How To Solve Murders Like A Lady by Hannah Dolby

 

Violet Hamilton is still on her quest to become a Lady Detective. When she overhears a heated conversation she doesn't realise that it is going to lead to murder and put her own life at risk.

Back in June, there was lots of praise on Twitter/X for How To Solve Murders Like A Lady by Hannah Dolby. Victorian cosy crime sounded right up my street but I didn't want to jump in with the second book in a series so went back and read the first book, No Life For A Lady, which introduces us to Violet Hamilton. You don't need to have read the first book to enjoy How To Solve Murders Like A Lady as you'll easily understand Violet's character as you read. What the first book will do is explain the mystery surrounding Violet's mother, which plays a part in this second book, and also give you an understanding of her relationship with Benjamin Blackthorn, her fiance.

From the opening pages, we see that Violet is as independent and unconventional as ever as she solves a case involving stolen goats. The apparent silliness of some of the crimes investigated is one of the highlights of the story, pointing to a far gentler time. 

Violet is constantly pushing boundaries from her outfits through to her activities. In her need to enhance her skills as a detective she learns how to ride a bicycle and how to shoot. Based on the conclusion of the book I think hand-to-hand combat is high on her list for the next skill to learn. Not all of the barriers that Violet pushes against are through choice, sometimes it's because of a predicament she has found herself in.

Despite the silliness, there is a serious side to the story. Societal norms for women in the Victorian era were strict, to step out of line risked having your reputation tarnished and being shunned by society. It was believed that women were less intelligent than men and that their minds were far more delicate and easily corrupted. I was filled with outrage over the idea that men made all the decisions concerning a woman, including sending her to a "spa" for treatment if she didn't obey the normal rules of polite society. Medical treatments, particularly for well-to-do women who deviated from the norm, were experimental and shocking.

The tone of the writing is perfect. The reader still gets an idea of stilted Victorian society with all its unwritten rules without the over-descriptive language. Some lovely underused words popped up, such as rambunctious, discombobulated and indubitably; how I wish these were still in everyday use.

I do hope that there will be a third outing for Violet, I would love to see what she gets up to next.

Author Details

Hannah Dolby's first job was in the circus and she has aimed to keep life as interesting since. She trained as a journalist in Hastings and has worked in PR for many years, promoting museums, galleries, palaces, gardens and even Dolly the sheep. She completed the Curtis Brown selective three-month novel writing course, and she won runner-up in the Comedy Women in Print Awards for this novel with the prize of a place on an MA in Comedy Writing at the University of Falmouth. She currently lives in London. You can follow Hannah on Twitter @LadyDolby

Worst Idea Ever by Jane Fallon (Audiobook)

 

Lydia and Georgia have been the best of friends for over twenty years. Hoping to give her friend a confidence boost, Georgia creates a fake Twitter profile who gushes over Lydia's artwork. Her scheme backfires though when Lydia confides in her new follower that she knows a terrible secret about her best friend's husband.

Back in October, I listened to the audiobook Queen Bee by Jane Fallon. I was very surprised that I'd not read or listened to any novels by the author previously. Having enjoyed Queen Bee, and looking for something on the lighter side to listen to, I decided to try another audiobook from the author. This time around Worst Idea Ever was my book of choice and I loved it. 

The initial premise of the story is one many people have probably considered, creating a fake account. When Georgia does this it is with the best intentions. Having met Lydia at university they've been friends ever since. While Georgia's career has flourished, Lydia's has failed to get off the ground. Georgia hopes that new follower Patricia, who raves about Lydia's illustrations, will give her friend the lift she needs to keep going. What she doesn't expect is that Lydia will confide in Patricia. Rather than take a step back from the charade, Georgia continues to pretend to be Patricia and discovers a secret that will have cataclysmic consequences on her life.

I found it very easy to put myself in Georgia's position. Once there was a hint of gossip about her own life it was almost impossible not to want to know more. The pretense is also Georgia's downfall as she would normally tell Lydia everything, but by doing so she'd also have to tell her friend that she's Patricia.

From the beginning I'd guessed that Lydia knew about the fake follower, so as Georgia's life began to fall apart I began to wonder if I'd been wrong in my assumption, after all, a true friend wouldn't want to see someone they love suffer. There are multiple layers to the story, so the twists keep coming, each as shocking as the previous one, hammering home the message that you shouldn't believe everything you read on social media.

