Mostly Murders

Book 1 in the Jane Austen Mysteries series.

This novel imagines the twenty-seven year old Jane Austen as an amateur sleuth, working on behalf of her dear friend Isobel Payne. Isobel is newly wedded to the much older Earl of Scargrave, and Jane is a guest at Scargrave Manor when the Earl passes away after a night of violent sickness.

At first the Earl’s death is attributed to natural causes, but not long after his passing, Isobel receives an anonymous letter accusing her of adultery and murder. When the accusations are made public and the Earl is found to have died from poisoning, suspicion falls on Isobel, and Jane must put all her wits to good use to sleuth out the truth about what happened to the Earl and save her friend from the gallows.

A cozy, historical mystery with many references to the life and works of the real Jane Austen, clearly written by someone who is a big fan. The Jane Austen described in the book is intelligent and resourceful, has a sharp tongue and an even sharper wit, a keen eye for the hypocricy of her so-called social betters, and deep sympathy for those society deem below her.

Recommended for fans of Jane Austen, fans of historical fiction and historical mysteries and fans of character-driven stories with strong female leads.

Historical mystery – Cozy mystery