annieb123
Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.
The Montford Maniac is the second light historical mystery by M.R.C. Kasasian to feature Lady Violet Thorn. Released 18th April 2024 by Canelo, it's 304 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.
This is -not- a serious series, it's full of whimsy and silliness (which occasionally creep very close to the "too much" side of the equation). There are constant unending asides and internal dialogues on every page. The main character is a mystery author who has continual long dialogue with her fictional characters inside her own head and often talks to them out loud in public. They don't even confine themselves to the inside of her head, and are often seen stealing her baked goods and dribbling cookie crumbs down the back of her neck. All the inexplicable occurrences are vaguely waved away and not directly addressed. Readers should bring a hefty suspension of disbelief to the read and keep hold of it throughout.
It's ostensibly set in the Victorian era, but her behavior and language would've got Violet carted off and locked up under the "guardianship" of any convenient male post-haste. Her Aunt Igitha is a loathsome beast, truly unlikable and without any redeeming features whatever, and the scenes featuring her were tiresome to read.
The central mystery itself is well plotted and constructed, and there's a nice twisty ending. With two books extant in the series, it would potentiall be a good choice for a short binge/buddy read.
Three and a half stars. It's not exactly derivative, but fans of Horowitz and Hallett will possibly find something here.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.