Early Review: The Dastardly Miss Lizzie by Viola Carr (Electric Empire #3)

The Dastardly Miss Lizzie (Electric Empire #3)
Viola Carr
Published: April 18, 2017 (Harper Voyager)
Purchase: Book Depository or Amazon
Review source: copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Reviewed by: Amy

Rating (out of 5): 3.5 stars

Note: While this review will be spoiler free, it will reference previous books. If you haven’t started this series yet, check out VBC’s review of book 1, The Diabolical Miss Hyde.

The Dastardly Miss Lizzie opens with Eliza and Lizzie still at odds in the same body, although now Lizzie appears more as an apparition in Eliza’s everyday life, which is the last distraction Eliza needs. Eliza and her job are still under pressure to solve the mystery of murderer-at-large The Slasher. Then, there’s a new case where the deceased are all prominent scientists whose latest experiment could have significant impact on the world.

Added to all this is the fact that Eliza’s sometime lycanthrope fiancé Remy Lafayette has been conducting undercover business within the sorcerer community in Paris. As war looms on the horizon, Remy’s loyalties are called into question.

Then there’s Eliza’s other-half Lizzie. Lizzie is growing frustrated coming in second-fiddle to the Doctor. With the frustration comes an ever more reckless abandon, regardless that her actions will directly affect Eliza. Lizzie could care less, she’s ready to take charge no matter the consequences.

Eliza and Lizzie have one of the more dynamic relationships that I’ve ever read. Yes, this has a lot to do with them actually sharing the same body, but Viola Carr has always played this relationship very well, giving each their own distinctive traits. In Dastardly, I felt like everything was shot into overdrive as far as the escalating tension between Eliza and Lizzie. You can tell from the beginning that something’s going to come to a head, you just don’t know exactly how that is going to happen.

The entire book was a big surprise for me, actually. This may be due to the fact that it’s been about a year and a half since the second book was released, but I felt like I came into a story where there was still so much left open, in addition to the new case that Eliza picks up as well. It felt overly jam-packed, so I wasn’t able to get as invested in the story as I otherwise might have been.

This is especially true in regards to the relationship between Eliza and Remy. Remy was out of the picture for the majority of the book. Many of the revelations involving him occur while he’s away and Eliza has much time to contemplate their relationship. I like them together a lot because they both have to deal with dual identities. Remy changing at the full moon, and Eliza of course with Lizzie. It was a common ground where they could both understand one another, yet here some big things happen for Remy, yet we don’t see because they happen off page. I understand that he is not a main focus character, but his ties to Eliza warrant more explanation.

Like the other two books, Viola Carr again tackles another classic sci-fi story. I won’t tell you which one here because I think it would turn out to be rather spoilery. Suffice it to say, it’s always an interesting concept, but I felt like it kind of get pushed aside for everything else that happens in this book.

Amongst everything going on, though, there is a lot of character growth, especially where Eliza is concerned. I don’t know what the plans are in regards to this series, but the way Dastardly ends could be a good way to cap things off if it is, indeed, the ending. This series has been a rollercoaster ride from start to finish, and I would love if we got more stories.

Sexual content: sex