Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor
For everyone who loves
Jane Austen...a marvelously entertaining new series that turns the
incomparable author into an extraordinary sleuth!
On a visit to the estate of her friend, the young and beautiful Isobel Payne, Countess of Scargrave, Jane bears witness to a tragedy. Isobel's husband—a gentleman of mature years—is felled by a mysterious and agonizing ailment. The Earl's death seems a cruel blow of fate for the newly married Isobel. Yet the bereaved widow soon finds that it's only the beginning of her misfortune...as she receives a sinister missive accusing her and the Earl's nephew of adultery—and murder. Desperately afraid that the letter will expose her to the worst sort of scandal, Isobel begs Jane for help. And Jane finds herself embroiled in a perilous investigation that will soon have her following a trail of clues that leads all the way to Newgate Prison and the House of Lords—a trail that may well place Jane's own person in the gravest jeopardy.
On a visit to the estate of her friend, the young and beautiful Isobel Payne, Countess of Scargrave, Jane bears witness to a tragedy. Isobel's husband—a gentleman of mature years—is felled by a mysterious and agonizing ailment. The Earl's death seems a cruel blow of fate for the newly married Isobel. Yet the bereaved widow soon finds that it's only the beginning of her misfortune...as she receives a sinister missive accusing her and the Earl's nephew of adultery—and murder. Desperately afraid that the letter will expose her to the worst sort of scandal, Isobel begs Jane for help. And Jane finds herself embroiled in a perilous investigation that will soon have her following a trail of clues that leads all the way to Newgate Prison and the House of Lords—a trail that may well place Jane's own person in the gravest jeopardy.
(summary from goodreads.com)
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I get a kick out of these books. Yes, some Jane Austen purists may despise them and may think they are blasphemous, but I happen think they are a fun read to those mellow souls who love Jane Austen. This is Jane as I imagine her - no nonsense, capable, Jane Eyre-ish without the horrible background. I've read several of them before years ago and when I recently discovered there were a billion more I decided to slowly wend my way through them again, starting from the beginning.
The first installment in this series was a delight mystery that reminded me a bit of Agatha Christie - a great who-done-it without a terribly obvious ending. These could stand on their own as a series of mystery books - having the protagonist be Jane Austen is just a delicious side note. My only complaint is knowing the end of Jane's history - it makes any romance that happens in these books destined to fail. Alas. I was surprised to find out I hadn't ever read the first one before - this will be a fun journey!
Mom note: As
a mother of readers, I also
want to make a note to myself (and others if they care) why I would or
would not have my children read this book, because honestly, sometimes I
forget. Violence: very mild for a mystery - talk of slit throats and such and one fight.
Profanity: none. Sex: not directly, but the results are discussed.
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