This was a great adventure and murder mystery set in historic England. Our main character was spunky and likeable. I did figure out the culprit before the main character but there were lots of twists and turns along the way. I do appreciate that all was resolved in the end even though you know there will be another book. I will await the next installment of the series, looking forward to what is next.

This was cute! Characters are great. Premise is fun. Sephora was delightfully annoying. Excited to see where this series goes and for sure want to hear more about the aunt!

Of Manners and Murder is a very fun cozy mystery that feels like Murder, She Wrote set in London in 1885.

The story begins with our heroine Violet taking over for her aunt in writing the Miss Hermione advice column. Violet’s a headstrong and brave young woman who isn’t interested in finding a husband or societal gossip. When she reads a letter from a writer who is later murdered, the adventure-loving Violet decides to solve Ivy’s murder.

The book is just as silly and fun as you’d expect. Violet questions suspects throughout Ivy’s small town and begins to uncover their secrets. Along the way, she meets an American man named Eli and there’s some nice banter and sexual tension there, though it’s not primarily a romance.

The mystery itself was fun and though I figured it out fairly early on, it was still a lot of fun watching Violet solve it. I loved her plucky, meddling character.

Mia Hutchinson-Shaw is a great narrator, filling Violet with intelligence and humour. I didn’t love her chapters as Sephora as much — she played her as very silly and stupid, which was a bit grating. It’s hard to say how much of that was a text vs. narration issue.

Overall, I loved Of Manners and Murder and I will definitely be continuing with the Dear Miss Hermione series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for my review copy of this audiobook.

This was delightful!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for my advanced audio of Of Manners and Murder.

This book checked a lot of boxes for me.

Historical Fiction ✅
Dual POV ✅
Cozy Mystery ✅
Enjoyable Characters ✅
Amazing Narration ✅
Easy to Follow Storyline ✅

I cannot wait to get my hands on the next installment.

Such a cute historical cozy mystery!

I really enjoyed this story. I see that it is the beginning of a series and I have high hopes for the rest of it!

We follow a couple of step sisters who live with their aunt. When their aunt needs to leave, she shares a secret with the elder sister and leaves a very important task in her hands. The younger sister is the typical boy-crazy heiress that we see in books like this while the older one is the spinster you tend to see.

It’s told in a dual POV with both sisters. It’s interesting to get those chapters from the younger ones POV since we see what’s going on in her head.

I received the audio through NetGalley and I thought the narrator did well with it. As usual I wish the different POVs had different narrators to match, but it was clear enough that it really didn’t bother me that they were shared.

I enjoyed this and look forward to more in the future!

This historical mystery was not as historical as I might have wished. Several glaring items stood out that repeatedly took me out of the story. I like history—no, I LOVE history— and expect authors (and their editors) to respect it.

In the first place, the motives for the investigation are very flimsy, indeed. Why does Violet even care about this young woman she knows nothing about? Why should she risk her reputation, even her life, for a complete stranger?

Also, these well-off women live in London but have only one servant? The MC travels about England without a chaperone and apparently thinks nothing of it.

There were also several uses of language that were out of time: "Nosey Parker," for instance.

The writing is fine and the pacing of the story is slow but steady. The audio book is narrated by Mia Hutchinson-Shaw, who does a great job.

Violet has been tasked by her aunt to take over the “Dear Miss Hermione” column. And her first letter has violet puzzled. It’s a previous writer asking for more help. So violet decides to go to where this lady lives, on the guise of being Miss Hermione’s assistant and find out more information. However, when violet arrives at the small village, she finds the writer has died! And there seems to be confusion as to how she died. Was it an accident? Suicide? Or murder? Violet intends to figure this out all while continuing the Miss Hermione column, dealing with her shallow sister, and not getting murdered herself!

This was a wonderful first book in this series! I was hooked from the very beginning! It took a little bit to distinguish the different voices that the narrator was doing because they seemed very similar at first. But once I got into the story a little more it became much more clear. I can’t wait for the next book! Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to listen to the audiobook for free in exchange for an honest review!

There are so many reasons I wanted to read this book.

When I read the synopsis for this novel, it reminded me so much of the Marion Chesney novels that I used to enhale. The advice columnist turned sleuth is not an original concept. But every time I read a novel with this premise I get so sucked in. And "Miss Hermione" was no different.

I loved everything about Violet and her mission. That being said, I think my favourite part of this novel was hearing some of the column responses Violet writes as Miss Hermione. I would read an entire book of Violet writing salty remarks to men that need help <i>appealing to the weaker sex.</i>

I'll be checking back frequently this year to see if any sequels come from this debut.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Victorian Era setting in this delightful cozy mystery. Having a young and inquisitive female as the main POV gave this a wonderful modern spin and highlighted just how resourceful and strong a determined woman can be.

I did a combination of print and audio and can recommend both avenues!

This is the first in a new series and I will definitely be returning to see where Violets life will lead!

Thank you Netgalley & St, Martins Press for the arc and Dreamscape Media for the #alc in exchange for an honest review!

