The second book in a series is always a tough nut to crack and unfortunately this book didn’t quite work for me like No Life For A Lady did.

We follow Violet Hamilton again who is now a full time lady detective working alongside her fiancée Benjamin, when a local resident is found dead she makes it her mission to find out what really happened.

As with the first book I loved the characters of Violet and Benjamin, but unfortunately the mystery this time just wasn’t as good and the supporting characters lacked a multi-dimensional feel. By the end I was skimming the pages and didn’t really care who had ‘dunnit.’

It`s 1897 and Violet is a lady detective trying to solve mysteries for the middle classes. A body of a lady she knows is found on the beach but no one is willing to let her help and her fiancée has had to go away so he can`t help and ladies are not supposed to do the work she is trying to do as everyone keeps telling her.
Violet is a very strong willed lady and full of humour and it`s a very enjoyable book to read.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC and I give my honest review.

This is the second book in the series and I enjoyed it every bit as much as the first. It can be read as a stand alone book, as it reminds you of everything you need to know from the first book, which is helpful as it was a long time since I read the first. Set in the 1890s, when women were expected just to get married, have children and run a household, the language, the settings, and the personalities are very evocative of the time.

Violet was born a lady, but when her mother disappeared when she was younger, she decided she wanted more out of life than marriage to a man she found boring, and who didn’t share her values. Her father would set her up with ‘suitable’ men and Violet would dispatch them very quickly. When Violet decided that she wanted to be a Lady Detective, and solve the case of her missing mother, she came across Benjamin, another Detective in town, and she found she enjoyed his company and working together. In order to continue doing so, they became engaged so it wasn’t as scandalous them spending time alone together. When the town busybody Mrs Withers is discovered dead after a ball, in mysterious circumstances, Violet feels she has to investigate. She and Benjamin test their detective skills, their friendship – and perhaps more.

This book is amusing, and Violet sweeps you along with her enthusiasm. The relationships are interesting, and very evocative of the time. I really enjoyed the descriptions of Hastings and St Leonards in the 1890s.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6527288606

Violet Hamilton #2

Violet Hamilton is no ordinary lady, She is a Lady Detective, who spends her time solving mysteries and unveiling scandals in the bustling town of Hastings and St. Leonards, a popular spot for the Victorian classes. But when the body of a local woman is found on the beach, Violet's efforts to investigate are blocked at every turn. Is that because, as a woman, she can't possibly be allowed to think or act like herself? Or is it because someone sinister has Violet in their sights.

Set in 1897. The pace is slow in this well-written mystery. Violet is engaged to Benjamin, the detective we met in the first book. Violet is a Lady Detective who's trying to prove herself worthy in a man's world. We get a lot of information, reminding us of some of the key points from the first book, No Life For A Lady. There is some humour to this story, and I like that Violet is not like any other lady sleuth I've read about in the past. A lot of research has gone into this book about the era it was written about. I also felt there was some information we could have done without, it was as if it was put in to bulk the book out. This is a good cosy murder mystery and I hope there's more to come in this series.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #Aria&Aries and the author #HannahDolby for my Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Violet Hamilton is a Lady Detective working with her fiancé in 1897 Hastings.
When the body of a highly opinionated local woman is found on the beach after a ball, Violet and Benjamin feel it only right to find out the truth. Violet must get past the Victorian thinking that women are too delicate to deal with the more dangerous and gruesome side of life and discover what’s really going on.
What follows is a glorious story of guts, ambition and a fantastic cosy crime mystery.

Having spent many a holiday in Hastings and St. Leonards the description of the town and the seafront are spot on. I’ve stayed at the Victoria Hotel and an Air BnB right next to what was the Queens hotel. Many an afternoon has been spent exploring the old town which I’m sure hasn’t changed since Victorian times. So I can picture it all in my mind perfectly.

I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of reading this book and cannot wait for further books in this series.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

A really fun story following the antics of Violet, an inspiring Lady Detective at a time when ladies should just sit and embroider.

It was a great second book in the series but can easily be read alone as there are lots of recaps during the first few chapters.

It moved at a nice pace, the characters were great and there was lots of humour and mysteries to be solved. I can't wait for book 3!

How to Solve Murders Like a Lady is the second novel about Lady Detective Violet Hamilton, now fiancée to detective and furniture restorer, Benjamin Blackthorn.

Violet is, again, an absolute delight. Eager to hone her skills as a detective and get into a 'real' detective case, she is bristling with enthusiasm. In the popular seaside town of Hastings and St Leonards, it's not long before she finds a case; a local woman found murdered on the beach.

Violet's attempts to investigate are hampered at every turn, but are her opponents just conservatively resistant to the idea of a young woman being a detective or are their motives more sinister?

The novel is a wonderful portrayal of a feisty and charming young woman bursting with energy. She's also bursting with some hitherto unknown feelings, especially when in proximity to her equally charming fiancé. It's all very thrilling for her. And for the reader.

