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No Life for a Lady

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No Life for a Lady

By: Hannah Dolby
Narrated by: Antonia Beamish
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Violet Hamilton is a woman who knows her own mind. Which, in 1896, can make things a little complicated...

At 28, Violet's father is beginning to worry she will never find a husband. But every suitor he presents, Violet finds a new and inventive means of rebuffing. Because Violet does not want to marry. She wants to work, and make her own way in the world. But more than anything, she wants to find her mother Lily, who disappeared from Hastings Pier 10 years earlier. 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.
Can Violet solve the mystery of Lily Hamilton's vanishing before it's too late?©2023 Hannah Dolby (P)2023 Head of Zeus Historical Literature & Fiction Mystery Romance Satire Victorian World Literature Fiction Witty
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Loved this book. It was quirky, warm, funny and look forward to the next one.

Loved this book

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I was a bit dubious at first and it took me a few chapters to draw me in and then I was hooked. hilarious, sad, charming, romantic and a true heroine.

a breath of fresh air

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A fantastical book, with such funny characters. I really enjoyed reading about Violet and her adventures in the Victorian era. A powerhouse of a woman! I truly hope there is a sequel in the pipeline. A real page turner.

Loved loved loved this!

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I can see why No Life for a Lady is a Comedy Women in Print prize winner. I was bent double with laughter at times while listening to it.

Set in Victorian times, Violet is no ordinary lady. After a hilarious description of marital relations from her mother, she's determined never to marry, despite a sudden flurry of suitors and her father's eagerness.

Instead she wants to find out what happened to her mother, who disappeared 10 years previously. She approaches two detectives, one of whom is a little too desperate for the case, while the other refuses to take it although Violet is desperate for him to. Eventually she starts some detective work of her own, unfolding a fun, witty, page-turning, mystery.

The story is brilliant, fast-paced and intriguing, and very well researched. I could really picture how Victorian life must have been, particularly for a lady.

It was perfectly narrated too.

Well done Hannah Dolby. I really hope there's a sequel!

BRILLIANT!

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Narrator - perfect. Book - A perfect gem of amusingly written Victorian mystery/romance. I defy anyone not to fall in love with Violet and her funny naïveté - not to mention her hunky, furniture moving detective. There’s a lot of heart and understanding of human nature under the author’s lighthearted style. Such a gem, this book.

A book with a warm heart in a comedic outer shell.

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