Miss Austen Investigates by Jessica Bull had an intriguing concept, placing Jane Austen in the role of an amateur sleuth as she works to clear her brother’s name of a murder accusation. Despite the author’s clear love for Austen’s world, the execution fell short for me. The story was bogged down with excessive detail, slowing the pace and making it difficult to stay engaged. I struggled with Jane's characterization, which felt inconsistent and out of step with the witty, sharp-minded author we know from her novels. The mystery itself leaned heavily on tired tropes, and the present-tense narration felt jarring for historical fiction, giving the story an oddly juvenile tone. While there were moments of charm, I found myself distracted by repetitive scenes and unnecessary tangents. Though this book wasn’t for me, fans of cozy mysteries and Jane Austen pastiches might still find something to enjoy. Thank you, NetGalley and Union Square & Co, for the ARC.

Slow start but really picked up and was well done. Great idea for a new historical mystery series. Next one please!!

What a fun book to read, so quirky and unique. All my favourite genres in one book so how could I not like it. I loved it. There is mystery, it is cosy, Jane Austen is the main character and it is such a light-hearted, easy and entertaining book to read. I enjoyed it and whizzed through it so as it looks like it might be a new series I can't wait to see what comes next.

Thank you NetGalley and Union Square & Co. - A subsidiary of Sterling Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is the first (released in February of this year) in the Miss Austen Investigates series. You should know, Gentle Reader, that I used to carry my tatty paperback copy of Pride and Prejudice with me on every overseas field expedition, and I carried it along to my senior honors thesis in England as well. Yes, I am a great fan of Jane Austen. Some of the modern books featuring g her or taking off where she ended her stories have been mediocre, some have been ok, and some have been pretty good. I'd put the Hapless Milliner in the pretty good category. Jane is torn when the book opens because her beloved sister and bosom companion, Cassandra, is away, and Jane is missing her sister dearly. But at the same time, she is enthralled because of a forbidden romance with a suitor she knows her family would find unacceptable. The book opens with Jane attending a ball, where she steals away for a romantic tryst with Tom, but her rapturous evening is ruined when a murdered woman is found in a closet by Jane's brother. Then, another brother is accused of the murder, and Jane realizes that if she does not identify who the real murderer is, her brother will be hanged for a murder he didn't commit. I enjoyed the murder and the story--Ms. Bull does a good job of recreating late 18th/early 19th century England, and the social restrictions that Jane had to conform to. Jane's reflections on her investigations, as revealed in her letters to Cassandra, allow us to be inside Jane's investigations and sleuth along with her. Recommended.

Jane Austen, YES. Cozy Mystery, YES. With all that said I was super excited to read this but the actual execution was not great. Jane comes across as immature and just accused anyone and everyone instead of actually investigating. I did like that her family was supportive of her being more independent female in a time when independent or thinking females are frowned upon.

It is not the first time that writers portray Jane Austen as a detective, a participant in an investigation. I think this is a perfectly acceptable character portrayal within the genre. Who wouldn't want to investigate criminal cases in the past with their favorite English writer?! It was interesting to me that the writer knew Austen's time and those close to her well, so we got a really authentic description of the era and characters. The mystery was also perfectly fine, and I liked the language.
I really recommend this light investigation from the bottom of my heart, Austen fans will not regret getting to know their favorite from a different side. Who knows, maybe Austen really was like that?!
Thanks to NetGalley for the novel!

4 stars for this light-hearted read. Full review coming soon. If you are a Jane Austen fan, you will enjoy this one.

This was a really good historical mystery,that I would definitely recommend for Jane Austen and mystery fans alike!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

When a young Miss Jane Austen is attending a ball on a neighborhood estate and encounters a murdered woman whom she knew in life, the future novelist lays aside her pen to do some detecting.

I am a ready fan of historical mysteries set in the world of Jane Austen’s novels and in her own life. I was eager to take up a new to me author’s debut effort with Austen as detective in her home neighborhood.

Miss Austen Investigates: The Hapless Milliner begins at the time of Jane Austen’s life when she’s fresh and nineteen. Her head is full of romantic thoughts about a dashing Mr. Tom LeFoy who is visiting family in the neighborhood. Jane is portrayed as a winsome girl untried and ripe for romance or adventure. What she gets is a murder that the authorities have decided to pin on her sweet, innocent older brother who has disabilities, George. To clear George of the crime of theft and murder, Jane is determined against opposition for a young lady involving herself to find the real culprit. She’s well-placed as someone who is familiar with many of the people who were at that ball as coming from her own neighborhood.

I was immensely curious how the author would do with a very familiar world to me. Jane Austen is a favorite author and I’ve read much on her life and the times she lived in. I was pleased to see from the first chapter that the author had done her homework. Oh sure, she interpreted the real life people’s characters in her own way including Jane herself and yes, there were occasional modern phrases slipping in now and again, but there was an establishing of Jane and the cast of characters, dialogue and actions in an historical setting that was done well.

