A modern “New Woman”, Miss Marigold Manners cleans up a house, a family, and two murders in Elizabeth Hobbs’ historical mystery, Misery Hates Company.

In 1894, after the death of both her parents due to influenza, Miss Marigold Manners learns they spent all the Manners money, the houses are gone, and she has to find a place to live. She can’t afford to go back to Wellesley College or to Greece for the summer archaeological session. Instead, she writes to a number of relatives informing them of her parents’ death. She hears back from an unknown relative, Sophronia Sedgwick Hatchet, who offers her a place to stay on Great Misery Island off the coast of Salem, Massachusetts. Cousin Sophronia also offers a mystery, saying she must be forgiven by Marigold’s mother, Esme, so she owes Marigold a place to stay.

After her train ride, Marigold learns people are appalled when they learn she’s to stay with the Hatchets. She even has to row over to the island. Along the way, she thinks she spies a woman’s body in the sound. On the island, she finds a ramshackle place, a cousin with comments about curses and secrets, and two leering young men who are Sophronia’s sons. Great Misery Island seems to fit the house and family. But, Marigold is determined to make the best of it, and it isn’t long before she tries to take control, cleaning up, selling old iron, and planting a garden. She also wants to change the lives of her adult cousins who seem imprisoned on the island.

Marigold feels successful until a body is found, and a second body makes her a murder suspect. The intrepid heroine has supportive friends when everything she knows about her own life is turned upside down.

The language is old-fashioned and the characters are extremely odd. Even Marigold won’t be for everyone’s taste, the intrepid “New Woman”. It takes quite a long time to get to the mystery elements, and the solution is messy. Despite the Gothic atmosphere, Misery Hates Company, won’t be for everyone.

Marigold Manners, who stems from an old-money Boston family, prides herself on being a modern woman and archeologist. After her parents die she receives a letter from a relative stating that she should go to Great Misery Island where distant family reside. When she arrives at Hatchett Farm, she discovers a gothic heap inhabited by relatives reminiscent of the eccentric characters of Cold Comfort Farm. Her attempts at modernization of the farm and relatives are interrupted by by the discovery of the dead body of a local girl.

I thoroughly enjoyed this historical mystery by Elizabeth Hobbs. Marigold is an passionate and intelligent main character and the author surrounds her with other young, interesting women of the time. The novel takes place on one of the Misery Islands off the coast of Salem, MA. Much of the story is set on the North Shore, an area famous for beautiful estates and rich history. The area was well-researched for this novel; I know because my family is originally from the area. In fact, my great-aunts lived in the Peter Pride house of Prides Crossing for decades. While the story itself is wonderful, anyone from this part of Massachusetts will enjoy mentions of the old-monied families that referred to the mansions they built there as their "summer homes". I laughed out loud when I read something my parents were fond of saying. "So here's to dear old Boston, the home of the bean and cod, Where the Lowells talk to the Cabots, And the Cabots talk only to God."

I highly recommend this treasure of a book!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an ARC of this novel, the first in a series.

This is a funny, tongue-in-cheek historical mystery, with one Miss Marigold Manners firmly in the starring role. Set in the 1890s, as the Victorian world transitioned to modernity, Marigold is very much a New Woman of the age. Like many of her female peers, she wants to make her way into male-dominated higher learning, and the sort of career previously reserved for men, in this instance, archaeology. Her ambitions come to an abrupt and tragic halt when her parents’ sudden deaths reveal the family’s penury. Just then, as readers might hope, long estranged relatives, the aptly-named Hatchets of Hatchet Farm, invite her to stay with them on the just as aptly named Grand Misery Island.

