From the critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of The Tea Rose, comes a mystery about dark secrets, dirty truths, and the lengths to which people will go for love and revenge. This spellbinding historical ficion romance tells the story of how much a young woman is willing to risk and lose in order to find the truth.
"A twisted tale of secrets, murder, love, and revenge. This historical thriller delivers... [a] fast-paced, tightly written page turner." -USA Today
Jo Montfort is beautiful and rich, and soon—like all the girls in her class—she’ll graduate from finishing school and be married off to a wealthy bachelor. Which is the last thing she wants. Jo dreams of becoming a writer—a newspaper reporter like the trailblazing Nellie Bly.
Wild aspirations aside, Jo’s life seems perfect until tragedy strikes: her father is found dead. Charles Montfort shot himself while cleaning his pistol. One of New York City’s wealthiest men, he owned a newspaper and was a partner in a massive shipping firm, and Jo knows he was far too smart to clean a loaded gun.
The more Jo hears about her father’s death, the more something feels wrong. Suicide is the only logical explanation, and of course people have started talking, but Jo’s father would never have resorted to that. And then she meets Eddie—a young, smart, infuriatingly handsome reporter at her father’s newspaper—and it becomes all too clear how much she stands to lose if she keeps searching for the truth. But now it might be too late to stop.
The past never stays buried forever. Life is dirtier than Jo Montfort could ever have imagined, and this time the truth is the dirtiest part of all.
I read Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly back in the day before I began blogging and was really impressed by her story telling capabilities. Period pieces seem to be her specialty, so when I heard she was releasing a Victorian-era mystery with definitely creepy vibes, I was right on board. I had an ARC from ALA of this book and barely had the chance to start it last fall before I got sick the first day I was reading it, and after that distraction I never got around to picking it up again until a year later.
I'll start with the disclaimer that this book is definitely not as good as Revolution, but I found that I enjoyed it nonetheless. Jo was a likeable, if at times incredible naive, protagonist and it's always fun to read the rebellious-rich-girl narratives. I liked the way the press played a part in the mystery, and Jo's ambition to be a reporter and tackle women's issues was charming if a bit idealistic for someone from her demographic. I found that I did end up rooting for one of the romances in the novel, and I loved many of the eccentric secondary characters as well, such as Oscar, Jo's acquaintance turned friend who works in a morgue and practices the new and controversial "forensic science." I knocked a few stars off of my rating because I found the plot to be pretty predictable, and sometimes Jo was so stubbornly naive and took such stupid risks that I found myself rolling my eyes a bit. However, even if it wasn't the most original story I did like how all of the ends were tied up at the conclusion of the novel and how everything fit together in a pretty clever manner. I'd definitely try another book by Donnelly.
Overall: An engaging, if a bit predictable period mystery set it Victorian-era New York. If you're a historical fiction fan and like engaging secondary characters you'll most likely find this to be a suitable read for you.This review was originally posted on Girl in the Pages
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19 November, 2016:
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19 November, 2016:
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