Info: Random House Delacorte, copyright 2015, 488 pages
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 secretly 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 accidentally shot himself while cleaning his revolver. One of New York City’s wealthiest men, he owned a newspaper and was partner in a massive shipping firm, and Jo knows he was far too smart to clean a loaded gun.
The more Jo uncovers about her father’s death, the more her suspicions grow. There are too many secrets. And they all seem to be buried in plain sight. Then she meets Eddie—a young, brash, 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. Only 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 the truth is the dirtiest part of all. -Goodreads description
The Rundown
How far would you go to uncover the truth? That's the dilemma seventeen year old Jo is facing after the death of her father. While it's written off as an accident in the official reports, she knows that her father was too smart to clean a loaded gun. Her desire to break the traditions of her class and society by longing to be a reporter helps her start digging deeper into what she believes was a murder.
With the help of Eddie, Jo's investigation takes her to morgues, asylums, and the dangerous streets and docks of late 19th century New York City. In an era where young ladies of her standing were set to marry well and produce the next great generation of high society, Jo defies all in her quest for the truth. But some people will go to any lengths to keep the truth buried...
What Rocked
The pace of this book is amazing! Don't let the near 500 pages turn you away. With short chapters and a cliff hanger at the end of each one, you'll fly through this book! I remember when I was reading this I'd look over at the clock and think "Just one more chapter!" and an hour later...well I'm sure you've been there with a book too! This book is a must if you like a good mystery or historical fiction. I promise this a read that will have you on the edge of your seat!
Jo is such a likable and realistic character. Set in 1890s NYC, you have to put yourself there to realize what an incredible girl she is. America had a strict class system then (Timeline: we're still 20 years away from the sinking of the Titanic and 30 until women voted in their first presidential election) and we had a society which celebrated male achievement while women were meant to be wives and mothers. We're also at an age where women are realizing, and acting out on, the idea that they can be more. Jo wants to be a reporter. She's questioning everything about things that are just a given in her world, like marrying for a good match over love. Her father's death, sadly, is the catalyst that sets her on a path toward her own destiny.
What Wasn't So Rockin'
The end of this story may be too neat for some who may struggle with every single one of the loose ends in this mystery getting tied up before the end. This book appears to be a standalone though, so I can't fault Donnelly for not leaving her readers with a ton of questions and what ifs.
Rating: 5/5 Stars
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