What do you think?
Rate this book
The Violet Strange Mysteries #1
Violet's Problem
The Violet Strange Mysteries are nine detective stories for young-adults, each story a major case for Violet Strange, a debutante and secret high-society detective, living and working in New York City in 1899, The Gilded-Age.
Book 1: Violet’s Problem
New York City, March 1899. Violet Strange, a Gilded-Age debutante, searches for her disgraced sister, risking losing everything, in the hope of saving her sister from a life of poverty and despair.
Book 1: Violet’s Problem
New York City, March 1899. Violet Strange, a Gilded-Age debutante, searches for her disgraced sister, risking losing everything, in the hope of saving her sister from a life of poverty and despair.
134 pages, Paperback
First published December 19, 2013
1 person is currently reading
17 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 3, 2015
I really enjoyed Book 1 of the Violet Strange Mysteries. In my view the author has done an amazing job in adapting and expanding the short stories of A K Green, originally published in 1914, and bringing these stories back to life. Although A K Green was the mother of detective fiction and admired by Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle she is not nearly so well known and so it is wonderful that the author has done such justice to A K Green’s writing.
The book is written in the present tense which gives the book a slightly different feel and, as a reader, I felt drawn into the New York society of a time long forgotten. As for Violet she is a delightful character although definitely one not to be underestimated since there is certainly more to this budding detective than meets the eye. All in all a charming read and I look forward to reading more in the series.
The book is written in the present tense which gives the book a slightly different feel and, as a reader, I felt drawn into the New York society of a time long forgotten. As for Violet she is a delightful character although definitely one not to be underestimated since there is certainly more to this budding detective than meets the eye. All in all a charming read and I look forward to reading more in the series.
August 7, 2014
This Young-adult historical novel series, set in the Gilded Age, was a Historical Novel Society Editor's Choice Nominee.
The Historical Novel Society's Review:
"I am not generally a mystery fan, but the heroine of Martinelli’s slim volume won me over almost instantly, and the style had me snickering and sometimes laughing throughout.
"Violet, a sweet little ‘bud’ getting ready to debut in society, learns that her older sister, believed dead since infancy, is actually alive, disowned by their father, and living in abject poverty. Violet sets out to find and rescue her, and refuses to give up, even when she finds that her sister most definitely does not want to be rescued. Ultimately, Violet’s perseverance – and her father’s inability to deny her anything — wins the day. In the meantime, Violet discovers her calling as a high society detective, ensuring that there will be many more adventures.
"I adored this sweet little book and look forward to continuing my acquaintance with Violet in the future."
The Historical Novel Society's Review:
"I am not generally a mystery fan, but the heroine of Martinelli’s slim volume won me over almost instantly, and the style had me snickering and sometimes laughing throughout.
"Violet, a sweet little ‘bud’ getting ready to debut in society, learns that her older sister, believed dead since infancy, is actually alive, disowned by their father, and living in abject poverty. Violet sets out to find and rescue her, and refuses to give up, even when she finds that her sister most definitely does not want to be rescued. Ultimately, Violet’s perseverance – and her father’s inability to deny her anything — wins the day. In the meantime, Violet discovers her calling as a high society detective, ensuring that there will be many more adventures.
"I adored this sweet little book and look forward to continuing my acquaintance with Violet in the future."
February 9, 2014
This is a wonderful beginnings to a charming mystery series. It's set in a time period that doesn't get covered too much, The Gilded Age, a little later than the Regency but a time when women were still hedged about with stringent societal expectations. Tiny Violet Strange defies convention to find her missing sister and shows extraordinary perseverance in the face of multiple setbacks. Like all good mysteries, this one ends well, but not for long as Violet's just beginning on her detective career!
November 8, 2015
The fact that this is a DNF grants it automatically one star. I just couldn't force myself to keep reading when I had other books I wanted to read far more.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews