Who cares for Oliver Twist? If Charles Dickens was right then we all would, praying that the innocent orphan boy can overcome the depravities of nineteenth century London.There were those who wished evil on him but then evil they must be. Yet what, The Dying Art of Life argues, if Charles Dickens was not the master of his own tale? In this sequel to the classic novel, we learn that the author has unwittingly released characters who are free to act in defiance of his pen. They escape their literary destiny by the simple expedience of changing their character. Like real people.

As Nancy's daughter Olivia arrives from America she finds a story in a constant state of flux. She becomes acquainted with some of Charles Dickens's characters, most notably the recently ennobled Sir Oliver Twist, who even lends her a copy of the original novel as the standard reference on his life. In its narrative she hopes to resolve the mystery of her mother's murder, only to discover a riddle hidden inside an enigma. An innocent abroad in a strange city, she has only her samurai sword Kawanegi to protect her and she knows how to use it. It is with this tool that she can divine friend from foe and cut through to the truth, the one that Charles Dickens worked so hard to keep from us.