Not Miffed with Manners & Monsters

Finding something to listen to was a struggle this time around. It took a deep dive into my Goodreads list and practically all my audible credits to land on something I could stomach. And thus, Manners and Monsters, the three-book collection, was chosen. 

At first, I thought I'd merely been suckered in by the dulcet tones of Marian Hussey once again. It'd been a while since I explored a historical paranormal mystery. Amazon categorizes the series as Gaslamp Fantasy and despite the generational gap, it initially reminded me of most diet mystery novels. A kitschy title, straightforward thrills and predictable banter between the love interests. Pleasant literary white noise, ya know? 

Since I'm currently on book 6 of the series (Hessians and Hellhounds), I will fully admit I was wrong. I'm hooked and rapidly approaching the end of my supply. This is the last book in the series (at least available now)! Cut to me counting down the days until the Christmas novella is released...and not just because I'm dreading another Seattle heat wave. 

These books are just fun. As you may have noticed I don't read a ton of "literary masterpieces". There aren't many heavy hitters on my shelves. What you'll find instead are puff pieces, cutesy mysteries, YA lit, and various odds and ends. I like things that help me relax. Books that make me laugh, smile, hell, even cry, but don't push me down an anxiety spiral at full force. I'm a sucker for opposites attract, low stakes thrills and clever horror. And Manner and Monsters is definitely in line with all my favorite things right now: 

• Season 2 of Nancy Drew on HBO Max
• The Fear Street Trilogy on Netflix
• The Literary Witches Oracle cards

A dose of spooky, a splash of history, and a solid helping of badass ladies. Our main character Hannah may come across demure at first glance, but she's got a defiant, feminist edge. So, although she follows the etiquette standards set but polite society, she's not one to roll over at the sight of injustice or shy away from getting her hands dirty. Having been raised to assist her father in his medical practice, she's more at home in a blood splattered smock than a ballgown. Not that she'd say no to a pretty strand of ribbon or lace. A major point in the author's favor! She's created a character who defies the "I'm not like other girls" trope in the best possible way. 

Hannah is a woman of dichotomy. A young woman torn between what's expected and what she wants. She faces the harsh reality of life in the 1800s where opportunities for women are few and far between. Yet, she does her best to shirk as many gender roles as possible (like donning a male disguise to accompany her father on medical calls) without attracting too much scrutiny towards her family. Not that they're beloved among polite society anyway. All the Ton know of her mother's situation; that the only female mage in London died more than two years ago and resurrected as a glorified zombie known as The Afflicted. This makes her one of about 300 noblewomen (and a few noblemen) to have been struck down by the curse. 

Which gives us our second mystery of the series. What caused the affliction? Who is the responsible party? It's a question Hannah and her family have dedicated their recent lives to with little success. It isn't until Hannah meets Lord Wycliffe in book 1 (Manners and Monsters) that the pieces of the puzzle begin shifting into place. What is it about this brutish outsider to London society that sets her brain on fire? 😏 Granted, there's a more pressing matter at hand. Wycliffe is investigating a series of murders that require a...gentler touch. AKA questions like, "are you a member of The Afflicted who recently murdered a man by cracking open his skull and eating his brain?" weren't going to fly with the nobles. Thus, our two opposites attract and so begins our story. 

There's a thread of familiarity throughout these books that I can't help but love. The brooding, wounded Lord with a dark past and even darker eyes? Here for it. A clever heroine with a streak of bravery and a kind heart? All in. A ball busting magical woman who takes no shit from any man? Sign me up. Add in a gothic mansion, a crumbling estate in a seaside town and Egyptian curses... 

Lord, help me. I've been sucked into the literary world, binged the six-book series and am ready to make my way into the offshoots in any way possible (i.e. novellas, prequels, other character stories). I've even started dreaming about the characters...Hello, my name is Micha and fictional characters have taken over my brain...

But, hey, I can't complain. This series has gotten me through many a workday, painting my front steps and nightly chores. It triggered a sense of nostalgia for my middle school Nancy Drew days and reminded me of my college binge read of the Dead Is...series by Marlene Perez. There're even a few quirky origin stories for some recognizable horror figures like Frankenstein's Monster and Thing from The Addams Family. 

All in all a bingeable series that brings a supernatural edge to the typical period piece romance. Easily combining fluff and thrill Manners and Monsters will make you long to don a corset and tame some werewolves. I'd also like to personally recommend Marian Hussey as the universal voice of all things digitized (i.e. Alexa, Siri, Fandango...)

Overall rating: A+

Audible Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08XWFL7K6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_d_asin_title_o03aud_?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Avoiding: Binging all available episodes of Crime Junkie

Fretting Over: My new vegan lifestyle 

Curating: My perfect Spotify work playlist

UPDATE: In the time it has taken me to write this I've finished the last book in the series, and let me just say, I miss the characters....