⭐⭐⭐

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, so I was excited to dive into this one. Unfortunately, this one missed the mark a little. I felt like the mystery took too long to get going (40%) and even after it did it just wasn't as engaging as the first book. 🤷🏻‍♀️ However, I still really enjoyed Jane and all the side characters (new and old). Plus, book three sounds really interesting, so I am still very much on board with this series. 

**ARC Via NetGalley**

The Burglar's Ball by Julia Golding is the second book of the Jane Austen Investigates series.
This book follows a 13 year old Jane Austen, who, accompanying her sister Cassandra to their prior school for a few days, finds herself investigating after an item of value is robbed.

The third person narrative feels great, it really gives the book a literary feel, while still remaining accessible to the young.
The plot was well-written and engaging, with a good ending, the characters well-rounded, though I did wish we had seen more of some.

Honestly, I've nothing negative to say except I wish the book were longer.

So, an AWESOME book, may it be for young ones or adults.
I really look forward to seeing how this book series develops in the future.

I received a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Burglar's Ball is the second in the Jane Austen Investigates series - and it does not disappoint!

Jane is back in action, this time solving a mystery at her previous school. In true Austen fashion, Jane is kind, clever, and witty, while following clues and leaving no stone unturned to find justice.

Once again, we meet a ton of new friends, and are reunited with an old one too, along with her trusty sidekick, Grandison.

Jane holds her own in a world of Nancy Drews and Harriets the Spy. This series is such a wonderful one for middle grade kids. I look forward to book 3!

This book just reads like an instant classic akin to Nancy Drew, Junie B. Jones, and Anne of Green Gables. I just love how comfortable these books are, they are so cozy to read. I love the history, incorporation of my love Jane Austen, and the mystery seamlessly weaved into the books. This is just such a delightful series for young readers. Makes me feel like a kid again!

The second adventure in Jane Austin’s sleuthing life finds her and her older sister Cassandra visiting their former school by invitation of the headmistress (where Cassandra was a favored pupil).
When they arrive, it becomes obvious the school has fallen on hard times and the headmistress is hoping that Cassandra will help advertise the merits of the school when wealthy donors attend a holiday ball.

What the headmistress hadn’t bargained for was that a diamond necklace would go missing during the festivities. Jane is all too happy to sneak around trying to find the culprit. She enlists a friend she made in her first adventure and keeps her brother abreast of developments by post.

I love that Julia Golding included characters from other Austen novels (in younger form). Austen fans will enjoy that nod to her literary works.

This middle grade novel offers an entertaining glimpse of a bygone era, while offering witty dialogue and clever plot twists to keep readers young and old guessing. I highly recommend this series and hope that young Jane will have many future cases to investigate!

Disclaimer:I received a free digital copy of The Burgler’s Ball from NetGalley for the purpose of review. No other compensation was received.

What a delightful read. A real mystery to solve and a feisty young lady who sets about doing this but in a kind and respectful way. A gentle and engaging tale that will hook the reader as well as test their own observation.and deduction skills.

I would like to thank netgalley and Lion Hudson Ltd for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Lovely adventure, and I loved that it was set in Reading! Loved the inclusion of diverse characters. Excited for the next one.

This was a DNF for me. I think, like the first one, I just couldn't get into the more youthful writing style. I do think these stories are great for a younger generation though.

Picking up just months after young Jane's last sleuthing adventure at Southmoore Abbey, Jane Austen Investigates; The Burglar's Ball, follows Jane as she investigates a scandalous theft that takes place during a ball . After her elder sister Cassandra receives an invitation to the mid-term ball being hosted by their former school in Reading, Jane has little choice but to tag along. While Cassandra is graceful and elegant, Jane is more the quiet, studious type. It's little mystery who is most looking forward to the event.
What Jane is looking forward to however is a chance to catch up with old friends and the chance to make some new ones as well. After arriving she meets Brandon, a former slave and current employer of the dance instructor and the two become fast friends. On the evening of the ball events take a shocking turn when a theft occurs involving the diamond necklace of a wealthy would-be pupil. When Brandon is unjustly fingered for the crime, Jane takes it upon herself to put her sleuthing skills to work and find the actual thief. As Janes starts to investigate she uncovers more than she bargained for.
While I read and thoroughly enjoyed the first in the series, the second is a wonderfully captivating addition to the series which might even surpass the first. The Burglar's Ball is a fun middle grade level mystery full of twists and turns, engaging storyline, lively characters, and fascinating insight into India at the time. Young Jane is a wonderful main character and a clever and inquisitive sleuth as well. Arjun and Deepti, characters from the first book appear in this newest addition to the series as well, once again helping Jane in her investigative endeavors. I found it fascinating that the idea behind the novel stemmed from some letters a young Jane sent to her brother. I look forward to reading more books in this delightful series.

