Hannah Dolby

Violet Hamilton does not want to marry, she has chased off several potential husbands and at 28 her father is worrying about her prospects. He keeps throwing prospects at her but her mother warned her about marriage, the same mother who disappeared 10 years earlier from Hastings Pier. Now she has found enough to hire a detective but the one she finds isn't quite satisfactory, so she goes in search of another and what she finds will change everything.
Violet lies all the time to everybody but society of the time really did not encourage women to tell a lot of truth, particularly about themselves. I guessed some of the mystery but overall found it very interesting. I'd like to see more of her life and future… (mehr)

Reminds me a bit of a Murdoch mystery, or Frankie Drake -- at least in the time period and the frustrations facing independently minded women. It's also more than a little delightfully funny in places, and the mystery is a good one. At the same time, the patronizing interviews that Violet is subjected to on a regular basis are just infuriating, so be prepared for big feels all over the spectrum. Good fun, and I hope that more adventures await.

Advanced Reader's Copy provided by Edelweiss.… (mehr)

Violet was unmarried because she didn't want to be married, but her father tried every day to introduce her to a new suitor.

Violet's mother disappeared when she was younger, but had informed her of what duties a wife would have to perform, and she wanted no parts of it.

Ten years after her mother disappeared, she decided to hire a detective without her father's knowledge.

Violet found a detective that was quite different and one that Violet didn't like.

So...Violet tried to get another detective who owned a second-hand shop to help her.

She was a determined, delightful woman for one living in the 1800s.

We follow her as she finds out information about her mother she really doesn't want to know as well as her avoidance of suitors.

Will she find out what happened to her mother?

Will Violet change her mind and find love for herself?

NO LIFE FOR A LADY is a funny, entertaining book that will actually have you laughing out loud at times.

Readers who need a change of pace and a quirky, lovable main character will enjoy this book.

You will be happy you met Violet.

She will make you smile at her antics and her attempts at being a modern lady in the 1800s. 4/5

This book was given to me by the publisher for an honest review.… (mehr)

No Life for a Lady is light-hearted, cosy historical mystery with a touch of romance from Hannah Dolby.

‘There are ladies who don’t like what they are made for, the cleaning and the domestic business, the caring and the mothering. We might think badly of them for it, but it does happen.’

Violet Hamilton would prefer a profession to a husband, at twenty-seven she continues to fend off the latter, much to her father’s disapproval, but is yet to find the former. In part this state of affairs stems from the sudden disappearance of her mother in 1886 when she was eighteen, and as the ten year anniversary approaches, Violet is determined to find out what happened to her.

Discretely hiring a private detective is the first step but there is something about Frank Knight and his interest in her mother that Violet finds disturbing. An advertisement discovered by chance leads her to an another private eye, and though Benjamin Blackthorn initially turns her down, Violet eventually convinces him to help.

Violet is a likeable lead character. She chafes at society’s expectations but with the naivety of a well-raised lady. This means she is caught unawares more than once, but to her credit she is rarely discouraged and persists regardless.

There are several amusing scenes, including Violet’s efforts to turn away unwanted suitors, discretely tail a gentleman with her chaperone in tow, and a picnic with unexpected nature views. I also enjoyed the banter between Violet and Benjamin. Their low key romance is a sweet feature of the novel.

The mystery surrounding Violet’s mother’s disappearance plays out well, though I felt there were some small issues with the plotting, and the pacing was a little even. I enjoyed the reveal of the villain, and the drama of the conclusion.

No Life For a Lady is an engaging read with the potential to become a series.… (mehr)