*based on an ARC edition
These Shallow Graves is set in the late 19th century New York city, the land of blue blooded old money and proper young ladies who do what they are told: marry well, produce heirs, and carry on the traditions of the upper class. Josephine Montefort is a girl who was born before her time. She has dreams of being an investigative reporter, being free, her own person, and not just another pretty face married to another good name. Soon after the novel opens, Jo's father is dead; said to be an accident, then revealed to be a suicide. Not satisfied with the story, Jo embarks on a dangerous journey for answers and the truth which leads her to find the possibility of everything she's ever wanted, even as everything she's ever had threatens to be destroyed.
I have to say for the first quarter of this book I was bored and unhappy with the heavy handedness of how Ms. Donnelly describes the plight of the 19th century monied female. Every other sentence said something to the effect of how women weren't meant to think, that women were fragile creatures who shouldn't say words like "death" and "suicide", and how women are all happy to embroider and produce children for their rich husbands. Not to say that wasn't the case in 1891, but I doubt the point was belabored nearly that much. However, it wasn't long before I was entirely hooked. The heavyhandedness turned into a much more even tone, and the mystery which was unfolding was playing out in such a way that I couldn't wait to figure out the whole thing.
The writing, once the first part evened out, was impeccable and the characters well drawn and flushed out. The ancillary characters were not background noise but rather developed on their own, and cared for on their own merit. These Shallow Graves proved to be an excellent period mystery with a heroine with whom it was well worth taking the ride.
These Shallow Graves is set in the late 19th century New York city, the land of blue blooded old money and proper young ladies who do what they are told: marry well, produce heirs, and carry on the traditions of the upper class. Josephine Montefort is a girl who was born before her time. She has dreams of being an investigative reporter, being free, her own person, and not just another pretty face married to another good name. Soon after the novel opens, Jo's father is dead; said to be an accident, then revealed to be a suicide. Not satisfied with the story, Jo embarks on a dangerous journey for answers and the truth which leads her to find the possibility of everything she's ever wanted, even as everything she's ever had threatens to be destroyed.
I have to say for the first quarter of this book I was bored and unhappy with the heavy handedness of how Ms. Donnelly describes the plight of the 19th century monied female. Every other sentence said something to the effect of how women weren't meant to think, that women were fragile creatures who shouldn't say words like "death" and "suicide", and how women are all happy to embroider and produce children for their rich husbands. Not to say that wasn't the case in 1891, but I doubt the point was belabored nearly that much. However, it wasn't long before I was entirely hooked. The heavyhandedness turned into a much more even tone, and the mystery which was unfolding was playing out in such a way that I couldn't wait to figure out the whole thing.
The writing, once the first part evened out, was impeccable and the characters well drawn and flushed out. The ancillary characters were not background noise but rather developed on their own, and cared for on their own merit. These Shallow Graves proved to be an excellent period mystery with a heroine with whom it was well worth taking the ride.