Author Details

Jane Fallon is the multi-award-winning television producer behind shows such as This Life, Teachers and 20 Things to Do before You're 30. Her debut novel "Getting Rid of Matthew' was published in 2007 and became a Sunday Times Top Ten Bestseller as have her subsequent books 'Got You Back', 'Foursome', 'The Ugly Sister', 'Skeletons', 'Strictly Between Us','My Sweet Revenge', 'Faking Friends' and 'Tell Me a Secret'

The One Hundred Years Of Lenni And Margot by Marriane Cronin

 

When seventeen-year-old Lenni learns that her illness is terminal she's struggling to come to terms with "Why me?". Exploring the hospital which has become her world she discovers the art room and meets another "inmate", elderly Margot. The pair form an immediate bond and share the stories of their lives.

I was immensely privileged earlier this year to review Eddie Winston Is Looking For Love by Marianne Cronin and fell in love with the wonderful character of Eddie. Obviously, I had to know if the author had written any other novels, hence me finding The One Hundred Years Of Lenni And Margot, a book that hadn't registered on my radar when it was first published in 2021.

This inter-generational story is filled with warmth, empathy, humour and sadness. From the very beginning, you know what the outcome of the story will be, but the journey there is full of surprises.

We meet Lenni at the start of the book and learn that she is terminally ill. In many ways Lenni is a typical teen, refusing to follow rules, pushing boundaries and constantly questioning authority. Wandering the hospital corridors she stumbles across the chapel and Father Arthur. This meeting gives Lenni the opportunity to question the greatest authority of all, God. The relationship Lenni forms with Arthur is one of the mainstays of the story. While Arthur is unable to give Lenni the answers she seeks he doesn't patronise her.

From her questioning it is obvious that Lenni is not only highly intelligent but she's also an "old soul", this is confirmed when she forms a friendship with Margot. Their first fleeting meeting is almost a reversal of roles with Lenni covering for Margot who is almost clambering into a wheelie bin. The friendship is cemented when Lenni is adamant that she wants to join the art group full of elderly patients, rather than the one for her age group.

Together the pair embark on an art project, creating one hundred pictures commemorating events in their combined one hundred-year lifespan. While producing the artwork the pair share the background to each picture, giving the reader a glimpse into two very different lives. We discover that both women have had to contend with heartbreak and abandonment; but it is these adversities that have formed their characters, refusing to be broken by circumstances.

Marianne Cronin tugs at the heartstrings as the conclusion approaches. I had tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat, wishing for a miracle. Thankfully, the author doesn't sugarcoat the ending, giving the reader a realistic, yet bittersweet, ending.

Author Details

Marianne Cronin was born in 1990 and grew up in Warwickshire. After gaining her PhD in applied linguistics, she worked in academia until becoming a writer. Her first novel, The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot, published by Doubleday in 2021, was voted 'most uplifting book of 2021' by The Independent and shortlisted for a Goodreads Choice Award for Fiction. She lives in the Midlands with her family and her cat.

A Most Malicious Messenger by Katherine Black (Audiobook)

 

In the village of Blackheath, someone is sending cryptic malicious text messages, hinting at wrongdoing. When the target of one of the texts turns up dead everyone begins to wonder who the sender is and who could be the next target.

Back in September, I was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to review the audiobook A Most Unusual Demise, the first in The Most Unusual Mysteries series by Katherine Black. I thoroughly enjoyed the book as it offered a slightly darker take on the cosy crime genre and was filled with wonderfully eccentric characters.

A Most Malicious Messenger is the second book in the series. The paperback and ebook were published at the start of 2024 and the audiobook has now been made available. Once again Jonathan Keeble does an incredible job as narrator.

You do not need to have read/listened to the first book in the series to enjoy A Most Malicious Messenger, however doing so will give you a greater understanding of the characters, particularly the main characters May and Fletcher. Both characters have secrets to hide, ones which we find out early in the first book, and they are desperate to keep those secrets hidden. Since the plot revolves around the uncovering of secrets the pair have a lot to contend with.

The wonderful characters from the first book put in an appearance. Bastian, who manages the bookshop for May, is the centre of gossip when a young woman appears in his life. Barb, May's novelist friend is as flamboyant and delicious as ever. To add to the mix is Minty, May's nonagenarian mother. Minty is a law unto herself with her behaviour frequently scandalous. Minty has turned up wanting May to bump her off, something May is adamant she won't do, however, her behaviour frequently gives May pause for thought.

There is a lot of very dark humour, something which raises the book above many other cosy crime novels. Minty and Barb are the stand-out characters, particularly as Minty seems to delight in taunting Barb. May refuses to see that she has the same trait as her mother as she delights in tormenting her neighbour.

Our characters contend with the usual red herrings and a race against time to uncover the person responsible for the despicable crimes. There is a particularly grisly scene towards the end and a conclusion that will elicit a little gasp, followed by a giggle and a wry smile.

