No Job for a Lady: Series 1 [DVD]

Product Information

is a protagonist that you can’t help but love. From the start she had me giggling away with her witty comments or on-point observations. Her naivety to the social norms only made me love her more but I did fear for her safety.

In the summer of 1886, Violet Hamilton’s beautiful mother kisses her goodbye, heads for a party and disappears, the last sighting being on Hastings pier. Ten years on, Violet decides to hire private detective Frank Knight to search for her mother though sadly he inspires little confidence. Can Violet solve the mystery herself but keep her reputation intact? A quirky and fun read, there's no doubt that Violet has gumption and tenacity, but also a tender heart and an insatiable curiosity which leads her to finding the answers she's longed for.

It is 1886, 18-year-old Violet Hamilton says goodbye to her mother as she head off a party on Hastings Pier to never been seen again. Ten years later Violet is now 28 years old. She is an independent confident, but quite naive woman, that knows her own mind and her father fears that she will never get married and keeps finding suitors for her. But Violet is not interested but she doesn’t think that they have her best interests at heart anyway. Violet Hamilton is a woman who knows her own mind. Which, in 1896, can make things a little complicated... year old Violet is not your average Victorian woman. She is strong, independent, and with no desire to marry, she has her father driven to distraction.

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 Violet is a paradox, a product of her time and upbringing. In some regards, she is rigid by even the day's standards, valuing propriety and primness. In other ways, our protagonist steamrolls over societal norms. It's captivating to watch her character growth as she finds her voice. The narrative is so well done, as well. There's plenty of misdirection, but like any well-written mystery, it allows the reader to play detective, giving clues along the way. While I have many thoughts on this book (and all of them good), in an effort not to give away the plot, all I will say is I highly recommend this book.

I wish there had been more of Benjamin and relationship building with Violet because although this isn’t a romance book I LOVED their interactions and wanted more of them together. I feel this also would have given a clearer view of Benjamins feelings. This is such a wholesome read, set in a time where being a women meant all that was expected of you was to marry well, keep house and have children.

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. Never before have I gone out of town all by myself, because it's not proper etiquette for a single woman to travel without a companion. Well, why is it proper etiquette for a man to travel alone? Once again, rules made by men. Why should they have all the fun? Besides, this is something I have wanted to do forever, and even though I realize this is probably not the smartest time to make this decision, being that I am going into a foreign country where I don't speak the language, I'm glad I'm doing it. This is not just a book about a mystery- it’s about women breaking conventions and making a place for themselves in the world regardless of what society dictates to them. The romance sub-plot adds a further dimension to the story and I loved the banter between Bernard and Viola. Another stand out character is Mrs Monks- she’s a tyrant to Viola but their interactions bring about some of the funniest scenes in the book.

Hannah Dolby has crafted an utter joy of a read. I read this book in one (yes, one!) sitting because I had so much enjoyment and pleasure from the story that my afternoon flew by in the blink of an eye. Violet is a great protagonist. Inquisitive, tenacious and full of charisma, it is impossible not to root for her. Though she did have me cringing sometimes with her candid honesty, she has little ‘filter’ once she gets going, but it’s clear working up to a frank conversation gives her immense nerves too. Even though it is 1886, the West is not yet completely tamed, and I have read that Mexico is decades behind America in its own struggle to civilize itself. This makes the land south of us either fertile ground for exciting stories or a danger zone, depending on whether one is looking at the situation through my rose-colored vision or my mother's morbid fears. 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.