I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys detective and mystery fiction, as well as anyone who has interest in social relations in the late Victorian period. My mother insisted upon coming with me, of course, no doubt planning to poke with a hat pin any bandido who bothered me. She is certain that I will end up being kidnapped and having to make tortillas for a bandido chief—after I endured unspeakable things. And I must admit that her insisting upon accompanying me put the minds of my brothers and my editor a little more at ease, for they, too, were positive that I would be putting myself in harm's way. Many thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for this Advanced Reader Copy and the opportunity to review “No Life for a Lady.” All opinions and comments are my own. Her main goal is to find out more about her mother, who disappeared 10 years ago. But as a detective-in-training, there's plenty of demand for her skills and opportunties to hone them. Price is a Labour MP, going against type somewhat for Penelope Keith’s on screen career, having been the upper class Margot and of course also having played Audrey fforbes-Hamilton in To The Manor Born. Price is very keen to do well by her constituents, keeping her finger on the pulse of individual needs while accepting responsibilities that are now more national. To maintain that personal touch she needs the assistance of several people around her to keep the plates spinning. She shares an office with Scottish MP Ken Miller (Paul Young) who has been around long enough to know the do’s and don’ts within the corridors of power.

Violet isn't interested in marriage. She wants to work and learn about the world, not become just another unhappy wife. This reluctance is fuelled partly by her mother expressing extreme horror at the marital intimacy expected. Violet was close to her mother, but one night she simply vanished and this is a mystery that Violet feels compelled to solve. It's 1896. Violet, 28, lives with her father and is busy resisting his attempts to marry her off. Violet is underwhelmed by any of the candidates and has determined she will not marry. As the novel progresses, she realises that there are far more interesting things she could be doing. Like becoming a Lady Detective.Why Mexico? I had saved my pennies during my brief sojourn in the newsroom, but what little I had wasn't enough for reporting from "overseas." It would pay, however, for the seven days by train it takes to get from Pittsburgh to Mexico City, a journey of close to 2,500 miles. I don't know if this is going to be a series, but I hope so because there's a lot more for Violet to achieve! This is her just starting to learn about the world and herself for that matter and I would love to see more of her adventures. If you are searching for a book full of adventure and self-discovery layered with witty social commentary, this is a perfect read.

When I first started this novel it wasn’t what I was expecting. It took me a little while to get used to the pace of the novel as well as the author’s writing style but as soon as I settled in, I truly enjoyed this quirky novel. Violet is a determined, single minded young woman but she’s also naive and somewhat misguided. She has not had a mother to ask questions about life and her father is unemotional and doesn’t want much to do with Violet because she reminds him of her mother. Although he does seem to want her to marry well, if not only to get her out of his house. As Violet finds out things about her mother, it taints her view of the world and men in general. She goes out of her way to dissuade her beau’s from falling for her and is actually quite comical in her excuses to get away. This rather endears her character to me at the same time as making me shrink away in embarrassment for her. The book is now on sale as of yesterday and I’m going to need to get myself a physical copy because I know I’m going to want to read this again in the future.From the Bridgerton vibes when Violet talks about her society debut (that never was) to her realisation that maybe, just maybe, she could be a Lady Detective, I thoroughly enjoyed joining Violet on her journey as she learnt a lot about the ways of the world, human nature and just what exactly did happen to her mother ten years ago… Violet Hamilton is a woman who knows her own mind. Which, in 1896, can make things a little complicated… Violet is an amazing and lovable character - full of curiosity, humor, resilience, aspirations, and determination. Would love to read a series about Violet thriving as the best detective in town!

Thank goodness I was able to make safe and comfortable arrangements for her stay; otherwise, I would never have gone on.When Violet finds another detective’s ad in an old newspaper, she chooses to approach him about taking over the investigation for her mother. Only he’s not so keen to do it, and in the meantime, Violet finds something else to fixate on - typing. Will Violet find her mother without jeopardizing her relationship with her father? And will she ever be taken seriously as a woman with ambition? Violet is hopelessly unladylike: bold, opinionated, and very strong willed. A match for any man and certainly not marriage material. But, she has other ambitions: to lead an exciting, independent life … with a career … perhaps as a lady typist or a lady detective.

In 1896 a young woman is expected to marry young, behave like a lady, and pursue interests such as charitable work. An unmarried woman of 28 is considered a spinster, unlikely to ever marry, and certainly not expected to work. Especially as a detective. But Violet is not your average Victorian woman.Violet is one of those incandescent characters who grab your heartstrings with her hilarity, determination and bravery and lingers in your mind long after her story is told. Extra praise also for the rest of the excellent and colorful cast. All three complete series of 'No Job for a Lady' have been released on DVD by Network, with a 3-disc set released by Acorn Media in 2012. Ten years later, Violet’s father has been trying to marry her off for years, what he doesn’t understand is after her mother went missing, Violets friends stopped talking to her, they cross the street when they see her and some men no longer treat her with the respect she deserves. When Violet embarks on a mission to solve the mystery of her mother’s disappearance, the adventures that follow make for a rumbunctious romp of a read, involving a quirky cast of characters and all manner of shenanigans A delightfully quirky and clever book club read, perfect for fans of Dear Mrs Bird, The Maid and Lessons in Chemistry.