I love a good historical mystery and am [now] excited to add another series to my ever-growing list of ones that I read! Add in that this author is a pseudonym for an author I already really enjoy reading, and this one was [mostly] a winner for me.

What I Liked:
* Violet as a main character. She is is smart, doesn't suffer fools, , and while not loving her position in life, has learned to make the most of it and adding the "Miss Hermione" job to it and all the shenanigans that entail add to her previously small life. She is brave and is willing to step outside of what society deems "proper" to get to the truth. Raised in a very unconventional way, her being able to "look down her nose" at London's society raises eyebrows of course, but just adds to the story.
* Bunty. What a great character. She loves her girls and wants the best for them and tries to reign Violet in, but ends up just getting swept along with her. She is fantastic and I hope we see more of her in the next book.
* I really loved that Violet doesn't expects help OR NEEDS HELP from a man. And while a man does play into the end of this, he is not the focus and I really like how that all played out. Violet shows that she can do this on her own and needs no male help in her life [though she discovers that having someone pay attention to her instead of her sister IS rather lovely ;-) ]. As someone who has lived in her sister's shadow her whole life, I loved this part of Violet the most and when I grow up, I can only hope that I have some of her chutzpah.
* The story overall. It was a really well-told story. It was, for the most part, a really good mystery. I was sure that some people were just not...well, I knew they were not nice, but I wasn't sure how everything would come together and when it did, I was surprised, but not really. I will say I was not let down though - it was more like "AHA!! THAT is it" and the more it was unraveled, the more I thought "DUH! I so should have seen THAT" [<spoiler>THOUGH I was sure something was up when Sephora's purse was stolen and there was something off with Franklin's muttonchops - should have paid attention to that more LOL</spoiler>].

All that leads me to what I didn't love about this book:
* The stupid dual POV. Seriously, authors, please stop this. It is unneeded and in this case, so freaking frustrating and eye-rolling. The dual POV adds NOTHING to the story [but frustration on this readers part and the wanting to smack her AND bang my head against the wall]. Now, I am not saying that Sephora as a character wasn't important because she is [though silly, flighty, vapid girls are never, ever, my favorite kind of characters and I also disliked how she often treats Violet]. She is there to show the dramatic difference between two sisters, but I do think it could have been done without us needing her separate POV. I was very unhappy when it suddenly switched in my audiobook and every time she came on, my eyes immediately started rolling. There were absolutely moments where she was 100% TSTL. Seriously.

All the pluses outweigh the one thing that I disliked and I am looking forward to a book 2 should one get written. I can see this becoming one of my favorite series'; so glad that I took a chance on this one - it made for a very enjoyable 2-day read.

I was also lucky enough to be accepted for an audiobook ARC of this book and THIS is the way to read this book [IMO]. I really loved the narrator and how she told the story [though, as with everything regarding Sephora, I disliked her voice, but I think that was the point. Sephora is supposed to grate on your last nerve and the narration really...adds[?] to that. ;-) I will be looking for this narrator in other books and I hope that if there is a book 2, she will continue to be the narrator for that one as well.

Thank you to NetGalley, Anastasia Hastings, Mia Hutchinson- Shaw - Narrator, St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books and Dreamscape Media for providing these ARC's in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an arc of Of Manners and Murder in exchange for an honest review. This review is wholly my own & may not be reproduced.

If I had know this was the start of a series, I likely would have passed because I have WAY too many series in progress and on my TBR right now, but I’m glad I didn’t realize that because I enjoyed this book and will likely read and follow-up books in the series.

This story follows Violet as a “Dear Abby type” columnist who receives a letter from Ivy who is in peril. Once Violet tracks her down to check on her, Ivy is dead. Now Violet must solve the mystery of who killed Ivy & why.

This was a quirky, fun read. Violet is a fabulous MC. The author’s pacing was great as well. It read very quickly & easily & there were some aspects that got put into play that I look forward to seeing develop more in future additions to the series.

Definitely give this one a chance!

I am rating it at 3.5 Stars

More Miss Hermione please!

I was interested from the first page of this story. Violet and Sephora are as different as two sisters can be. While Violet is secretly taking over as Miss Hermione, Sephora is wrapped up in her new love interest. Sephora had me laughing several times at her opinions and attitude.

Violet, unsure she can take over as Miss Hermione also finds herself investigating the cause of death of Ivy. The case of characters she encounters along the way only add to the entertainment in this story and at times build suspense leaving the reader guessing what really happened.

This story had a few surprises in it that I didn’t see coming. I truly enjoyed this trip to Victorian England and cannot wait for the next installment. Miss Hermione is already a favorite of mine.

Mia Hutchinson-Shaw did a great job narrating. Her voices only added to the suspense. I also found her impression of the characters to be perfect. Her voice for Sephora along has me laughing numerous times.

Thank you to Dreamscape for the copy of this book. All views are my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review,

This book was F-U-N. It was exactly what I needed to awaken the book spirits in me after attempting to read something that almost put me into a slump.

The book revolves around Violet; an intelligent women who is given the charge of her aunt's advice column, "Miss Hermione." The moment she takes this over, she is thrown into a murder mystery that threatens to send her entire life into a downward spiral. With its fast-paced story-line, I was enthralled from start to finish.

