Review: Jane and the Final Mystery

Title: Jane and the Final Mystery

Author: Stephanie Barron

Publisher: 24th October 2023 by Soho Press, Soho Crime

Pages: 312 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction | Cozy Mystery | Jane Austen | Regency

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

The final volume of the critically acclaimed mystery series featuring Jane Austen as amateur sleuth

March 1817: As winter turns to spring, Jane Austen’s health is in slow decline, and threatens to cease progress on her latest manuscript. But when her nephew Edward brings chilling news of a death at his former school, Winchester College, not even her debilitating ailment can keep Jane from seeking out the truth. Arthur Prendergast, a senior pupil at the prestigious all-boys’ boarding school, has been found dead in a culvert near the schoolgrounds—and in the pocket of his drenched waistcoat is an incriminating note penned by the young William Heathcote, the son of Jane’s dear friend Elizabeth. Winchester College is a world unto itself, with its own language and rites of passage, cruel hazing and dangerous pranks. Can Jane clear William’s name before her illness gets the better of her?

 

Over the course of fourteen previous novels in the critically acclaimed Being a Jane Austen Mystery series, Stephanie Barron has won the hearts of thousands of fans—crime fiction aficionados and Janeites alike—with her tricky plotting and breathtaking evocation of Austen’s voice. Now, she brings Jane’s final season—and final murder investigation—to brilliant, poignant life in this unforgettable conclusion.

My Thoughts

Jane and the Final Mystery is the final book in the series that Stephanie has been writing for nearly 30 years! Such an accomplishment and there is much that Janeites and crime fiction lovers are sure to embrace about this series. 

“Jane, what are we to do?” “Let me to think a while,” I told her. “I shall not desert you. We shall all of us find a way out of this coil.”

This book can certainly be read as a standalone but lovers of this genre should definitely consider going to the start of this incredible series for pure entertainment. The mystery is intriguing as a spotlight is given to the darker side of the English school system of the day and the many issues that raged.  Acknowledgement must also be given to the incredible research undertaken: it was richly detailed, providing readers with both an educational and authentic experience. The various footnotes included throughout and the Afterword provided by Stephanie are interesting and enrich the whole experience.

‘Charm, an easiness of manner, and good looks may hide any number of sins, as I knew to my cost. How many heroines had I thrown in the way of such men - the Willoughbys, the Wickhams, the William Elliots?’

Yet it is the character of Jane herself which drew me to this book in the first place and I was not disappointed. It is here that in my opinion, Stephanie has truly excelled. To capture not only the tone of Jane Austen but also her characteristics were she to find herself in the role of sleuth are so very believable. Being the final book, Stephanie does not shy away from the illness that plagued Jane in her final months. She is suffering in pain, facing the prospect that she will most likely not recover. This is handled with sensitivity.

‘I am uncertain why you ask the question, Miss Austen. Would you interfere in the coroner’s business?”

For Janeites everywhere who see Jane Austen using her great skill of observations put to the use of solving mysteries, this series is well worth further investigation. 

‘I did not pray for myself specifically. I did not pray for healing. I did not pray for more energy, more health, more time with those I loved, and who loved me. I knew that such things were already in God’s hands … The Virgin could neither extend nor shorten my time on earth; but speaking with her might render it more peaceful.’

PURCHASE LINKS

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AUTHOR BIO

Stephanie Barron is a graduate of Princeton and Stanford, where she received her Masters in History as an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fellow in the Humanities. Her novel, THAT CHURCHILL WOMAN (Ballantine, January 22, 2019) traces the turbulent career of Jennie Jerome, Winston Churchill's captivating American mother. Barron is perhaps best known for the critically acclaimed Jane Austen Mystery Series, in which the intrepid and witty author of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE details her secret detective career in Regency England. A former intelligence analyst for the CIA, Stephanie—who also writes under the name Francine Mathews—drew on her experience in the field of espionage for such novels as JACK 1939, which The New Yorker described as "the most deliciously high-concept thriller imaginable." She lives and works in Denver, CO.