There she finds kin who can hardly stand each other, and, despite their invitation, seem none too pleased to take her into their fold. But, in a manner very reminiscent of the classic send-up of rural life, Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons (see the wonderful film with Kate Beckinsale), Marigold quickly recovers from her initial discomfort at their oddness and disdain. Like Flora Poste, the heroine of that story, she carefully works her way into their insular lives. As both the rundown old manor residents and the townspeople slowly warm to her, her cousin reveals some family secrets, pointing to a mystery, and then a murder, that the ever-curious Marigold, trained in piecing together scant evidence, feels compelled to resolve. Of course she does, but, since this is her debut, this is only an enticing beginning to the further adventures of Miss Marigold Manners.

The writing is consistently good, true to the historical nature of the setting, and the ‘Gay Nineties’ context is faithfully presented. If it’s a bit slow in the first few chapters, it definitely picks up the tempo as Marigold pursues the mystery. Her friendship with Cab is sweet, and promises further romantic development. All in all, this book is a treat.

Sadly, I don't think this book was the right fit for me. I don't necessarily believe it's a bad book, far from it. Just not my style of book. I wanted more of the actual mystery and this was mainly atmosphere and vibes.

I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the editor for sending me an advance copy of this upcoming title. Your hard work and dedication to this project are truly commendable, and I am incredibly honored to have the opportunity to review it before its official release.

The depth and quality of this work are a testament to your meticulous attention to detail and your passion for bringing exceptional stories to life. From the engaging narrative to the well-developed characters, it's clear that a tremendous amount of effort has gone into every aspect of this book.

I am genuinely excited about this title and eager to share my thoughts and insights. Having the chance to read it in advance has been a wonderful experience, and I am confident that readers will be just as captivated by it as I am.

Thank you once again for this incredible opportunity. Your support and trust in my feedback mean a great deal to me. I look forward to continuing to work together and witnessing the success of this fantastic book.

I enjoyed reading this book for a few reasons. It's in the year 1894, which is my favorite historical time period! I love that it's a murder/mystery! The story is incredible with its twists and turns! The only parts I didn't like were the ones dealing with magic and tarot cards.

The characters are written brilliantly! Marigold is awesome! She is a proud New Woman! She's fiesty, determined, and genuinely cares for others. Lucy and Bessie Dove are amazing! Their story is complicated, but they are hard workers and prove to be true friends!

I was provided a complimentary copy of the book from Crooked Lane Books via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really thought i would enjoy this book a lot more than I did. I loved the time it was set, and read a lot of murder mystery books. I was expecting it to be like an Agatha Christy story but it was very different! I didn't like the old language used, but it does make sense of the historical time it was set. the murder didn't happen until late in the book, it almost felt like it wasn't going to even happen. It was very slow and I felt like not much happened through half the book. I didn't relate to any of the characters.

I was not really a fan of this book. I liked that the main character was a strong, independent female, but I could not connect with the other characters and was not a fan of the writing style- though I can see why people might like this.
The murder took a long time to occur in the book, which I was not a fan of.

I really enjoyed this book! Not gonna lie, I had to look up some of the words, but it was worth it. The mysterious plot kept me guessing, and I felt like I really became invested in the characters. I thought the writing was smart and the characters were interesting. I’d give it 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and would recommend it.

Marigold Manners discovers after her parents died that the family's money is gone, killing her hopes of continuing her studies in the field of archaeology . When she receives a letter from a distant relative to Great Misery Island, Marigold takes her up on the offer. She discovers a dysfunctional family where the members basically' tolerate each other. Marigold sets to make changes to better their live which is met with suspicion. Long held secrets are revealed and lives are forever changed.
Marigold is a strong independent woman with the desire to make her own way in the world.
#MiseryHatesCompany #CrookedLaneBooks #NetGalley

Main character Marigold goes to a adventure takes a train and goes to a place shes invited that she says is like a gothic house where her cousin lives. This book had so much mystery and it was dark with her family who had secrets and a murder mystery involved.
I laughed at how all the characters were from Boston with an accent since i am living in boston for many years.
I felt like this book had something that made me feel like it was something in common with me.
The book was slow didn't find out the premise because it was later on in the other books. I liked the main character she was brave and kind.

Thank you netgalley for letting me read this book.