Jane Austen Investigates- the Burglar's Ball was an amazing read with mystery, friendships, wit and humour! It is a sequel to the abbey mystery but can be read as a standalone. Jane was perfectly depicted. She was bold, charming, witty and made a perfect protagonist to read about. The plot was intriguing but not quite as good as the first book. It lacked suspense and the culprit was predictable. The writing, however, was incredibly engaging and made this a fun read. Overall this was a great book and I would definitely like it to become a series!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-arc!

Once again, I have been given the chance to review a book by Julia Golding - Jane Austen Investigates - The Burglar's Ball. The Burglar's Ball is the 2nd book in the Jane Austen Investigates series, but it can also be read as a stand alone. A few characters from the previous book made an appearance here and there.

In the Burglar's Ball, Jane accompanied her sister Cassandra to Reading, to attend a Ball being held at Madame La Tournelle's school for young ladies, a school where both girls attended before. On the night of the Ball, one of the girls who attended the Ball, discovers that her diamond necklace has been stolen. It is up to Jane with the help from her sister and friends to figure out the mystery of the stolen jewellery.

In the series, Jane is portrayed as a very likeable character and believes in equality. The girl would fight and stand for those who needs her help. The Jane Austen Investigates series is totally a must read for young readers and even adult fans of Jane Austen such as myself.

A compelling and entertaining series that while aimed at children can be read by adults as well.
The mystery is good and the plot flows well at a good pace without too much down time.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review given above

In The Burglar’s Ball we meet Jane once again, but now in summer after having returned home from her ghost hunting adventure at Southmoor Abbey. When Jane’s sister Cassandra is invited to a ball in Reading, Jane is at first reluctant to accompany Cassandra but eventually gives in to her sister’s wishes. While in Reading Jane meets up again with Deepti and her father Arjun and also meets some new friends at the girls school where the ball is being held. But during the ball one girl’s jewelry is stolen and Jane puts on her detective hat once again to solve this new mystery.

After reading and loving Jane Austen Investigates: The Abbey Mystery I was very excited to receive an ARC for the next installment of Jane Austen Investigates. Even though I found The Abbey Mystery a more enjoyable story, in The Burglar’s Ball Julia Golding once again spins a very entertaining tale about Jane and her adventures.

I was very pleased that Jane met again with Deepti and Arjun and that they were once again able to help Jane uncover the culprit. Jane’s dog Grandison is also a very valued character in this story in my humble opinion.

Compared to The Abbey Mystery, The Burglar’s Ball is less mysterious and I found the “culprit” to be a bit too obvious. I do enjoy the way that Jane goes about solving these crimes and how she keeps her brother Henry in the loop with various witty letters.

All in all a good addition to this middle grade series with a feisty, smart and witty main character like Jane Austen.

What a fun book! I was drawn to the premise of a young Jane Austen as a detective, and I was not disappointed. As a great lover of all things Austen, I cannot wait to introduce this to my own little people. Creatively written, engaging and enough of a mystery to keep the reader hooked until the end. This is an excellent series to gain traction so I look forward to hopefully seeing more installments.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

When her older sister Cassandra is invited by the headmistress of their former boarding school to a ball, teenage Jane Austen is forced to accompany her to Reading. On the night of the ball, a diamond necklace is stolen, and Jane’s new friend Brandon is accused of the theft for little more reason than he is Black. Jane, strong from her earlier investigative success, vows to find the thief to exonerate her friend.

▪ Jane Austen as a character and Jane Austen references. It is fun to see the young Austen as an independent, slightly rebellious teenager. She is as clever as could be expected, and a whole lot more fun. Woven in the tale are situations and characters that are reminiscent of her novels, especially in this case, Sense and Sensibility. Several names are directly taken from the novel (or, as the author would have us believe, inspired their fictional counterparts): Marianne, Elinor, Lucy, Willoughby, and Brandon. It’s a lot of fun to pick up on those references, and I imagine (hope) it would make a young reader interested in reading Austen’s work.

▪ Jane Austen, social justice warrior? I love how this series attempts to show England as it was in the period, including Indian and Black people, rather than uniformly white as it is too often presented in fiction, including Austen’s works. I am not entirely sure that I believe this portrayal of Jane Austen as the defender of the oppressed, considering how judgmental she can be in her fiction of those who don’t follow society’s rules (I’m thinking mostly of Lydia Bennett and the sister in Mansfield Park). The voice of a teenage version of Austen feels fairly believable otherwise, and I would not wish her to be a bigot, I am simply pointing out that young readers moving from this to Austen’s novels are in for a disappointment.

▪ Good mystery. There are layers to this mystery, so that even if the reader can guess some elements, I don’t think it’s possible to unravel it before the reveal. It may have been a bit unlikely how Jane manages to put it all together, but she is very clever so I will give her the benefit of the doubt.

Another really fun instalment in this new series. I can’t wait to read the next book!