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This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: An A-Z of Jane Austen

Title: An A-Z of Jane Austen

Author: Michael Greaney

Publisher: 20th October 2022 by Bloomsbury Academic

Pages: 168 pages

Genre: nonfiction, Jane Austen

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

Jane Austen's richly textured worlds have enchanted readers for centuries and this neatly organised, playful book provides Austen enthusiasts and students alike with a unique insight into the much-loved writer's way with words. 

Using a lively A-Z structure, Greaney provides fresh angles on familiar Austen themes (D is for dance; M is for matchmaking), casts light on under-examined corners of her imagination (R is for risk; S is for servant), and shows how current social and cultural concerns are re-shaping our understanding of her work (Q is for queer; W is for West Indies). Through this approach, we learn how attention to the tiniest linguistic detail in Austen's work can yield rewarding new perspectives on the achievements of one of our most celebrated authors.

Sharply focused on textual detail but broad in scope it broaches questions that, like Austen's work, will intrigue, delight and inspire: Why are children so marginal in her storylines? Who is the best exponent of matchmaking in her fiction? Why are many of her female characters – but none of her heroines – called Jane? Providing a new close-up encounter with one of our most celebrated writers, this book invites a renewed appreciation of the infinite subtlety and endless re-readability of a body of writing in which every word counts.

My Thoughts

I love all things Austen -  books, retellings, movies, spinoffs etc. Therefore this book was obviously something I would be drawn to - especially given the delightful cover and I was not disappointed being the firm Austenite that I am. 

‘Be sure to have something odd happen to you’, Austen once wrote to Cassandra, ‘see somebody that you do not expect, meet with some surprise or other.’

This is an A-Z dictionary or mini encyclopedia of matters to do with Jane Austen. The author has taken each letter of the alphabet and selected a word that is somehow connected to Jane Austen’s world. There might be places such as Bath, themes such as Kindness or activities such as Dance. These twenty six key words are the prompt for an essay on each taken from not only Jane's books but also her letters, unfinished novels and other observations. 

‘Nowhere in Austen are relations of status, hierarchy and precedence more formally paraded and stringently enforced than on the dancefloor.’

The book can be read from cover to cover, used to cross reference or simply to browse through certain themes. This fresh structure and thematic approach lends itself to new and thought provoking perspectives. It would be a wonderful addition to any lover of Jane Austen’s collection or, given its academic approach, those seeking to study deeper into her books, reflections and writing. 

‘Letter-reading is a significant social activity in Austen, one that frequently reveals as much about those reading as it does about the text under consideration.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: The Jane Austen Society

Title: The Jane Austen Society

Author: Natalie Jenner

Publisher: 26th May 2020 by Hachette Australia

Pages: 307 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: historical fiction

My Rating: 4.5 cups

Synopsis:

Just after the Second World War, in the small English village of Chawton, an unusual but like-minded group of people band together to attempt something remarkable.

One hundred and fifty years ago, Chawton was the final home of Jane Austen, one of England's finest novelists. Now it's home to a few distant relatives and their diminishing estate. With the last bit of Austen's legacy threatened, a group of disparate individuals come together to preserve both Jane Austen's home and her legacy. These people—a laborer, a young widow, the local doctor, and a movie star, among others—could not be more different and yet they are united in their love for the works and words of Austen. As each of them endures their own quiet struggle with loss and trauma, some from the recent war, others from more distant tragedies, they rally together to create the Jane Austen Society.

My Thoughts

"But one can always read Austen.’ And that’s exactly what Austen gives us.  A world so a   part of our own, yet so separate, that entering it is like some kind of tonic. Even with so many flawed and even silly characters, it all makes sense in the end. It may be the most sense we ever get to make out of our own messed-up world. That’s why she lasts, like Shakespeare. It’s all in there, all of life, all the stuff that counts, and keeps counting, all the way to here, to you.’ 

This is a sweet story that takes place after WWII involving an unlikely group of people who are bound by their love of the writings of Jane Austen. With this shared passion, they decide to work together to preserve aspects of her life from when the author herself was located in Chawton, England. A definite highlight is this setting ... Chawton ...   lovingly portrayed with quaint village life on display.

