This is not, as you might think by the publisher blurb and the title, a book about the fraud trial of Sir Roger Tichborne, but rather a modern british novel, one about Victorian English society, colonialism, classism, racism, in a society of manners. Smith is a modern English Literaturist (new word, tm). Additionally, her narration of the audiobook is sparkly and delightful, she has a career in the spoken performance arts world if she wants it. Highly recommended.