Book Review: ‘The Violently Departed’ by Sarah J Daley

The Violently Departed is a horror detective novel by Sarah J Daley.

Perhaps the most unusual detective novel I’ve ever read – Hero Viridian is a half-demon, ex-nun, convicted arsonist, death speaker now turned investigator. With fire for eyes and a sword she keeps in a walking cane, it is Hero’s job to interrogate the souls of the ‘violently departed’ and find out how they died; thus bring their killers to justice. Hero is forced to partner with demon hunter Oleander Keen when a nun is brutally murdered in their home town. Only Havenside’s surviving nuns and wealthy residents aren’t impressed by their return and the direction of their investigation.

At first it took me a little while to warm up to this novel as it’s blend of different genres took me a moment to get used to. There is the central murder mystery plotline, set in a world much like our own except hell, demons and demon hunters are all active parts of it. The nunnery-led school Clementine Preparatory and the mysterious Bright Renewal Academy both place the book into the ‘dark academia’ sub-genre. Then there’s the question of whether The Violently Departed and its inclusion of dark rituals and the demonic fits more into fantasy, horror, or both. Personally I think the tone is more akin to the horrific rather than the fantastical but another reader might disagree. This is a novel that wants to be everything all at once and, despite my initial misgivings, I think Daley actually pulls this off really well.

Perhaps the best part of The Violently Departed is the unlikely due of Viridian and Keen. Separately they are both very interesting characters. We learn that, despite their differences, the pair both had troubled childhoods – from the abuse Viridian endured due to her half-demon nature to the bullying Keen received because of his family’s poor status. However both characters found ways to accept who they were and forge new paths as adults into careers that they are proud of.

From the blurb I was expecting Viridian and Keen’s relationship to be one of constantly animosity – after all they are each other’s natural enemy. However, while the two do bicker and often don’t see eye to eye, I was not prepared for the brilliant ‘buddy-cop’ dynamic that blossoms between these characters over the course of the novel. The progression of their partnership is one that develops slow enough to feel like a natural progression of their story as they learn to respect each other and rely on each other’s strengths to solve the current problem.

The more I read The Violently Departed, the more I enjoyed it and the more I wanted to learn about the characters and this world. As of 2026 I don’t know if Daley plans on writing any more exploits featuring Viridian and Keen but I will definitely be reading them if she does.

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