Firstly, all Austen lovers will fully appreciate the many references made to the original works - it’s lovely to lose yourself not only in the homage paid but also in the comparative analysis given to preferences of Pride and Prejudice over Emma for example; or, Lizzie versus Emma. It is clear to see both the love and knowledge the author has of Austen’s writing. These book discussions subtly run parallel to the events of characters' own lives in the current storyline. A clever blend and there are some passages that I could lose myself in and demanded a reread and ponder:

‘He had gone to work every day merely to survive, saving for himself a few hours every night to disappear into fictional worlds of others’ making. He was hoping to find some answers inside these books, answers for why he didn’t care about some things and cared too much about others. He had always felt different from everyone else around him, different in a way that was so essential to his being that it practically blocked everything else out, it was so huge. It was as if a whole other world were inside him, so big that he couldn't see it without somehow getting completely out of his own way.’

Bring together an eclectic group of characters - ranging from a Hollywood actress, and Sotheby’s auctioneer to the local doctor and farmer to name but a few - and it makes for entertaining reading. What they have in common is their love of Austen’s works and each, in their own way, wishes to keep her words and memories alive. Thus, they come together to form The Jane Austen Society. Multiple stories are handled well as it meanders along at a gentle country pace. You will come to care about these characters who deal with issues ranging from love to loss. 

If you adore Jane Austen as I do, then this is perfect for you. It is highly character driven but very gentle in its execution - nothing great happens, it’s the exploration of the everyday with a sprinkle of romance. So put the kettle on, curl up and take a slow stroll through the streets of Chawton post WWII.

(Recommended for fans of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society)

‘... inside the pages of each and every book was a whole other world. He could disappear inside that world whenever he needed to - whenever he felt the outside world, and other people, pressing in on him - a pressure from social contact and expectations that was surely routine for everyone else, but affected him much more intensely and inexplicably. But he could also experience things from other people’s point of view and learn their lessons alongside them, and - most important to him - discover the key to living a happy life...’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: The Other Bennet Sister

Title: The Other Bennet Sister

Author: Janice Hadlow

Publisher: 28th January 2020 by Pan Macmillan Australia

Pages: 480 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: historical fiction, retellings, romance, Jane Austen spin off

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

It is a sad fact of life that if a young woman is unlucky enough to come into the world without expectations, she had better do all she can to ensure she is born beautiful. To be handsome and poor is misfortune enough; but to be both plain and penniless is a hard fate indeed.

In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Mary is the middle of the five Bennet girls and the plainest of them all, so what hope does she have? Prim and pious, with no redeeming features, she is unloved and seemingly unlovable.

The Other Bennet Sister, though, shows another side to Mary. An introvert in a family of extroverts; a constant disappointment to her mother who values beauty above all else; fearful of her father’s sharp tongue; with little in common with her siblings – is it any wonder she turns to books for both company and guidance? And, if she finds her life lonely or lacking, that she determines to try harder at the one thing she can be: right.

One by one, her sisters marry – Jane and Lizzy for love; Lydia for some semblance of respectability – but Mary, it seems, is destined to remain single and live out her life at Longbourn, at least until her father dies and the house is bequeathed to the reviled Mr Collins.

But when that fateful day finally comes, she slowly discovers that perhaps there is hope for her, after all.

Simultaneously a wonderfully warm homage to Jane Austen and a delightful new story in its own right, Janice Hadlow's The Other Bennet Sister is, at its heart, a life-affirming tale of a young woman finding her place in the world. Witty and uplifting, it will make you feel – and cheer – for Mary as you never have before.

My Thoughts

The Other Bennet Sister is an interesting tale of the often overlooked sister from Pride and Prejudice, Mary Bennet. The bookish and supposedly boring Mary, comes under the microscope and we see events from her point of view. 

‘I will only say it seems plain to me that you long for happiness and freedom. But I’m afraid the first is only to be had by embracing the second, and it takes a great deal of courage to do that. Especially for a woman.’ He rose, brushing the dust from his coat. ‘For you, I think it would be a risk worth taking. You weren’t made to live a dull, ordinary, little life. You deserve more than that.’

