Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. My words are purely my own and I may disagree with others.


I didnt really like this. The cover is beautiful but it isn't a book for me. Plenty of my friends would love this book but personally, I will not be investing money into this book. I will happily buy it for others who will adore it.

Death and Sensibility by Elizabeth Blake is the second installment in A Jane Austen Society Mystery series.

I enjoyed this book, although I felt that the second half of it dragged on unnecessarily. I started to lose interest a little and skipped through the last forty pages or so.

I liked the premise, the mystery and the story but some parts are needlessly too long. Mystery is engaging, the background is very charming as the whole story takes place in a hotel in York. It is pretty atmospheric and quite gloomy which add to the spooky feeling of the book.

I also did not relish the fact that the relationship between the main protagonist and male interest was almost non existent, even though I understand why it is so.

I like the writing style, like the characters and the banter. I also admire the way the mystery is set and that the reader can follow the clues along with the heroine. I did find it odd how she immediately and unnecessarily jumped into the investigation without any reason whatsoever.

This was a solid read and I am looking forward to the next installment to see how it will progress.

Death and Sensibility is the second book in a cozy mystery series set in Yorkshire, England. Erin Coleridge, a descendant of the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, owns a used bookstore and participates in the Jane Austen Society in her small town on the moors. In this book she travels with some of her fellow society members to the city of York for an Austen conference, where the keynote speaker dies suddenly. Erin suspects foul play and begins investigating, butting heads with the detective she befriended in the first book.

I enjoyed this cozy mystery well enough, but I didn't love it. I am familiar enough with England to have recognized that this story was a little heavy on the stereotypes and some Americanisms slipped through the cracks. I got a little annoyed by Erin at times, and there wasn't much character development. That said, if you just want to escape into a breezy cozy mystery, you might enjoy it!

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley and was a bit disappointed. It’s a cozy mystery with a Jane Austen theme but the Austen influence was very light, and the characters unrealistic and tedious. I didn’t enjoy reading the book nor was I ever very curious about whodunnit.

This is the second book in the series.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this mystery.
The characters were an absolute delight and the whodunit was well written and kept me guessing.
I cannot wait to read more books in this series.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

Erin and Fransworth are excited to be attending a Jane Austen conference. While staying at a fabulous hotel, the pair of friends get to sample wonderful food, attend (and moderate) different panels about Jane Austen, and socialize with interesting people that share an interest in Jane Austen. Most people are interesting, but one gentleman is far from interesting; he is pompous and seems to cause issues wherever he goes. Soon this gentleman is found dead, and Erin is pulled into investigating his murder.

This is the second book in the series but can be enjoyed as a stand-alone mystery. I had an issue with the first book being slow to get me interested this book pulled me into the story much sooner. The characters were a little more relatable in this book as well. The mystery is well-plotted with plenty of twists and turns to keep me guessing whodunit. I am looking forward to seeing how this series continues to develop over time.

All thoughts and opinions are my own, and in no way have I been influenced by anyone.

"Bookstore owner Erin Coleridge seeks the scoundrel who silenced a conference's keynote speaker in Elizabeth Blake's second charming Jane Austen Society mystery.

When the quaint English town of York hosts a Jane Austen Society conference, bookseller Erin Coleridge is glad to get out of Kirkbymoorside for a while - until featured speaker Barry Wolf suddenly perishes from what appears to be a heart attack.

Erin is suspicious, since Barry had no history of heart disease. But who did him in? Was it the decedent's assistant, Stephen, who was observed chatting to Barry's young wife Luca earlier that night? Might it have been Barry's ex-wife Judith, who was seen arguing with her erstwhile betrothed at the bar? Meanwhile, conference co-chairs Hetty and Prudence have been at one another's throat since the conference. Is one of them the culprit?

Matters of the heart are putting Erin off her guard. Both Detective Inspector Peter Hemming and schoolteacher Jonathan Alder have made gestures of romantic interest, but Erin isn't sure who is her Willoughby and who is her Colonel Brandon. DI Hemming tries to persuade Erin that her entanglement in the murder investigation is far from sensible, but his entreaties come to naught. Dauntlessly, Erin joins forces with Kirkbymoorside's cat lady, Farnsworth, to ferret out the guilty party."

Did you know there's a Jane Austen themed episode of Midsomer Murders? Well there is and this series makes me relive the love!

When Erin Coleridge and her best friend Farnsworth Appleby attend a Jane Austen conference, they're excited to stay at the best hotel in York and sample the food the restaurant has to offer in between their duties as moderators and panelists. The first night they meet Barry Wolf, their keynote speaker, and neither is impressed. The man is pompous, and obviously a bully. But when Barry is found dead not long after, Erin is suspicious. It looks like a heart attack, but she knows differently. Trying to convince DI Peter Hemming of that fact isn't working, so she decides to check up on the man herself. But in doing so, she opens a bigger can of worms than she ever thought. And if she doesn't figure it out soon, a murderer might be slithering away...

First off, I feel I need to correct the blurb. Judith isn't engaged, and Hetty and Prudence aren't at each other's throats. That being said, I also have to say that I really enjoyed this much more than the first in the series. I try to give authors a pass on the first, because they're still honing the characters and deciding what they want them to be. In this book, Ms. Blake seems to have found her way.

