Fingersmith

If you're into lesbian Victorian romances, con artists, and pornography, this is your jam!

Sue is a petty thief who is enlisted to help a conman steal the inheritance of a wealthy girl, but as time goes on, it becomes clear that there's a lot more to the grift.

The story is told from the perspectives of two different protagonists, with each showing a totally different view of what's going on. There are a few surprising plot twists, most notably the shocker at the end of part one.

Sarah Waters is a gifted wordsmith, with flowing prose and characters who are empathetic despite being awful people. The problem is the plot. Even back in the 1800s, it seems like there are way too many ways where this plot would fail. And in the end, Waters doesn't know how to resolve it, so she brings a surprise conclusion out of nowhere and resolves precisely nothing.

The book spends 500 pages building up a plot, backs itself into a corner, and then concludes it in the most contrived way possible. To say the last act was a letdown is an understatement.