The first third of the book goes over familiar territory for fans of Jane Austen’s original tale, only this time seen through the eyes of Mary. For example, when she was pulled from the piano at Netherfield by her father. Interestingly, you see how Mary felt so ostracized being in the middle with the two older and two younger sisters pairing up. Her upbringing most certainly impacted upon her self perception and flowing on from that, her interactions outside the family. 

What sets this tale apart from the many reimaginings is how Hadlow brought to life many of the minor characters. For example, I particularly enjoyed Mary’s interactions with Mr Collins later on in the novel, where an increase in empathy occurs and it was interesting to see the lives of both Charlotte and Mr Collins after their move to Longbourn and how life turned out for them. Another great insight is provided into the Gardiner’s who featured so little in the original tale. 

Hadlow also delivers solid social commentary on the lives of women at this time. The conversations Mary has with Charlotte - both prior to and after her marriage - could be considered fairly typical for females in the older age bracket at that time. Even how Mary’s words were interpreted by Mr Ryder and his initial proposal are insightful. The other interesting aspect to consider is how Hadlow has sought to infuse a range of Jane Austen themes - pride and prejudice, sense and sensibility - are clear to see. Some may claim maybe a little too stereotypical, even Mary’s personal evolvement from start to finish is somewhat cliched. The one definite drawback (and loss of star) concerned what I consider the unnecessary length of the book - it’s just too long in places.

‘Our lives are so brief and yet we spend so much of them obeying rules we did not make. The spirit of this place can’t help but make me imagine what it would be like to be truly free. To speak and behave not as we thought was proper, but as we really wished to do, if we were honest enough to confess it.’

All up The Other Bennet Sister is a charming reimagining. For Austen fans, it will prove a wonderful trip back to familiar times with the charming addition of how life unfolded for the not so boring and bookish Mary Bennet. 

‘And above all, don’t long for what you cannot have, but learn to recognise what is possible, and when it presents itself, seize upon it with both hands. It seems to me this is the only route to happiness for those of us born with neither beauty, riches, nor charm.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: Miss Austen

Title: Miss Austen

Author: Gill Hornby

Publisher: 23rd January 2020 by Random House UK, Cornerstone

Pages: 288 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: historical fiction

My Rating: 3 cups

Synopsis:

A wonderfully original, emotionally complex novel that delves into why Cassandra burned a treasure trove of letters written by her sister, Jane Austen – an act of destruction that has troubled academics for centuries.

1840: twenty three years after the death of her famous sister Jane, Cassandra Austen returns to the village of Kintbury, and the home of her family’s friends, the Fowles.

She knows that, in some dusty corner of the sprawling vicarage, there is a cache of family letters which hold secrets she is desperate should not be revealed.

As Cassandra recalls her youth and her relationship with her brilliant yet complex sister, she pieces together buried truths about Jane’s history, and her own. And she faces a stark choice: should she act to protect Jane’s reputation? Or leave the contents of the letters to go unguarded into posterity …

Based on a literary mystery that has long puzzled biographers and academics, Miss Austen is a wonderfully original and emotionally complex novel about the loves and lives of Cassandra and Jane Austen.

My Thoughts

‘Her purpose in coming to Kintbury had been to remove all that might reflect badly upon Jane or the legacy: that was the brief she had given herself.’

I love all things Austen. So it was with great interest that a story has been written about her sister, Cassandra. With the spotlight always on the talented Jane, it was refreshing to come across a tale from a differing perspective. There was always much controversy as to why Cassandra in her later years, destroyed all letters and correspondence concerning her famous sister. So here the author, Gill Hornby, has imagined how and why Cassandra undertook such a task. 

The novel alternates between the time Cassandra was actually collecting the letters, and with them in her hands to read and reflect, to another time, back on the actual events that gave rise to them. All these snippets of information that have been lost to history, are now imagined (by the author) through both the reasoning of Cassandra and musings on the actual events that saw them come to pass. 

I found the time period of Cassandra retrieving and destroying the letters are struggle. Not a lot goes on. She is determined to protect everything concerning her sister and there is a small side story to accompany that. Even the flashbacks to the imagined conversations of when Jane was alive - although seemingly commendable in capturing the voice of the time - still lacks that full engagement. This is not a complex tale at all. It meanders gently through the years, with often sad outcomes for the reasoning behind well known events. 

