At the risk of gushing, let me just say that I LOVED this book. I can't remember the last book that made me gasp out loud while reading -- and this one did it at least three times. "Fingersmith", set in Victorian England, gets its start, literally, in a den of thieves. It manages to incorporate every possible trope of the era, yet does so in a way that's both fresh and startling. To disclose anything of the plot would be to ruin the joy of being shocked to the core by the twists and turns of this unusual book. Filled with well-drawn characters, including pickpockets and thieves, con men and gaolers, insane asylums nurses and booksellers, the mad and the suffering, "Fingersmith" is an evocative period piece as well as a superb literary adventure. I can't recommend it highly enough, or give enough praise to the author's achievement. I certainly look forward to reading more of her work!