Tag: Victorian

Review: The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies by Alison Goodman

Kimberlee MooreLeave a comment

Description (from cover): “Lady Augusta Colebrook, “Gus,” is determinedly unmarried, bored by society life, and tired of being dismissed at the age of forty-two. She and her twin sister, Julia, who is grieving her dead betrothed, need a distraction. One soon presents itself: to rescue their friend’s goddaughter, Caroline, from her violent husband.

The sisters set out to Caroline’s country estate with a plan, but their carriage is accosted by a highwayman. In the scuffle, Gus accidentally shoots and injures the ruffian, only to discover her is Lord Evan Belford, an acquaintance from their past who was charged with murder and exiled to Australia twenty years ago. What follows is a high adventure full of danger, clever improvision, heart-racing near misses, and a little help from a revived and rather charming Lord Evan.

Back in London, Gus can’t stop thinking about her unlikely (not to mention handsome) comrade-in-arms. She is convinced Lord Evan was falsely accused of murder, and she is going to prove it. She persuades Julia to join her in a quest to help Lord Evan, and others in need — society be damned! And so begins the beguiling secret life and adventures of the Colebrook twins.”

My Thoughts:

I am always on the hunt for mysteries that are new and exciting and when I had the opportunity to read this new series featuring two middle-aged “spinster” sisters, Gus and Julia and who just seem to find themselves drawn to murder and intrigue without really even asking for it. When the sisters help a friend with getting out of a nasty blackmail scheme unscathed, the friend is soon singing their praises to all of London’s fashionable set. When the sisters are asked to rescue an abused wife from her noble and terrifying husband, they embark on the adventure traveling by carriage to rescue the fair maiden. The sisters are held up at gunpoint by a pair of highwaymen, and when Gus accidently shoots one of the highwaymen, she is startled to learn that she has just injured Lord Evan Belford.

Lord Belford has an interesting past. He was arrested for murder and then he was commuted to Australia to serve out his sentence there. He escaped and has been on the run for the past twenty years and now has suddenly turned back up on English soil trying to rob two travelling ladies. Gus and Julia aren’t sure how to handle their newly injured companion and set out to continue on their task as planned with him along for the ride. Lord Belford soon proves to be an formidable ally and the sisters embark on several more investigations throughout the book.

This book was a refreshing debut in what promises to be a historical mystery series to watch in the future. This series features two older sisters who have been through the societal marriage market, but who did not find marriage as expected. They have come to accept their lives and depend greatly on each other. These sisters are not the typically mystery novel heroines that we readers see in most historical mystery series and that makes these characters refreshing. Think Jane Austen meets murder mysteries and intrigue at every corner. I found this book hard to put down and enjoyed the fact that the author created several little mysteries in one book instead of one continuous mystery. That was also a neat little surprise that made this book a lot of fun to read.

Overall Rating: 4.5 stars

Author: Alison Goodman

Series: The Ill-Mannered Ladies #1

Publisher: Berkley

Publication Date: May 30, 2023

Pages: 460

Genre: Historical Mystery

Get It: Amazon

Disclaimer: This book was given to me by the publisher, through NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review. I reviewed this book without compensation of any kind. All thoughts and opinions are solely mine.

Review: Of Manners and Murder by Anastasia Hastings

Kimberlee MooreLeave a comment

Description (from cover): “1885: London, England. When Violet’s Aunt Adelia decides to abscond with her newest paramour, she leaves behind her role as the most popular Agony Aunt in London, “Miss Hermione,” in Violet’s hands.

And of course, the first letter Violet receives is full, not of prissy pondering, but of portent. Ivy Armstrong is in need of help and fears for her life. But when Violet visits the village where the letters were posted, she finds that Ivy is already dead.

She’ll quickly discover that when you represent the best-loved Agony Aunt in Britain, both marauding husbands and murder are par for the course.”

