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Haunting Violet (2011)

by Alyxandra Harvey(Favorite Author)

3.92 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

080279839X (ISBN13: 9780802798398)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Walker Childrens

series

Haunting Violet

review 1: I've heard the term 'cosy murder mystery' bandied about before, and wondered what one actually looked like. I think it might be something like this. Haunting Violet was a great read, fun and not overly taxing. Even though there are dark goings on, I was never in any doubt that everything would work out nicely in the end. Violet Willoughby grudgingly helps her fraudster of a mother set up fake séances, so that mother can profit from the rich and vulnerable and carve a place in high society. At one of these events, which takes place at a country estate, Violet realises she is a bona fide medium and is quickly caught up in solving the murder of Rowena, a young girl said to have drowned a year ago.Violet is a brilliant heroine; she's capable and brave and I rooted for her un... moretil the very end. I was concerned that her character would be a modern teen planted in a Victorian setting and that we'd be expected to go along with that just because words like petticoat and gaslight were thrown in. But her actions, though daring, are still limited by the historical setting. And this was necessary so as not to break my immersion in the story. For example, she often wishes her restrictive garments would let her run faster. In between investigations she observes rituals like taking tea. She's aware of her options in life and accepts that marriage might be the only 'career' choice she has. In short, she doesn't go too far in stretching the limitations that would realistically be placed on a sixteen year old female in Victorian England. If a restless, vengeful ghost presents itself to you, surely you only have to ask her who her murderer is and solve the case? I won't go into the whys and wherefores of Violet's investigation but the author did find nice ways around this little conundrum in order to keep the plot moving. I will go into the relationships though, which were one of the major strengths of this novel. Violet's relationship with her ambitious mother is strained to the point of cruelty and abuse, which I couldn't help being moved by. The romance was very sweet and believable. Colin and Violet are good friends who support each other in practical ways and not just in words.One of my favourite things in this book was the friendship between Violet and Elizabeth. They felt equal, truly partners in crime (or crime-solving, in this case). Here the friend doesn't exist solely to give the main character a makeover or make her realise who her true love is (if one more friend tells the main character, "I've seen the way s/he looks at you", I'm gonna barf). Violet's camaraderie with Elizabeth felt very real.All in all, a great fun read and I'd definitely read other books by this author. I hear she writes about vampires too so that might happen sooner rather than later.
review 2: Violet Willoughby doesn't believe in ghosts. But they believe in her. After spending years participating in her mother's elaborate ruse as a fraudulent medium, Violet is about as skeptical as they come in all matters supernatural. Now that she is being visited by a very persistent ghost, one who suffered a violent death, Violet can no longer ignore her unique ability.This book is incredible!! A friend suggested this book to me as mystery Victoriana stories are my favorite. It was such a great read that coming to the end chapters felt like I was losing a good friend. The story is without the same old cliches and full of twist and turns to keep you entertained and glued to the pages until the end. less

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