The Illusion of Innocence
The year is 1897, and a train carrying a vicious murderer to his trial crashes east of London. Amid the confusion, death, and injuries, the killer escapes. Was this his good fortune, or had his criminal associates caused the crash?
By coincidence his sister, Polly, is also on the train. She is innocent of any crime but finds herself unable to resist the temptation to assume the identity of a wealthy young woman who has been killed in the crash. Her deception is discovered by artist and detective Archie Price, but he understands her fear of her degenerate brother and respects her secret. Both injured, Polly and Archie are taken to a nearby country house, where they are discovered by the criminal gang, including Polly’s brother. Both Archie’s artistic talent and Polly’s photographic skills are called upon to help them survive. Just as they start to feel in control of their destiny, a wealthy and powerful local sadist hires the gang to provide Polly as his next victim.
In this book the author shares her knowledge of the life and attitudes of the final decade of 19th-century England. Her characters are well realized, especially Polly, with her struggle to become an independent and respected woman with a career in photography.
Blatant evil faces an apparently naïve innocence throughout the book, but the author shows us how friendship, creativity and a sometimes surprising goodness can prevail. She also shows us all levels of the society of the time, from the criminal underbelly to the gentleman farmer, gypsies, and the wealthy. At all levels innocence can be real or merely an illusion.
