Of Manners and Murder by Anastasia Hastings

Of Manners and Murder
by Anastasia Hastings

ISBN-13: 9781250848567
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Released: February 7th 2023

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
1885: London, England. When Violet's Aunt Adelia decides to leave on a vacation 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. Since Ivy's letter listed people she suspected of trying to kill her, Violet decides to solve whodunit.


My Review:
Of Manners and Murder is a mystery set in 1885 in London. The historical setting seemed more of a backdrop than something influencing how people behaved. And while Violet was likable enough, I sincerely wished that her sister's viewpoint--showing just how truly self-centered, foolish, and stupid the girl was--had been dropped. Her every action was thought out and manipulative, and she was melodramatic to the point of being a caricature. Actually, none of the characters really came across as acting naturally and seemed more like people playing roles to deliver clues and misdirection.

Everyone seemed happy to gossip with Violet, a complete stranger to them. She asked questions and poked around, including sneaking into private parts of a house to find and take Ivy's diary. Violet was generally practical and logical in her mindset. She fell for some lies and overlooked certain possibilities, but she eventually figured out "whodunit" for two crimes. There were enough clues that whodunit was guessable, but enough misdirection and lies than it wasn't simple to guess. There was no sex. There were only a few uses of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this novel to those more interested in the mystery than in the history or characters.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.