A Most Malicious Messenger by Katherine Black is available in paperback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Bloodhound Books for a review copy.

Author Details

Katherine Black was born and raised in Texas, but has spent most of her life in England. These days, her drawl is long gone unless she's had a few drinks or a late night.
Armed with an art history degree from the University of Texas (Hook 'em, Horns!) she worked in the arts in the UK and Europe before chucking it all in for the glamourous life of a stay at home mom. When she decided to pursue her dream of writing crime fiction, she completed an MA in Creative Writing (Crime Fiction) at the University of East Anglia. Her first novel, written as part of the MA, placed third in the Yeovil Literary Prize. Re-titled as A Most Unusual Demise, that story is published by Bloodhound Books and is the first in The Most Unusual Mysteries series. You can read more of May & Fletcher's adventures in A Most Malicious Messenger. The series was longlisted for the Crime Writers Association's New Blood Dagger in 2024.
Katherine's novel, Lufkin, Texas (unpublished), was longlisted for the Crime Writers Association's Debut Dagger in 2022.

Nobody's Hero by M. W. Craven

 

The deaths of a series of academics and infrastructure specialists point to the possibility of a domestic terrorism event likely to displace millions of people and put a strain on the infrastructure of America. Ben Koenig is recruited to track down the people involved.

M. W. Craven introduced readers to his new anti-hero, Ben Koenig, in 2023 with Fearless. Despite the author already having a long-running, and highly successful, police procedural series, it is brilliant to see a quick return for Koenig in Nobody's Hero.

Koenig was a US Marshall when it was discovered he had a genetic disorder that means he's immune to fear. His bosses used this to their advantage, having him train with some of the most specialised military units around the world. When he ended up killing the son of a Russian mafia boss a $5 million bounty was placed on him and he had to disappear. Koenig has been on the run for seven years, his only contact with his old life is a once-a-month email to Jen Draper, ex-CIA and now the head of a private security firm.

Right from the dramatic opening, you know you are in for a roller coaster ride as Koenig is drawn back into the job he thought he'd escaped from. Alongside the ingenious techniques Koenig uses to extricate himself from seemingly impossible situations are some gruesome descriptions. As each incident became more and more precarious I was on the edge of my seat wondering how things could be redeemed.

The relationship between Keonig and Draper is a hate-hate one and brings about some hilariously sarcastic retorts. I think the dark humour embedded within the story is one of its strengths. The villains are at the upper end of the evil scale, one of which is a serial killer who has "killed more people than Jack Reacher". 

The conclusion is a race against time and impossible odds. It really does look like there are no viable options that will save the day. There are some grisly details that will make your stomach flip. There is a satisfying aftermath to events, giving the reader details that tease you about possible directions the story could go in the future.

Author Details

Multi-award-winning author M.W. Craven was born in Carlisle but grew up in Newcastle. He joined the army at sixteen, leaving ten years later to complete a social work degree. Seventeen years after taking up a probation officer role in Cumbria, at the rank of assistant chief officer, he became a full-time author. He is an instant Sunday Times bestseller and, for his Cumbria-set Washington Poe series, a recipient of the 2019 Crime Writers’ Association Gold Dagger, the 2022 Ian Fleming Steel Dagger and the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2023. The series has now been translated into twenty-seven languages 

October 2024 Reads

 

Wow, the year is just flying by. It's hard to believe we're only 2 months away from 2025. I didn't read a massive number of books in October, however I did manage to get through three audiobooks.

In You All Die Tonight by Simon Kernick a group of seven people wake from a drugged state to find themselves locked in a remote mansion. They are informed that they’ve all been injected with a poison that will kill them in 12 hours unless the person among them responsible for the Black Lake murders confesses. Full of shocking twists, this read like something from the Saw franchise.

If you are a fan of psychological thrillers then The Neighbour’s Secret from Sharon Bolton will be right up your street. Set in a small village that hosts an annual convention by a mysterious religious group, one of the residents is constantly watching events and becomes obsessed with the newest resident. They are not the only character with an obsession, either.

The Seven by Robyn Delvey has an explosive start, a guaranteed hook to keep you reading. Flitting between the present day and fifteen months previously we learn about the shocking events which resulted in forty-three hostages being killed in an explosion, the guilt felt by many of the survivors, and a race against time to prevent the trial of the murderers from falling apart.

Goodbye Birdie Greenwing by Ericka Waller addresses some difficult themes such as loneliness and death, but offers hope, as we learn about three strong women. They are all neighbours who’ve never interacted previously, but fate intervenes, resulting in them allowing others into their lives, leading to a new lease on life and unexpected consequences.

