a couple of moments where I struggled to suspend my disbelief, but I do like Marian and how she never gives up. One of the events to kick off the plot of this one is her stepson Micah going to away school where he gets his hands on novels for the first time, including David Copperfield and Nicholas Nickleby, which lead to flights of fancy about his own life. Other strands of the plot involve Walter the brother-in-law and new MP looking into prostitution and a mystery jewellery theft next door to Theo's publishing business. On the whole, a fun book to keep you entertained at bedtime. ( )

Quite an exciting sequel to the first part of this series. The story continues helter-skelter. Children running away from home are linked to the life of poor orphans from London and charity, child prostitution in the filthy slums of London, Dickens keeping a finger on current events,the publishing world with its Protestant restrictions, an ingenious jewel theft, a Marian who shrinks back for nothing. Austen chicklit with a nice insight into the manners and customs of the gentry.No Nobel Prize material, but well written and compelling, for those who love this genre.I can't wait to read the sequel. ( )