Violet Willoughby doesn't believe in ghosts. But they believe in her. After spending years participating in her mother's elaborate ruse as a fraudulent medium, Violet is about as skeptical as they come in all matters supernatural. Now that she is being visited by a very persistent ghost, one who suffered a violent death, Violet can no longer ignore her unique ability. She must figure out what this ghost is trying to communicate, and quickly because the killer is still on the loose.
Afraid of ruining her chance to escape her mother's scheming through an advantageous marriage, Violet must keep her ability secret. The only person who can help her is Colin, a friend she's known since childhood, and whom she has grown to love. He understands the true Violet, but helping her on this path means they might never be together. Can Violet find a way to help this ghost without ruining her own chance at a future free of lies?
I’ve always enjoyed a good ghost story and in reading the synopsis I found Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey both intriguing and ironic. I mean what would you do if you found out you actually had the gift your mother was claiming she had and was the basis of her business? Finding out what Violet would do with her new found powers and how it would affect her already unusual life had me eager to read this book.
The ghosts and how they were portrayed: mysterious and alarming at the same time both the gentile and dangerous ghosts.
The thrill and intrigue of whether Violet and her family would be caught in her mother’s schemes.
Getting a detailed insight on the sides of the whole medium world, the fake and the real. I enjoyed how Violet and her mother were total opposites like two sides of a coin.
The romantic triangle between Violet, Colin and Xavier. Though typical it added tension and didn’t take away from the story.
The classic who done it and ghost hunter elements kept me on my toes as well as wanting to know the answers to all the questions raised within the story.
The Victorian time period added additional complications of society life on top of the paranormal problems.
What Didn’t
The beginning was a bit slow. I found myself wanting the action to happen sooner than it did.
On the flip side while the Victorian period added complications it also allowed for restrictions within the plot and the characters that made it a bit stiff. Not allowing for much spontaneous and outlandish things to happen with the characters all abiding to the stifling rules of society.
Violet: She was an entertaining character to read about, with her gifts and her struggles to be true to herself and all the constrictions and weirdness going on in her life. Ghosts. Society. Her Mother. Colin.
Colin: I really like him and how he knew Violet as a person and accepted her, no questions asked. Basically he was her ride or die partner in crime who had her back, so I had his within the romantic triangle.
Violet’s Mother: Hated her but liked her at the same time. Weird? Well she was crazy, drunk most of the time and wrong on so many levels but she also brought the drama and spark to the story that kept things interesting. I, like the people of society, wanted to see what crazy deluded things she would do next.
Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey was a classic ghost story filled with mystery, intrigue and a bit of romance that had me entertained. Cutting through the slow beginning I was captivated by the ghosts and the predicaments that Violet and her family found themselves in. I enjoyed Ms. Harvey writing and found it worthy of a camp fire.
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