Pros and Cons:

Pros:

1: I absolutely adored most of the characters in this book. With the exception of Sephora, I thought each and every character was thought out and completely unique and well-rounded - even the villain.
2: While predictable, the story still has some twists and turns that left me floored and one that left me quite emotional. The story-building was excellent!
3: I LOVED the feminism in this book. All of the characters, except for Sephora, were strong-willed, intelligent, take-no-bs females and it was AMAZING to read. Violet is a strong character from beginning to end, even while being woo'd by the cocky American.

Cons:

1: Sephora almost DID ME IN, I was so annoyed by her every time she landed on the page. My biggest pet peeve is the dumb lady in waiting and Sephora was the walking, talking epitome of this. I mean, this could also be a pro though, as it shows the outstanding writing of Anastasia Hastings as an author.
2: Why is the romance with Eli at the END of the book?? GIVE ME MORE ELI! I was just as enthralled with him as Violet was but I wanted him in more than just the last 15%!

Overall, what an amazing story. I can't wait for more instalments of this series, I am already obsessed with our Dear Miss Hermione.

It was a good book. It had a lot of twists and turns that I didn't see coming. I enjoyed how the book turned out. I love it when the books have article writers. They seem to get so much gossip. Very good book. I hope there will be more in this series.

Violet is a spinster who after growing up abroad has found herself in an interesting situation when her aunt entrusts her with the secret that she is one of England’s most beloved agony aunts, and now with her leaving the country violet has been tasked with being Miss Hermione for the foreseeable future, Violet uncovers a mystery and murder she feels compelled to solve, all the while having to deal with her younger half-sister.

I had a real fun time with this one, I really enjoy novels with a Victorian England setting. I really enjoyed Violet and her characterization, she grew up traveling and had an unconventional father which has lead her to be a more independent and free thinking woman than most of her peers, her replies to people while functioning as Miss Hermione are pretty funny and I loved having the agony aunt angle to the story. Sephora, Violets younger half-sister, was on the vapid and dim witted side and I found her character on the grating side, this though I think was ment to be intentional as we are told that this was how she was raised to be by Violet’s step-mother. The mystery was fun if not on the tad bit predictable side and overall the book didn’t outstay its welcome.

In addition I really enjoyed the narrator of this audio book I think she did an excellent job with all of the voices, especially Sephora.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Cozy mystery that will have you hooked from the very beginining. Violet takes over an advice colum from her aunt. She then stumbles onto a mystery surrounding Ivy, one of the girls that has written to Miss. Hermione about being a new bride and some things that are happening to her. Violet then learns when she goes to visit Ivy that she has died. Now Violet needs to solve the crime at hand. This book has so many twist and turns and keeps you guessing until the very end. Looking forward to book 2 in the series.

I actually requested this one as an ARC but was turned down, so when I saw the audiobook I thought I would give it a try.

I think this is an occasion in which the book would have worked better for me than the audio version. The narrator's voice and accents started to wear on me fairly quickly. The prissy, proper and high-pitched tones of several of the characters were difficult for me to listen to in long batches. Pair that with a story that was fun in concept but fairly unbelievable in execution, and the result wasn't such a great fit for me.

There is just so much about what is going on here that doesn't ring true with the time period that I had a hard time suspending disbelief long enough to believe this young woman would actually go traipsing about the world on her own as she did. I don't know exactly why, but I had a hard time falling into the story - and for a cozy mystery / soft fiction book, that isn't a good sign. Something about this one just didn't resonate with me and I wasn't able to finish it.

When a friend told me that Anastasia Hastings is a pen name of an author we’ve read and enjoyed before, I was willing to give this series a try, even though historical mystery isn’t my normal genre. I’m glad I did. I was drawn in by the characters and the premise right away, and the setting (moving between London and the English countryside) is captivating. The mystery and the pacing are good.

Cons: I am always unhappy when amateur investigation crosses into burglary and theft. Also, the current trend of multiple points of view can end anytime now. Please.

The narration of the audiobook is solid, if at times the voices and accents are slightly exaggerated. All in all, I look forward to book 2 in the series.

Thank you to Anastasia Hastings, MiA Hutchinson-Shaw, St. Martin’s Press, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for an advance reader/listener copy in exchange for an honest review

Loved it!! Totally loved every bit!!
Starts off quick and doesn’t slow down! And a double mystery! What a bonus!

I like how we were told of the past and relevant information through the story when it was needed but not as an explaining session. It was beautifully crafted throughout.

Violet’s no nonsense answers to Hermione’s letters were an absolute highlight! Sephora’s pathetic love affair with her Franklin and her delusional thoughts felt like comic relief. Silly pretty thing.

As I read through the book I had theories and thoughts about who dunnit but didn’t have it all figured out until the end. I really enjoyed reading this!

Pleeeeease tell me there will be another book after this one?!

For fans of Agatha Christie, London settings, and cozy mysteries. I really enjoyed this book and thought it was a nice palate cleanser. Easy to follow and to stay engaged with.