If you are looking for something new and riveting, then this is not the book for you. What you do read is the story of a sister and her family, the struggles and personal (possible) reasoning behind this most famous family’s correspondence. Jane Austen devotees are sure to appreciate this new interpretation. Personally, I struggled with the slowness. Initially intrigued as to why Cassandra would deny the world a window into Jane’s thinking, I felt this promising premise fell short. 

What I do feel warrants a mention is the definite social commentary on the plight of unmarried women and being a spinster in this time. The author has completed valid research and it really is rather sad how women struggled when not, through choice or otherwise, in a position to be married.

‘... thinking that this was the thing by which she would be defined from here on. She would have no other opportunity. Her future was to be denied her. She would have no marriage to succeed in, no vicarage to run, no children to raise. This was to be the test of Miss–forever, eternally Miss–Cassandra Austen.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: There's Something About Darcy

Title: There's Something About Darcy

Author: Gabrielle Malcolm

Publisher: 11th November 2019 by Endeavour Media

Pages: 268 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: Biographies & Memoirs , Nonfiction

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

For some, Colin Firth emerging from a lake in that clinging wet shirt is one of the most iconic moments in television. But what is it about the two-hundred-year-old hero that we so ardently admire and love?

Dr Gabrielle Malcolm examines Jane Austen’s influences in creating Darcy’s potent mix of brooding Gothic hero, aristocratic elitist and romantic Regency man of action. She investigates how he paved the way for later characters like Heathcliff, Rochester and even Dracula, and what his impact has been on popular culture over the past two centuries. For twenty-first century readers the world over have their idea of the ‘perfect’ Darcy in mind when they read the novel, and will defend their choice passionately.

In this insightful and entertaining study, every variety of Darcy jostles for attention: vampire Darcy, digital Darcy, Mormon Darcy and gay Darcy. Who does it best and how did a clergyman’s daughter from Hampshire create such an enduring character?

A must-read for every Darcy and Jane Austen fan.

My Thoughts

‘He is now an archetype that defines a whole strand of characters in fiction, drama, media and popular culture. These are identified by a single name - Darcy.’

I love everything Austen with Pride and Prejudice and  Mr Darcy being my all time favourite. So this book was a must read and proved to be so very interesting through its analysis of literature from Austen’s time right up to contemporary tales. Especially considering the latter, undoubtedly, the story of Darcy has been a worldwide phenomenon  with its impact on romance writing. 

Gabrielle Malcolm has undertaken a vast amount of research and I truly appreciated both comparative books discussions to character adaptations and fan fiction, even the inclusion of the web series, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, which I adored watching online. One cannot doubt the influence that Jane Austen has had on the literary world. Reading much like an essay, Gabrielle details literature, film and television examples that she analyses and ties back into the original. Character comparisons from the Bronte’s Rocherster or Heathcliff to modern day Edward Cullen or Christian Grey. From Bronte and Heyer, to Helen Fielding and Curtis Sittenfeld. From the big screen 1940s Laurence Olivier to 2005 with Matthew Macfadyen strolling through the misty field. From Bollywood to zombie adaptations ... it’s all here. 

‘Darcy’s story arc is one of personal development and the growth of self-knowledge, so that he gains insight into his feelings and the conflicting emotions that so trouble him.’

Garbrielle delivers a wealth of research in her bid to study the impact each of these portrayals, tied in to perception of character, has had on the legacy that is Austen and her Darcy. Be warned, this is a definite scholars account  of why this aristocratic hero has endured. There’s Something About Darcy may be too dry for some, contain too many spoilers of books unread for others, or lack the in depth analysis with its broad approach. However, for me, it was brilliant. 

Gabrielle Malcolm is to be commended for undertaking a book such as this, with an incredible eye for detail yet simultaneously presenting an engaging approach making it accessible to many. A must read for all Austenites as they are sure to appreciate this thorough and unique study of one of the most well loved characters in all of literary history. 

‘Darcy’s ability to change his views, modify his opinions .... and learn from his mistakes have powerfully impressed readers for the past 200 years.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.