Black is the color...

India Black
Carol Carr

Lighthearted amusing stuff set in the Victorian era, this first time novel by Carr was a lot of fun to read. India Black is a self-described "whore," the "abbess" of her own establishment who becomes a spy for the Disraeli government. India is an engaging character, surviving the depredations of Victorian society without a scrap of self pity or sentimentality. It's very frank about India's work and also very funny with a darker note underlying the frivolity.