The Sorceress of the Strand

Description

Without exaggerating, it can be said that L.T. Meade was one of the most prolific authors of the Victorian era. Her early beginnings as a writer, at the age of only 17, launched her on the path to write more than 300 books throughout her lifetime – some of which have only surfaced after her death.

Although she was primarily known as a writer who “specialized” in stories for young people, most of all for girls, Meade embraced a broad range of genres, from historic novels, to suspense, romances and even detective stories. The latter has been an interesting venture to say the least, especially with titles like The Sorceress of the Strand, featuring Meade’s famous villainess.

Even though this book never quite rose to the same level of popularity as some of the other mystery and crime stories of the 19th century, the tale of the evil Madame Sara is remembered as a highly entertaining and well-woven collection of short stories written in a similar format as Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories.

With a recurring pair of detectives chasing after the beautiful, enchanting, mysterious and quite deadly female character, we are definitely in for a bumpy ride, as each story introduces new victims and situations for Sara to exploit.

Although like all Victorian tales, we can’t really expect the author to root for the main villain, the complexity of Madame Sara’s character will turn out to be quite intense, especially for modern readers who are more used to the “fireworks” of newer crime stories, than to the evil intent, psychological strength and extreme cunning of a woman who knows exactly how to use her qualities to facilitate her diabolical plans.

Whether you’ve only just taken up Victorian mystery literature, or you’ve been reading it all your life, The Sorceress of the Strand is sure to capture your interest.
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