HastingsTitle:	Of Hoaxes and Homicide: A Dear Miss Hermione Mystery
	Author:	Anastasia Hastings
	Published:	January 30, 2024, Minotaur
	No. of Pages:	301
	Cover Price:	$28.00 Hardcover, $14.99 Kindle

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Protagonist Violet Manville has taken over the job of Dear Miss Hermione, and when she receives a letter pleading for help with her daughter who has joined a cult, she investigates by becoming a seeker to find out just what The Children of Aed are up to. When her investigating uncovers the fact that the girl happens to be Violet’s half sister, Sephora’s best friend, she knows she must get this girl out of the cult in the second installment of the Miss Hermoine mystery series, Of Hoaxes and Homicide. The novel takes place in 1885 near London, and the author has done her research to set the culture and time that rings true.

Hastings has done an excellent job of developing her characters. Fans of that era will be able to relate and believe that the characters are real people who lived during that time. Violet doesn’t have a big inheritance, but her half sister, Sephora does, and Sephora acts like the spoiled woman of society that she is.

Unfortunately the story is overly wordy and that distracts from any suspense that might build. There are also no surprises; anyone who has read a few cozies will guess who the murderer is fairly close to the beginning of the book. While the writing is good, the story doesn’t flow particularly, and it’s difficult to stay interested in the happenings of the story.

All told, there are better cozies out there than this series. The story doesn’t flow and readers will be thinking they may have made a mistake for choosing to read this book.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.