Erin is delightful; she's smart, witty (very), adventurous, attractive, thoughtful, and downright curious. She's inquisitive and knows she's invasive when she asks questions. What else would you expect a rural bookseller to be? Her emotions are explored in this book (and I'm grateful for that), because she lost her mother to cancer at an early age and is still coping. I also lost my mother to cancer at an early age, and it never gets easier. You just learn to live your life and remember the love. It's all you can do, really.

Farnsworth is comfortable in her own skin. She's a larger woman, but lovely as well, and has as much of a wit as Erin. Farnsworth is also addicted to Hallmark Christmas movies (as am I!) and Erin teases her for it, but gently. Her character is a bit more explored in this book, too, and it endears both characters to me even more. I also love cats and have several, so there's a soft spot for Farnsworth anyway.

But the ladies find that merely moderating panels on Jane Austen's books, life, and times is more than they signed up for when another incident occurs and now everyone at the conference is on edge -- except of course Hetty, who's too self-involved (and we all know someone like her, trying to hold on to their youth). It gives an interesting tale of murder, greed, lies, secrets, and more, as they are trying to find a killer without realizing that they're being under scrutiny themselves.

When the ending comes it really is a surprise, and quite a climax it is. You never really know what is in the mind of a murderer, and the length someone will go to for what they feel is justice. The ending gives us something to look forward to in the next, and I almost wish I could have attended the conference myself. Recommended.

I liked this book. It drew my attention early on in the reading. There were several quirky characters as well as many suspects for the three murders which took place during the story. I must admit the identity of the killer came as a surprise to me. I highly recommend this book to other mystery readers.

This is the second book in the series, but you do not need to read the first to read this book. The setting takes place at the York Grand Hotel at a Jane Austen conference. Some of the members from the Jane Austen Society in the first book in this series decide to attend this event.
The main character is Erin. She is a book store owner, Jane Austen Society member, and mystery solving enthusiast. So of course, when someone dies at the conference, she expects foul play and decides to investigate.
My initial thought on finishing this book was that the first book was better. This story felt jumbled at times. It felt sometimes that we jumped from one thought process to another. There were also storylines that seemed to start and no conclusion was given.
I really did not connect with Erin's character in this book. She seems to come across as being nosy than actually trying to get people to talk and learn information that way. I just didn't believe her character could solve a murder, which is what happens in the end. The only character I have liked is the best friend Farnsworth.
The book is long and the ending is short. Why did things happen the way they did? I would have liked more information. It seemed like a good portion of the book described Erin going to bed or her drinking too much.
Read the first book and skip the second.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy for an honest review.

This book was archived earlier than expected, if you wish me to review it, feel free to email me the Kindle version. I'll rearrange my schedule for ARCs to bump it up the line-up a little bit.

This was a DNF for me. I had a hard time getting into it and liking the characters, and there didn't seem to by much mystery solving going on so I had to put it down.


Thank you for the opportunity to review.

This cozy mystery centers around Erin who is visiting York for a conference of the Jane Austen Society. One of the speakers ends up dead and Erin believes it's suspicious and should be investigated.

With the help of her friends, she sets out to investigate and things get even more dangerous.

I was drawn to this series because I love Jane Austen and bookish cozy series, but I found myself having a hard time warming to Erin. I also felt like the author focused more on what the characters were eating, then on sleuthing.
Overall, Death and Sensibility was a fun read, but I don't know if I'd return to this series.

This was such a nail biter of a page turner. A truly great read. I loved the book. The plot was very well written and I cannot wait for another book. This was from a new to me and great author. I really enjoyed the book.

Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Death and Sensibility = Jane Austen + cozy mysteries.

It is the sequel of the Jane Austen Society Mystery Series. It's a great book, witty, catchy but something was lacking. Maybe it was the not very fleshed out characters or little to less action-packed sequences. A lot of the chapters were slow-paced and it was harder to keep going.

Death and Sensibility is the cozy mystery Austenites everywhere have been clamoring for! Set at a charming Jane Austen conference, this latest installment in the Jane Austen Society Mystery series will have readers eagerly flipping those pages. From the mysterious death of a very unpleasant academic to the captivating investigation to delightful main character, Erin, everything about this book was an absolute delight.

Great new series with relatable characters who make you want more. Finished the book with in a day. If you love Jane Austin this is a series for you. Lots of quotes and references which made the story very delightful.

Death and Sensibility is set in York and follows Erin and Farnsworth during a visit to the city for a Jane Austen convention.

I found several inconsistencies with terminology and was a bit distracting. Overall, the storyline was interesting. The characters did not appear to be English as it was portrayed in the story.

Set in York, Erin and her friend Farnsworth are in Yorkshire city for a Jane Austen convention when people start to die. So Erin starts to investigate to solve the mystery.

Erin has had some experience solving murders and meddling with police investigating and detective Peter Hemming who she is attracted to. She is also attracted to Jonathan Alder, who every woman has a crush on. I was surprised with the killer in the end the confrontation is well done. I like all the supporters characters.

I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to the next book in this series.

I had some difficulty with the characters names but it did get easier. Reminded me of High school English assignments. The plot is good but the story was lacking. Didn't enjoy this one enough to go and read the first in the series. Thanks #netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.