The saga style of Catherine Cookson meets the "Victorian vices" world of Anne Perry in this popular whodunit. Much thought and research has gone into making the two faces of mid 19th century Boston come to life, whether the gilded world of the Hewitts or the grubby back streets of the underworld. To its detriment perhaps it is soon clear that this is a somber tale to say the least, with none of the hopes of betterment or change that color some other similarly set series. Nell and many other characters live on a knife edge, and have little choice in what they do, which brings a realism to the work that other series lack even if they might be more uplifting. Read this series to get a glimpse of warts-and-all Boston life.