I enjoy mysteries and historical romance, so I chose this book as a combination of the two. It's set in the 1890s, a time of discovery and human advancement. Our heroine, Marigold Manners is on the cusp of embarking on an adventure, when her world suddenly shifts, and she finds herself without funding or even a home of her own. Her options limited, she accepts an invitation from a previously unknown relative to come stay on Great Misery Island.

These first few chapters didn't grab me. Perhaps Marigold's own disjointedness discombobulated me. Certainly when she arrived at Great Misery, the misery of the place and its inhabitants failed to win me over. The writing itself was good enough, though, to keep me from figuratively throwing the book (but never my eReader) across the room. I am so glad I continued reading.

Marigold's determination and temerity - and the mystery introduced by her reticent cousin - kept me intrigued. As the residents of Great Misery and its companion town on the mainland came to know Marigold, some of them opened up. As Marigold sparked change - and pursued answers to her questions - I became more and more engrossed in the story. The final night, I stayed up well past my bedtime discovering the answers to the mysteries piling up on the rocky island.

The subtitle "A Marigold Manners Mystery" and a friend's suggestion to Marigold in the final chapter indicates this is the first book in a series. I would certainly be interested in reading more of her adventures, and I live in hope that her dear friend Cab will win her heart.

I recommend this book for readers interested in turn of the century and gay nineties-era fiction.

I received an electronic advance reader copy of the title at no cost. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Like the child of Cold Comfort Farm and American Gothic, Misery Hates Company is a sharp, sparkling tale about the marvellously-monikered Marigold Manners, a recent orphan, who journeys to distant relatives to try and unlock some deep, dark family secrets and also solve a murder.

It suffers a little from pacing problems - the murder at the heart of the premise doesn't occur well into the final third of the book - but the combination of creeping historical gothic sensibilities and a deeply likeable, practical heroine in Marigold who insists on fixing her new mainstay, makes Misery Hates Company an enjoyable treat that's far from miserable.

I am always fond of a good murder mystery. I am especially keen on mysteries where the narrator’s voice shine’s through in exquisite detail, throwing me into a specific time or place as well as into the character’s thoughts. Misery Hates Company did this quite well, and I applaud the author for that.
This book follows Marigold Manners as she sets out for Great Misery Island to stay with some distant relatives after the death of her parents. Marigold is eminently practical, intelligent, and capable, a New Woman at the turn of the century. However, her family, the Hatchets, might prove to be a challenge even she cannot overcome, as they seem to be hiding a number of secrets. When her cousin is murdered, Marigold must figure out who did the deed. Or rather, who didn’t.
I started this book and was immediately drawn in by the language and narration. Marigold is a fantastic character to read (I am a sucker for a capable, logical woman) and her interactions with all the other characters was absolutely wonderful. I will admit that I really liked Cab and was hoping things might progress a bit more there, though the way that it was resolved did fit the story and character perfectly. I also liked the variety of personality in every character, including those that weren’t on the page all that often. Everyone felt unique and real.
I will say that I was a bit disappointed that the actual murder part of the mystery didn’t occur until the last third of the book. Granted, this murder required quite a bit of set-up and I do not begrudge the amount of time that took. It just surprised me a bit to have a murder mystery focus more on the mystery than the murder. Still, I don’t think the story suffered for it.
I do wish that the solution to the mystery had been suggested a bit earlier throughout. Oh, there were clues and such, but the culprit deserved a bit more in the story, I feel. The reasoning for the murder was explained well, but I would have liked to see snippets of it throughout the story. Otherwise, it comes as a bit more of a surprise than I would have liked. (Yes, yes, I know that the whole point of a murder mystery is to stymie the readers. But I need clues earlier on!)
Overall, I enjoyed this book a great deal and would happily read the next book, should there prove to be one (please). An excellent read.

I seriously couldn't put this down. It reminded me of like the old Scooby Doo show from the 60s. This is another add to my spooky season list