The cover for this book is stunning. When I learned it took place in 1920's New York City, I was pretty much sold. And there were things I enjoyed about this book. However, there were other aspects I didn't think worked as well.

What I liked:

1. The setting. Again, 1920's New York. It was such an interesting time in our country's history, and it could've been so rich and layered and wonderful.

2. The premise. I liked the idea of seeing this opulent-yet-mysterious world through the eyes of a simple servant. I was hoping for a Downton Abbey-esque story.

3. It was very readable. I read this book very quickly. It's just barely over 300 pages and it took me almost no time to complete.

What I didn't like:

1. Execution. All of the things I said I liked were things that could've made this book amazing -- if the execution hadn't been lacking. The synopsis promises an intriguing mystery, but I never really found myself intrigued. Everything happened in a fairly predictable manner. It wasn't bad. But there was never a moment where I felt any shock or surprise. And some of the character arcs and reveals were more than a little silly.

2. Martha. The most unbelievable thing about this book was that Martha, a young housemaid with only a very basic education, would be able to crack this mystery with just a few clues. I found it very difficult to connect to Martha as a main character. She would go into these long inner monologues about life and society in 1928/29 and it felt like a lot of info-dumping. I also felt like it was completely unrealistic that she would've been able to stay in her job after all of the shenanigans she pulled. A couple of them were covered up by her mother, but others were very public and it was difficult to believe that she wouldn't have been fired in the real world. Also, apparently she is only supposed to be 12 years old. I had no idea that was the case. She did not read that young at all.

3. Lack of focus. In the author's note at the end of the book, she talks about all of the real-life stories she found about this time period that inspired her. She said that she just took all the best bits and mashed them all together into one story. And honestly, that's kind of what it felt like. This story felt like it couldn't decide what it wanted to be. There were so many different elements all thrown together that the story ended up lacking cohesion for me.

4. The ending. It was so abrupt and rushed. It almost felt like a place holder that was written until the real ending could be crafted.

5. I didn't realize that this book was middle grade until I began to read other reviews. It does not read like a middle grade book to me. There are subplots involving insider trading, prohibition, and inappropriate relationships that didn't seem like something a 9-13 year old kid would like reading about.

I think the most disappointing thing about this book is that it could've been really good. The same basic premise executed differently could've been a wonderful book.

But that cover is still fantastic.