Misery Hates Company is the first book in a historical mystery series set in the late Victorian era featuring "plucky" orphan heroine, Marigold Manners, written by Elizabeth Hobbs. Released 5th Nov 2024 by Crooked Lane Books, it's 320 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, 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 a dark and brooding gothic mystery which is loosely based on Cold Comfort Farm (but set in the previous century). Miss Manners is an orphan cast out into a relatively pitiless world at the death of her parents and learning that their profligate lifestyle has left her impoverished. (Mostly because she refuses the genuine good will of her friends and wants to be entirely self-sufficient).
A mysterious letter from a distant relation sets her on a dangerous path to investigate a long ago family tragedy and hidden scandal. She's got a ruthlessly Polyanna-ish attitude and a knack for "fixing" problems which include her relations, their down-at-the-heels farm, the local society, public relations, and tilting at some local windmills in the form of misogyny, emancipation, racism, and her potentially murderous family.
The actual murder mysteries are secondary to the main narrative arc, and honestly resolve into such an irritatingly convoluted denouement that readers will likely need a pencil and paper to keep the players interrelationships clear.
Three and a half stars. Likely worth a look for people who enjoy brooding creepy gothic mysteries. It would be a good choice for public library or home readers, or possibly a buddy read. No updated publishing info available yet for the second, or subsequent, books in the series. Content warnings for murder, suicide, religious persecution, sexual assault (fairly graphic), racism, and lots of misogyny.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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