The Jekyll Legacy

Giving Dr. Jekyll a niece to inherit his estate and dread secret, veteran storytellers Bloch ( Lori ) and Norton ( Dare to Go A-Hunting ) build a tale about the horrors inflicted on Victorian London's poor and helpless. Orphaned and nearly penniless, Hester Lane comes from Canada to London and applies for a job on the British Lady , a mildly radical publication that combines society chitchat with social commentary. Over the objections of the editor's nephew, rising young politician Albert Prothore, Hester is assigned to cover the despised Salvation Army but writes instead about Gertrude Kirby, who takes in abused and abandoned children from the noisome city streets. Her article rejected, on the verge of despair, she is summoned to an attorney's office, where long-lost documents disclose her relationship to the infamous doctor. She goes to live in Jekyll's house, taking with her two of Mrs. Kirby's waifs. But strange and unpleasant events follow, including murder, and Hester and Albert join forces to solve the crimes. While lacking the power of the Robert Louis Stevenson work, this lively historical romance cum mystery provides a realistic view into the dichotomies of Victorian England. (Sept.)