The novel is funny, engaging, well paced, with a great cast of well-rounded characters, lots of twists and turns and great dialogue. I enjoyed it just as much as the first in the series, and I am still so utterly charmed by Violet that I am unable to find a single thing wrong with this novel.

How to solve murders like a lady by Hannah Dolby is the sequel to No life for a lady. I enjoyed this first one, so I was excited to see how the story continues.
Violet is now engaged to detective and furniture repairer Benjamin but is hesitant to marry him as she wants to continue her career as a lady detective. She just doesn’t want to prove that she is capable not just to herself but the people around her. Benjamin is a patient man and will not push her until she is ready. She investigates a woman, (Mrs Withers) a very judgemental woman who is found dead on the local beach after a local ball.
At first this was a bit of a slow start for me, but it became an interesting read. I liked the sense of humour in it and the character Violet trying to prove herself in a male dominated world. 4 stars from me.

I quite enjoyed the first book in this series, so I was looking forward to rejoining Violet in a follow-up adventure. Very soon, though, I started to wish I hadn’t.

The things that I didn’t like about the first book were out in full force. Violet has her moments of being embarrassingly naive, which very quickly became grating, and the mystery plot wasn’t strong or coherent enough to carry the book. I really liked the clear story and character arc (and how they were intertwined) in the first book, and that was lacking here.

My favourite thing about the first book though, which thankfully was also my favourite thing about the second, is Violet’s relationship with her parents. Her mother especially is such a great character, and I loved the scenes where they interact. I particularly liked how Violet’s relationship with her father evolved in this book. They have a very complex relationship between the three of them and it’s also fascinating to see it play out.

I can’t see myself continuing on with this series, but I hope that there is more character development and maturity from Violet as the series continues.

I received a free copy for an honest review.

Violet Hamilton is a lady detective and she decides to investigate the death of a local woman found on the beach but there are people who a determined to stop her: is it because she's a lady? Or is there something more sinister afoot?

I really enjoyed this second instalment of the Violet Hamilton series. I really loved seeing Violet find herself and become everything that she had dreamed of and more. I love Benjamin so seeing him and Violet together as everything - I love them both individually and together. Although, I did find it weird how at first Violet feels lost without Benjamin, which felt at odds to the Violet that I have come to know from the first book as she was always independent and refused to rely on men. Maybe there was a particular reason for this and I just haven't realised it but it didn't make sense to me.

At first, I did struggle to get into this book as it did start off quite slow with not much really happening and even when the action started, there wasn't always a lot compared to the first book in the series. There did seem to be quite a few plot points happening, which at times distracted away from the main plot of finding out what happened to the woman found dead on the beach.

The setting was absolutely stunning - I could picture it in my mind, thanks to the rich descriptions and it made me want to visit. This book also did such a good job at setting the atmosphere and there was a few times where I was nervous for Violet and what would happen to her. The ending did feel rushed but it gave the sense that it was setting up for another book within the series. Regardless, I did have some unanswered questions but loved being back in the world with Violet, Benjamin and the rest of the cast.

Something to note though, there is the use of an ableist slur within the book, which I think is worth mentioning. There is also a typo where it says Lord Laxton is the one who has gave Benjamin furniture towards the end of the book, but it was actually Lord Brassey.

⚠️ CWs: murder, misogyny, sexism, injury detail, derogatory language, ableist slur, gun use, physical assault, mentions death, alcohol use, blood ⚠️

Thank you NetGalley and publisher Aria for the opportunity to read this book early, in exchange for a honest review.

A follow up to her previous success, the lady sleuth is causing mayhem on the south coast, again, gadding about in almost unladylike fashion. Some of the same characters are involved, a cast of very interesting people who may or may not be up to no good. She is a charming if hapless heroine, coming up against the mundane and the serious events of the town with equal measure of intent to solve everything, and sort out some of her own life’s problems

This is the second book in this series and it didn’t disappoint.

Violet is a private detective, but it’s set in the late 1800’s so it’s not a normal job for a lady. She’s now engaged to Benjamin who has a furniture shop and detective work. After a ball she finds one of the guests dead and she needs to find who did it.

Great book, like the the first one. Liked the time setting of this book, the author knows a lot about it. Violet is a brilliant character, she’s so different from the rest of the ladies in the book. A great mystery read. 4 stars

I’m not sure I was as interested in the mysteries of this book as I was in those of the first of the Violet novels, however, I do enjoy this sparky character. Violet is years ahead of her time but I feel sure there were women like her and we don’t hear about them enough. Her relationship with her fiancé is very touching and this makes them very comfortable characters to spend time with.

I have heard about this detective lady Violet Hamilton from several people on Twitter, and was intrigued to ask for #HowToSolveMurdersLikeALady

This book did not disappoint me. Laced with good old-fashioned phrases, In high Duden, in his cups, et cetera and a blossoming feminist in Violet Hamilton, along with her fiancé Benjamin, we encounter a mystery in Hastings.