My Thoughts:

When Violet’s Aunt Adelia leaves suddenly to travel to Europe with her new lover, she is stunned to realize that her aunt has been living a double life. Apparently, Aunt Adelia is none other than the famous Agony Aunt, Miss Hermione, and now that she is leaving, she asks Violet to take over her column for her. Taking matters into her own hands, Violet reviews the latest correspondence and sets about her task. The first letter she reads is from one Ivy Armstrong who is concerned about her wellbeing after several mysterious accidents have almost left her dead. Violet writes it off as a paranoid newlywed seeking danger at every turn, but when a second letter comes from Ivy naming several suspects, Violet decides that she must travel to the village to learn what is causing Ivy to be so distressed.

When Ivy arrives in the small village, she asks for Ivy’s direction and is shocked when she arrives at the town’s cemetery in the middle of Ivy’s funeral. All of the suspects that Ivy has named that have motive for killing her are also there. Violet begins her investigation into Ivy’s murder and is surprised that there were so many people who had motive to kill Ivy. Was it Ivy’s new husband? The vicar who seems to carry a torch for Ivy? The widow who was rumored to be in love with Ivy’s husband prior to Ivy’s marriage who felt jilted? With an endless supply of suspects, Violet sets out to find justice for Ivy.

This was a cute little debut for a new historical mystery featuring Violet in her new role as an Agony Aunt. Violet is smart, she is not what the upper middle class would call “sociable,” but she uses her connections to investigate what seems to be a murder in a small English village. Her sister, Sephora, who is Violet’s opposite in every way makes her own appearance in the story and tells her tale through her own words. I enjoyed reading this book and hope that Violet’s character finds herself involved in more murders in the future. I will be keeping my eye on this series in the future.

Overall Rating: 4 stars

Author: Anastasia Hastings

Series: Dear Miss Hermione Mystery #1

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Publication Date: February 7, 2023

Pages: 297

Genre: Historical Mystery

Get It: Amazon

Disclaimer: This book was given to me by the publisher, through NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review. I reviewed this book without compensation of any kind. All thoughts and opinions are solely mine.

Review: Fair Lady, Masked by Maggie MacKeever

Kimberlee MooreLeave a comment

Description (from cover): “An actress in her time plays many parts. This may be Delia’s last.

New York, 1890. Is no one what they seem?

Delia Ross has freed herself from society’s expectations. Luke Kelly has not. The emancipated actress and the disapproving police detective set out for Saratoga in pursuit of a fugitive jewel thief. Along the way they will encounter collusions and contrivances, diabolical double-dealings, a talented table-turner and a murderer and, maybe, a very irritated ghost.”

My Thoughts:

Delia Ross, an actress who has made a name for herself on the stage has found herself in a new role, an investigator for the New York police. When the police approach Delia about pretending to be the widow of an Italian Marchese to see if she can assist them with locating a jewel thief, she jumps at the chance to try something new while not knowing that this might be her most dangerous role to date. The investigation begins in Saratoga, New York, where the cousin of the jewel thief is a medium who the police are concerned may be in contact with the thief. Delia must keep her eyes and ears open and try to locate the thief who may be disguised as anyone. Delia enlists the help of her disabled and feminist sister in her investigation.

This book was a little chaotic at times. I really enjoyed Delia’s character, but there wass some room for improvement. I also found that it was really hard to keep up with who all the characters were. At times, I was so confused as to who was doing what and who they were. I can’t even tell you what happened at the ending as it was so confusing. Despite this, I really liked the premise of the story and the mystery and think that the series has some potential even if it needs to be a little more clearer to the reader what is happening. I felt overwhelmed reading this book, especially at the end.

While this book has a lot of room for improvement, I really did enjoy the main characters of Delia and her sister and think that that the author has a good start for some great characters. I would like to see what happens next in the series and I am hoping that this is just a case of the debut blues that sometimes affects new series. Not the best book I have read, but the series does hold some potential for the future and I would give this series another shot before not continuing further with the series.

Overall Rating: 1.5 stars

Author: Maggie MacKeever

Series: A Gay Nineties Mystery #1

Publisher: Vintage Ink Press

Publication Date: July 1, 2022

Pages: 240

Genre: Historical Mystery

Get It: Amazon

Disclaimer: This book was given to me by the publisher, through NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review. I reviewed this book without compensation of any kind. All thoughts and opinions are solely mine.