As a chill sets in on New York City in the winter of 1888, a jewel thief dubbed the "Robin Hood of the Lower East Side" has been stealing from the city's wealthiest and giving to the poor. Genevieve Stewart--a young woman whose family is part of Mrs. Astor's famed 400 but who has forged a life of her own as a reporter--decides to chase the story, but gets more than she bargained for: a murder victim sprawled in a dark alley in the dangerous Five Points neighborhood.
A handsome neighborhood tough comes to her rescue--but when she encounters the same man at a glamorous ball a few nights later, she realizes he's society scion Daniel McCaffrey. Could this be her Robin Hood? When two more murders rock the Knickerbocker world, it becomes apparent that something much more sinister is afoot than a few stolen diamond necklaces. Genevieve is determined to prove that Daniel is Robin Hood--but she's loath to believe he is a killer as well. From the glittering lights of Fifth Avenue to the sordid back alleys of Five Points, the truth is just one murder away.
Comment: I've started the reading year with a buddy read pick. My friend and I have gravitated towards mysteries with romantic elements in the recent years and this is yet another example.
In this story we meet Genevieve Stewart, a young woman who is part of a wealthy family but whose drive led her to become a reporter, which isn't so bad since her family is known for some eccentricity. While following a tip, she encounters Danny and two friends, whom she assumes are linked to criminals but she still inquires about "robin hood", a thief who has recently stolen things from rich families to, apparently, give the money he gets from it to poor families. Things don't go as she intended and she tries to put this out of her mind, which is something she can't do when the sees Danny in a posh event some days later. It turns out that he is actually Daniel McCaffrey, a very wealthy heir to the Van Joost fortune. Could he be the actual thief? Or is there something deeper going on among the wealthy and the powerful of society?
I was quite entertained while reading this book. I liked the idea of a woman from a well off family wanting to be a reporter and wanting to investigate real subjects - as opposed to "lighter" ones which she does as well. I liked the author's style too, which helped in making me interested to know what would happen next.
Genevieve was a captivating heroine because she might be rich and confident but she has her personal scars and is somewhat vulnerable in some aspects. I liked her family too and truly wish the author had highlighted the domestic aspects of her life way more. I liked it that she wanted to do a serious job with her career and that she wasn't afraid to go to places or attempt things which would allow her to learn more or to advance in her work.
Daniel was a little more complicated to read, he comes from a more challenging background, with his family coming from Ireland and they being poor. At some point in the story he shares his past with Genevieve and it was heartbreaking, which of course made me more sympathetic towards him and what lessons he can learn by being around friends and, now, Genevieve. It's also quite the question if he is really linked to the thief or not.
There are some hints at a romance between these two but nothing definitive happens. I will say, however, that it felt as if the author had planned the plot to go a certain way and, speculating now, I assume she might have decided/was told she could keep up with the series, and this meant a new path at the end of the book so that other things could be set up for the next story. I say this because the final chapters, regarding the romance possibilities,were a little jarring. Some scenes happen and then we have the epilogue and I thought to myself, did I skip some chapter or something? Perhaps this was only my personal impression.
Regarding the investigations Genevieve and Daniel do, there are two sub plots ongoing, the one related to the thief, and another one linked to a corruption scheme. I think the author managed to wrap up both in a neat bow in the end and I think the steps to go from one situation to the next made sense. There were some elements which were a little too convenient but I could overlook those because the explanations and the resolution were done well enough.
I feel content by how this plot was developed and by how the main subjects were dealt with. I wasn't as fond of how the romantic relationship developed closer to the end, but I guess this will be "solved" in future installments. Also, there was this vibe of some detachment surrounding them and who they were in their private lives that made some passages feel very impersonal. I kind of wanted the author to have been bolder in portraying how both Genevieve and Daniel would interact with others.
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