I was lucky enough to receive this book from Netgalley and was excited to read this after reading the previous book in the series.

This book sees our fictionalised version of Jane Austen and her sister Cassandra be invited back to their old school (one that Jane didn’t enjoy) for a ball. Once there a precious necklace goes missing and Jane is on the case to find out what happened.

The book had quite a slow start and I didn’t enjoy as much as the previous one in the series. I did enjoy the poetry and letters between Jane and Henry, the way history is entwined in the stories and the close friendships and sisterhood between characters. I also loved the characterisation of Jane, through that you can also see the characterisation of the real life Jane Austen’s heroines. The author does a great job at taking a classic real life character and putting them into a new fictional world with elements of the authors stories used within.

Cracking children's mystery novel with a vintage flavour of very Austen-esque wit and charm.

This is the second in a series that is a joyous read for Austen enthusiasts, historical fiction fans and anyone who just loves a fun detective story.

A young Jane Austen travels with her sister to their old school where they stay as the guests of Madame who runs the school. It seems that things in the school are not right. Madame appears to have fallen on hard times, as can be seen by the lack of servants, and is keen to secure two new, wealthy young boarders.

When a diamond necklace is stolen during a ball held in the school, suspicion falls on one of the musicians. Jane feels he has been accused wrongly and sets out to find the real culprit.

This is a reasonable who done it with some historical details. However the author has tried to bring the story up to date by imposing current attitudes and values upon the heroines of the story, which, although admirable, seem somewhat unlikely..

I assume the Jane Austen character is meant to be the author of the same name but I can’t help wondering why she didn’t simply invent a new character and set the story at that point in history as I couldn’t see what value there was in making the heroine of this story out to be a real historical person.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Burglar's Ball is another charming instalment in Julia Golding's series for middle-years readers, featuring author Jane Austen as a teenage sleuth.
Some months after her adventure at Southmoor Abbey (see: Jane Austen Investigates: The Abbey Mystery), Jane finds another opportunity to put her avid curiosity, deductive skills and sense of justice to the test. She reluctantly accompanies her elder sister Cassandra to the town of Reading, to attend a Ball being held at Madame La Tournelle's school for young ladies, an institution both Austen girls attended for as long as their father was able to afford it.
Soon after their arrival, Jane and Cassandra become acquainted with the school's other guests, well-to-do sisters Elinor and Marianne Warren, whose father has recently returned from a government posting in India. Jane also renews her friendship with her friends Arjun and Deepti, formerly of Southmoor, who have opened a bakery in Reading.
On the night of the ball, there is great excitement among all the young ladies, which quickly turns to dismay when Elinor discovers that her valuable diamond necklace has been stolen! Jane, aided by Cassandra, Arjun, Deepti and several of her new friends, sets about solving the crime, simultaneously engineering the protection from prosecution of the unfairly accused musical accompanist, Brandon. Her inquiries turn up all sorts of interesting leads - a series of reports of missing or stolen jewellery in and around Reading, the mysterious lack of staff at Madame's school and the suspicious behaviour of the Warren's impecunious cousin, Lucy.
As readers of Jane Austen will quickly recognise, the names of supporting characters and some of the themes explored in The Burglar's Ball pay homage to Austen's Sense and Sensibility, although there are also parallels with parts of Austen's other works, in particular Pride and Prejudice.
Julia Golding's prose is appropriately pitched at a target reader group of 10-15 year olds, but sufficiently nuanced and rich in literary references to also keep adult readers, Austen aficionados in particular, entertained. The characters are well-developed and Golding uses their interactions to highlight some of the challenges and inequities that challenged young women and other marginalised groups in the late 18th century.
I'd highly recommend The Burglar's Ball as a light and entertaining read both to middle-grade readers who enjoy feisty female characters and mystery plots and to adult readers who enjoy cosy mysteries and Austen homage fiction. While there are oblique references to the content of Jane Austen Investigates: The Abbey Mystery, the previous book in the series, I don't consider that a reader's experience of The Burglar's Ball would be seriously impacted by reading this title as a standalone. (That said, I do recommend Jane Austen Investigates: The Abbey Mystery heartily!).
My thanks to the author, Julia Golding, publisher Lion Hudson Ltd. and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title. I can't wait to read future instalments!

The Burglar’s Ball is author Julia Golding’s second novel in the Jane Austen Investigates series. And though there are a few mentions/characters from the first novel, it’s not imperative that you read The Abbey Mystery first.

Jane is, of course, the main character in both books, taking on a sort of Nancy Drew persona within the confines of Regency expectations. Jane is clever and willing to push the boundaries of societal norms.

Golding’s prose is sophisticated without feeling dated. She gives readers the essence of Jane while remaining accessible to a modern, younger audience. And nods to Austen’s Sense and Sensibility add further interest.

Like its predecessor, The Burglar’s Ball is fast-paced with humor and drama smartly intertwined.