There is social gossip, societal expectations and a murder. It is up to Violet and Benjamin to sort out the problems, solve the mystery whilst at the same time grappling with expectations of ladies and their role in society.

An excellent entertaining read.

Thanks to #NetGalley For the opportunity to have read this ahead of publication and exchange for an honest review

She's back! It's not quite as bonkersly delightful as the first in the series but very charming. Can we have more soon please?

This was a brilliant follow up novel to No Life for a Lady. Violet has achieved her ambition of becoming a lady detective and is also engaged to be married. However, she wants to be involved with more than finding lost cats and isn’t totally convinced by her engagement. Benjamin has to go to Scotland and Violet is left alone to run the detective agency and her life instantly becomes a lot more complicated.
I just adore Violet. She is such a believable character. Her frustration with the restrictions placed on her just because she is a woman are entirely credible especially as she does try to stay within those boundaries. I thoroughly enjoyed the situations that she managed to get herself into and the scene where she ends up walking through Hastings after bathing on the beach was hilarious. The cycling scenes were also fun. Violet would obviously be someone who tried such an innovative form of transport.
Her character shows a lot of development in this book and I loved the romance between her and Benjamin. He obviously loves her but she is a lot less sure. She gradually begins to figure out what he really means to her and with this and her relationships with her mother and father, you can really feel her becoming more mature.
The mystery is an interesting one with various side events to keep the reader involved. All of the different pieces come together very satisfyingly at the end of the book.
Hannah Dolby does a fantastic job of bringing the historical setting to life. I can really imagine what Hastings must have been like at the end of the 19th century and I loved the historical detail that was included without feeling overwhelmed by it. I definitely feel that I need to try Strawberry Toast as it sounds amazing. This is a light hearted read but serious issues are touched on such as how powerless women could be at that time.
I absolutely loved this novel and really hope that we haven’t seen the last of Violet. Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers, Aria and Aries for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed reuniting with Violet as she continues to pursue her career as a Lady Detective, against societal expectation and with a great partner in tow.
The smatterings of etiquette through the book lend to the charm and the descriptions really bring the period to life (the bathing suit!).
The crime is relatively gentle, the resolution in parts frustrating (just let her have the books!) and in parts revelatory- just as a good detective novel should be!

Once again Violet, who is a very modern woman living under the confines of Victorian society, is faced with a murder and means to find out who did it. Her fiancé is truly swoonful, the characters are well portrayed and it really did make me laugh out loud at times. Looking forward to her next adventure already.

I only read the first in the series last week (at time of writing), and knew instantly this would be a series I loved and so had to jump on the sequel quickly.

There is some repetition at the start regarding the first one, reminding the reader of the key points. This is good if you haven't read the first in a while. It's handy because you can put yourself back into the story, it helps you remember who was who, and what happened, and where you're at, and then you can spend the rest enjoying it rather than trying to remember exactly what happened.

It started off a little slower than the first, but I didn't mind it much as it helped me settle back into the story.

We get to see a little more of that high society life that Violet was born into; the balls and gowns and jewels. There's also a lot more....how do I put it...belittling of women. I know it was the time period, but there's a lot of "women's problems", talk about how they are weak, only there for baby making, aren't intelligent etc.

As with the first one, I liked reading about Violet. This strong, outspoken, ahead-of-her-time woman who wasn't content to just sit by and let men rule when she was perfectly capable! This is also how I found out that Victorian women weren't allowed to attend funerals for fear of being overcome with emotion. I mean, how ridiculous is that?! It's a funeral, it's meant to be emotional!

It's obviously an historical novel, but it's got elements of cosy crime, thrillers, a bit of romance, action and adventure - it's full to the brim and offers something for everyone.

I generally try not to compare one book with another, but when it's part of a series and follows on, I couldn't help but do so. id I enjoy this one as much as the first? Yes. I didn't think I would, because the first one was so new and fresh for me, and by reading this one so soon after, I wondered if it would be too samey, but it just feels like a continuation of what makes the first one so good.

It isn't serious in like a true crime or Val McDermid sort of way, but nor is it frivolous without substance. It's a cosy crime, but with more emphasis on the characters and the time they live in than the crime itself. It's a pleasure to read, quick to read, fun, and managed to put and keep a smile on my face the whole time.

The first book did a great job of introducing all the characters, the location, the history, the likes and dislikes, reputations etc. and this does a great job of taking what was there an expanding it. I don't know if there are plans for a longer series but I sure hope there is. I could definitely see this being adapted into a TV series.

I really enjoyed this book and the first in the series. Violet is a very likeable character and while this book was as funny as the first (loved the library scene) I felt it was a bit meatier in terms of the gender discrimination, which I appreciated. I particularly liked the scenes with the dastardly Dr and his ‘spa’.

It was a humorous, fast paced romp and I would definitely read more from this author.