Dear Miss Hermoine #3
Of Devotion and Death, the third in Anatasia Hasting’s Dear Miss Hermione series set in 1880s London, finds main character Violet on the precipice of a big decision. She has been invited by her almost beau, Eli, for a scandalous Christmas in Venice. Violet is normally very levelheaded but Eli sends her into an emotional tailspin every time she sees him – and rarely do they get along when they are in the same room. Still, there is something irresistible enough about him to Violet that she hasn’t told her beloved sister, Sephora, or loyal retainer, Bunty, about the real reason she’s going to Venice. They all assume it’s about solving a mystery.
Violet fell into investigation after taking over her adventurous aunt’s advice column when said aunt left on her own romantic assignation. With two cases under her belt, both successes, she is ready to spring into action when something truly unexpected arrives at her door – her former fiancé, Ash Kumar. They were forcibly separated when his family disapproved of the match, but Violet has always remembered him with a great deal of fondness. Ash appears just as she is about to leave for Venice, stalling her trip. It is cancelled entirely when Ash is led away by the police.
His wife has been murdered, and Ash is currently the only suspect. As it’s unlikely that the police will look any further, especially given that Ash is not English, Violet takes it upon himself to clear his name. Though Ash’s marriage was arranged, Violet can tell at once that he had great fondness for his spouse. Between that and their former relationship, Violet doesn’t think that this man she knew could ever take a life. She just has her work cut out trying to prove this to everyone else.
I read the first in this series, and enjoyed it very much. This instalment is also good, even with a love triangle, a trope I don’t tend to enjoy. The love triangle itself is never intrusive, and the focus is always very much on the mystery and on the seeking of justice. Violet is a forceful character, and she will not let go until she finds the truth, no matter how horrible it might be.
Though Sephora did not play as large a part in this instalment, it’s always fun to see the polar opposite sisters bounce off each other. Sephora is flighty and vain, Violet is straight laced and doesn’t care about society – they are absolutely a joy to watch. I can’t wait to see what they get up to next. – Margaret Agnew