Misery Hates Company

Marigold Manners, a Gilded Age Boston socialite, considers herself a “New Woman” and plans to be an archeologist, but her plan is derailed by the death of her parents, which leaves her destitute. Marigold accepts the charity of family when invited to join her Hatchet cousins on Great Misery Island. The correspondence from her cousin Sophronia tells of a “great and godless wrong” done to Marigold’s mother. Great Misery Island and her cousins are not what she expected, but Marigold loves to manage things and sets about making improvements to her cousins, their farm, and leaving an impression on the town of Pride’s Crossing. As she learns more about the dynamics among family members, Marigold realizes her safety is threatened by remaining on Great Misery. A fire and grisly discovery lead to her being suspected of murder. Aided by the dashing Cab Cox, her crush who followed her to Pride’s Crossing, Marigold works on solving murders and revealing the secret of the “great wrong.” The narrative moves along briskly with an eclectic cast of characters and interesting situations. Marigold’s constant self-discourse on being a “New Woman” becomes superfluous at times. Marigold decides to pursue a new career as a writer, implying readers will hear about more of her adventures.