Murder For Busy People by Tony Parsons is book 7 in the Max Wolfe series. After stumbling across the dead body of a dog walker Max finds himself dragged back to an infamous crime, one he was involved in just after graduating as a police officer. Only one person was ever convicted, Emma Moon. Sixteen years on Moon has been released from prison and those alleged to also have been involved in the crime begin to die.

Another twisty psychological thriller was Sharp Glass by Sarah Hilary. A woman is held captive in an isolated property. Her captor is convinced she knows something about an unsolved murder and is desperate to uncover the truth. The obsession with uncovering the murderer shines through, despite both characters being unreliable narrators. By the conclusion, I felt punch-drunk.

I managed three audiobooks this month, the first of which was the hilarious What A Way To Go by Bella Mackie. Wealthy Anthony Wistern dies accidentally, or was it murder? Told from three perspectives; his widow Olivia, amateur investigator Jade, and Anthony, who’s in limbo until he can figure out how he died. Filled with self-centred, spoilt and greedy characters, there are lots of twists as the author pokes fun at the lifestyle of the wealthy. Brilliantly narrated.

My second audiobook was Queen Bee by Jane Fallon. This wasn’t as light and frothy as I was expecting. Temporarily living in a studio on an exclusive housing estate, Laura is accused by Stella of chasing her fiancé, Al. When Laura uncovers exactly what is going on she lays everything out for Stella, including her fiancé’s plan to leave her penniless. Laura and Stella work together to ensure Al doesn’t get things all his own way.

Stay Awake by Megan Goldin, was my third audiobook of the month. This is an unsettling and twisty thriller. Liv Reece wakes in a taxi to find messages scrawled across her hands and a bloody knife in her pocket. Rushing him she discovers strangers living in her apartment and two years missing from her memory. The suspect in a gruesome murder, her only solution, while trying to evade the police, is to track down her friends for answers.

Publications dates to watch out for are:-

You All Die Tonight by Simon Kernick will be published on 7/11/24 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

The Neighbour’s Secret by Sharon Bolton will be published on 7/11/24 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

The Seven by Robyn Delvey will be published on 1/1/25 in paperback, ebook and audio format.

Murder For Busy People by Tony Parsons will be published on 2/1/25 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

Sharp Glass by Sarah Hilary

 

A young woman is hired to pack up an isolated empty house. When she arrives she is knocked unconscious and wakes to find herself held captive in the basement. Her captor is convinced she knows something about the murder of a teenage girl. 

Having purchased a ticket for the crime and thriller festival Bay Tales 2025 I was acutely aware that I hadn't read anything by some of the authors appearing. In an effort to rectify this, I've added a few  books to my TBR pile. Sharp Glass by Sarah Hilary was next on my reading list in preparation for the event.

I went into this book completely blind. Obviously, I knew it was a thriller, but other than all the praise it has garnered on Twitter I knew nothing about it. Dare I even admit I didn't read the blurb beforehand, not that it would have made any difference to me selecting the novel.

This is one of those twisty thrillers where you really have to keep your wits about you as you read. We are faced with not one but two unreliable narrators. Grace Maddox (or is it Gwen Leonard?) is hired to pack up the contents of an empty house. As she arrives at the isolated property she is knocked unconscious. When she wakes she finds herself trapped in a basement. Her captor, Dan, promises her she is safe, all he wants is information from her.

Dan, a gifted doctor, is grieving. The daughter of close friends was murdered a year ago. The murder remains unsolved and desperate for some closure for himself and his friends he's kidnapped Grace, convinced she can shed some light on the murder.

Over a number of days, the questioning goes back and forth. I was reminded very much of two well-matched fighters circling each other; ducking, weaving, and feinting. Trying to land a decisive blow that would bring their opponent to their knees. Both characters are tenacious and neither can be relied upon for total honesty and reliability. Various suspects are offered up as the interrogation continues, suspects who have means and opportunity. There are red herrings galore though, not just in the unreliable narrators. 

By the conclusion I felt as if I'd been a punching bag for both characters, my head was reeling. I didn't like either character at the beginning but by the end I had some sympathy and respect for both.

Author Details

Sarah Hilary’s debut, Someone Else’s Skin, won the Theakston Crime Novel of the Year Award and was also a World Book Night selection, a Richard & Judy Book Club pick and a finalist for both the Silver Falchion and the Macavity Awards in the US. No Other Darkness, the second in her DI Marnie Rome series, was shortlisted for a Barry Award. The series continued with Tastes Like Fear, Quieter Than Killing, Come and Find Me and Never Be Broken. Black Thorn is her second standalone novel, following Fragile.