But life is not so simple for a woman in the late 1890s. Society dictates much of the expectations of how one should conduct oneself, and so Violet finds herself trapped between conforming to those expectations, and her own wishes and desires. And of course, the disappearance of her mother is always on her mind. When I first started this novel it wasn’t what I was expecting. It took me a little while to get used to the pace of the novel as well as the author’s writing style but as soon as I settled in, I truly enjoyed this quirky novel. Violet is a determined, single minded young woman but she’s also naive and somewhat misguided. She has not had a mother to ask questions about life and her father is unemotional and doesn’t want much to do with Violet because she reminds him of her mother. Although he does seem to want her to marry well, if not only to get her out of his house. As Violet finds out things about her mother, it taints her view of the world and men in general. She goes out of her way to dissuade her beau’s from falling for her and is actually quite comical in her excuses to get away. This rather endears her character to me at the same time as making me shrink away in embarrassment for her.

Violet Hamilton is a woman who knows her own mind. Which, in 1896, can make things a little complicated... She is trying to find out what happened to her mother, who disappeared without trace ten years ago. She is hampered at every turn by the fact that she is an unmarried woman, and must always be mindful of her reputation. She can usually find a way around such minor difficulties, as she endeavours to find out more about the ways of the world generally, and encounters a few surprises along the way. It’s a historical, mystery romance, but not as you know it! Violet is a strong, independent character who just doesn't fit into the mould of a women of that era, much to the dismay of her father who is desperate for her to get married and forget about her mother's disappearance ten years prior. Violet knows her own mind and isn't afraid to stand up for herself (without feeling like an unrealistic character for the time period), and I love that. The book is now on sale as of yesterday and I’m going to need to get myself a physical copy because I know I’m going to want to read this again in the future. This book is a joy.. I was a little wary of it at first but I soon warmed up and fell in love with Violet.. it is a joyful, funny read which you will be rooting for Violet and rooting for Violet to experience the world which she has been hidden away from.. I hope that this book is going to be the first of many adventures that that we have with Violet and her desire to become a lady detective.It's 1896. Violet, 28, lives with her father and is busy resisting his attempts to marry her off. Violet is underwhelmed by any of the candidates and has determined she will not marry. As the novel progresses, she realises that there are far more interesting things she could be doing. Like becoming a Lady Detective. There are some really terrific laugh out loud moments throughout this story. Violet is a pill and her inner thoughts can be a riot. Benjamin is a sweet cuddly teddy bear that you just want to squeeze and hold tight.

Finding the missing is no job for a lady, but when Violet hires a seaside detective to help, she sets off a chain of events that will put more than just her reputation at risk. We meet 28-yr-old Violet Hamilton in Victorian Hastings, ten years after the disappearance of her mother. A chance sighting of a newspaper advertisement for a new detective in town leads Violet to hire him in the hopes of finding out what happened to her mother. All three complete series of 'No Job for a Lady' have been released on DVD by Network, with a 3-disc set released by Acorn Media in 2012. In 1886, the beautiful and vivacious Lily Hamilton appeared to vanish in thin air, never to be seen or heard from again. A decade later and still finding no answers to her sudden disappearance, Lily's daughter Violet takes it upon herself to hire a private investigator but when he instills little confidence, Violet attempts to solve the mystery of her mother's disappearance her way. However, in the close-knit town of Hastings where tongues wag and eyebrows rise, can Violet solve the mystery all the while keeping her reputation intact?

Contribute to This Page

The pacing of the first half of this book was very slow but this is my only complaint. No life for a lady is an engrossing historical mystery with a wonderful cast of characters (trust me, you want to meet Maria Monk, a former courtesan and an occasional sex-ed teacher) and a compelling storyline. I loved Violet’s inner monologue, this book made me laugh out loud so many times! Violet was brilliant in the way she scared off her suitors and absolutely adorable when trying to escape an uncomfortable situation. Benjamin was like a big puppy; good natured but clumsy at times, I just wanted to hug him 🤗 While romance is not the center of attention in this story (no smut, pervs!) it surely adds to its charm. Benjamin's Father was the detective but has since passed away. His son has decided instead to sell furniture. Victoria charmingly inveigled herself into his life. She assists him with some light detective work. His shop has a typewriter and he allows her to learn typing, even assisting with receipts and such. Victoria keeps her activities from her Father but she is immensely pleased with herself for finding useful, interesting work. Benjamin takes on a few cases reluctantly, with Victoria's help. Detective work could be dangerous and he wanted to avoid his Father's fate. Victoria has become a permanent part of his life. As feelings start to develop, Victoria pushes them aside to focus on finding her Mother. A story with an endearing and audaciously sassy protagonist, this was a fabulously quirky mystery-rom-com. One I definitely hope to see more of as the Violet Hamilton-Lady Detective series. This is an amusing and splendid read, often laugh-out-loud funny, with plenty of interesting periphery characters, from the moody servants in the house, to the friendly vicar at her mother’s church, and the prim young ladies of the town who don’t want to be associated with her, to ladies of the night. Plenty of twists and turns keep the reader guessing until the truth is finally revealed.