Laura Blundy (2000) is a historical novel by English author Julie Myerson set in Victorian London.
After her mother has died in childbirth, Laura Blundy is brought up by her loving and caring father, a merchant and shopowner who also pays for her schooling.
When, in mid-winter, Laura decides to commit suicide by drowning in the river Thames, she is rescued by Billy, a young worker employed in the building of the Victoria Embankment and London's sewage system.
At one point in the novel, Billy comes into direct contact with Joseph Bazalgette, the chief engineer on this project.
Some time later Laura beats her husband to death in his own home, making Billy an accomplice after the fact.