I chanced upon this book in my local library where I typically take out two to three books per week mostly non-fiction and historical fiction.I found this book to rank close to the top of all the historical fiction I have read over the years.The characters were rich and alive and described as good if not better than in Dickens or Victor Hugo.The underground sewers were described so vividly with the smells,the muck and the never ending rat population put the reader right in the middle of this nightmarish situation.The individual relationships between William and his wife and Long Arm Tom and his dog were both poignant and disturbing.All of this and a murder mystery to boot makes this book a must read.I hope Clare Clark is working on her next book!