Changes

Another way in which this series stands out from the crowd is the fact that the characters age and change. In the first book we met Sophie not long after the death of her father: alone in the world, with no particular talents – or so she thought – she was grateful for the chance to sell hats at Sinclair's, a job which earned her barely enough to pay for her seedy bedsit. And Lil – astonishingly beautiful, vivacious Lil – may have had dreams of being an actress, but had to make do with modelling dresses for rich women and eager debutantes. But look at them now! Sophie may still be in millinery, but at least the grateful Mr Sinclair is giving her a decent wage, and Lil has her first important role at the theatre. Billy, that unwilling junior porter, is now thoroughly happy working in the office, and thanks to Joe's gift for handling animals, he too has a job in the stables. Everyone is doing so well, but Sophie misses the old companionship and secretly wishes they all had more time together. No sooner said than done – the famous ''Green Dragon'' by Caselli disappears from the walls of the new gallery, and once again the hunt is on, with daring break-ins, a shadowy villain and a close brush with death for more than one of the group. Funny, scary, heart-stopping stuff – do not, under any circumstances, miss it!

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