I know that you should never judge a book by its cover but the cover is so striking and appealing. I enjoyed this Victorian tale about a pharmacist and his wife. It was very dark in places, the way that he treated her and the abuse she endured. The attitudes towards women was very well done throughout the book and to think how little control women had over anything. However Rebecca was a strong woman and showed great courage when confronting her husband. I liked the friendships that developed between the female characters, especially between Eva and Rebecca, both helping each other to overcome their addiction to heroin. Also I thought the weakness of Alexander in the brothel was well done. I do like to read historical novels and this one kept my attention.