These Shallow Graves

This captivating historical thriller, set in turn-of-the-century N.Y.C., follows the peril-filled progress of beautiful socialite Josephine “Jo” Montfort as she risks her life to prove that her wealthy ship-owner father’s death was not an accident. She stumbles wide-eyed through dark and dangerous sections of the city she never knew existed, accompanied by a street-smart young reporter named Eddie Gallagher, an assistant coroner named Oscar, and a pretty pickpocket named Amy. Donnelly fills her generous-sized novel with monstrous villains, suspenseful situations, hair-breadth escapes and shocking discoveries. It’s highly dramatic material and actress Bubbs doesn’t as much read it as perform it. She catches Oscar’s buoyant optimism, the sternness of Jo’s uncle Philip, and the fragility hidden under Amy’s bravado. And, most important, she brings to life moments of elation and despair that Jo and Eddie experience in the course of their rocky romance. It’s a highly entertaining presentation adults—young and otherwise—will enjoy. Ages 12–up. A Delacorte hardcover. (Nov.)