The first half of the book was slow going and I confess that I struggled. The author had a written grammar style that I found distracting. I’m not sure exactly what, but the issue is related to tense and it seemed like Jane who is narrating is also referring to herself as Jane. Though, I do think authors should be able to write a character the way they wish, this can get tricky when the character is a real person. This Jane’s character was immature to me and more heedless of convention in the mode of a modern teenager at times which was also a distraction. It took a bit for me to settle into the book as a result. The last half portrayed an engaging mystery. I had no idea who was behind it all or why, but I did enjoy Jane’s sleuthing efforts and arriving at the mystery and I enjoyed Jane’s surrounding family being involved and being such colorful characters.

I think this was a good series opener and that the series will get stronger as it goes. Those who enjoy cozy mysteries set in historical eras and real life people made into fictional characters should give this one a go.

So good! I loved the mystery in this book. Madame Renard's story is deftly woven through Jane's investigation and the tale takes many twists and turns as we learn more about the Hapless Milliner *ahem* lacemaker. The author perfectly plays on tropes of class and the English peerage, without being too obvious as to who the killer is. Bull does such a good job of integrating Jane's real story into the book while still feeling like something fresh and new. The characters she has created and the empathy she displays them with captured my heart. Not only has the Author created a version of Jane that feels true to the woman she actually was, but she has also adopted many turns of phrase and writing style elements from Jane's own books to create an immersive experience for Austenites everywhere. I'm interested to see how she continues to tell Jane's story throughout the rest of the series.

A witty, engaging murder mystery featuring Jane Austen as an intrepid amateur sleuth—the first in a series.
Jane Austen—sparkling, spirited, and incredibly clever—is suddenly thrust into a mystery when a milliner’s dead body is found locked inside a cupboard in the middle of a ball. When Jane’s brother Georgy is found with some jewelry belonging to the deceased, the local officials see it as an open-and-shut case: one which is likely to end with his death. Jane is certain that he is innocent, and there is more to the murder than meets the eye. Her investigations send her on a journey through local society, as Jane’s suspect list keeps on growing— and her keen observational skills of people will be put to the test to solve the crime and save her brother.

Featuring the same lively wit, insightful social commentary, and relatable characters that have made Jane Austen books into perennial classics, this first entry in the Miss Austen Investigates series is perfect for anyone who enjoyed The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl or other historical mystery books based on real people, as well as fans looking to add to their Jane Austen collection.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Jessica Bull for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Miss Austen Investigates: The Hapless Milliner coming out February 27, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I thought this book was a lot of fun. I’m obsessed with Jane Austen and all of the adaptations. I love historical murder mysteries, so this book had a lot to offer. At times it felt like the movie Becoming Jane, which I love. I thought the book was slightly too long and could’ve used some cutting. But it also would’ve been nice to see Jane correspond with Cassandra and see letters from Cassandra as well. I thought the sisters would’ve spent a little more time together. I loved that it had a lot of Jane’s family involved. I’ll definitely check out more books by this author!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Jane Austen murder mysteries!

This was an enjoyable read and a complicated mystery. After Jane identifies the murder victim, she is determined to catch the killer and free an innocent man. I loved the inclusion of Jane’s family and the roles they played, her sister Cassandra, brothers Frank, Henry and George, her cousin Eliza and even her Irish friend Tom Lefroy. I read a lot of mysteries so I guessed the killer pretty early based on one comment. My hunch was correct, but it was entertaining to see Jane work through her list of suspects to solve the crime. Jane is very much an amateur sleuth, accusing the wrong person more than once. I imagine if there are other books to follow that Jane will hone her detective skills as well as she did her own writing. I look forward to reading more.

I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley. A positive review was not required and all thoughts are my own and voluntarily given.

This is the first in a fun new series that features Jane Austen as an amateur detective. So many readers love any kind of Jane Austen inspired story, so this will be appealing to them. And many more readers enjoy books based on real life characters from history -- so even more appeal. In this installment, Jane must clear her brother's name, and in doing so, finds herself in danger. I truly look forward to recommending this title.

For lovers of all things Austen related! This is book one of a cozy mystery series. I loved that this book included real people in Jane Austen’s life. I felt that the author did a wonderful job emulating the style in how the real Jane Austen wrote her books. It really came through in the details that described the time period in which the book took place.

The Jane, in the book, at 20 years old, seemed very immature considering that the time period would suggest women were getting married, running households, and bearing children. However, I thought that this was almost a parallel with the way that Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice was portrayed; free spirited, strong willed, and stood by her convictions.

Jane was a loyal and determined sister, in trying to prove her brother’s innocence. Do not expect the unraveling of this mystery to be neatly packaged like Sherlock Holmes. Jane made plenty of mistakes in her accusations, sorting out her love life, and learning to navigate society during this time. This made her more endearing, and I am hoping to see her mature as the series progress.

Thank you NetGalley, Jessica Bull, and Union Square & Co. for the ARC read!

Jane Austen is about to turn 20 and still living at home with her parents when this story begins in 1795. Jane spends her free time working on her "stories," but her thoughts are mostly taken up with a certain young man, Tom Lefroy. She's convinced that he will propose at the ball being given by her neighbors, the Harcourts. The ball is actually in celebration of the upcoming engagement of the Harcourt's son, Jonathan, to the heiress Sophy Rivers, but Jane knows romance will be in the air and is hoping for a proposal of her own. Unfortunately, all of the festivities come to a halt when a murdered woman is found locked in a closet during the ball. While everyone denies knowing the identity of the dead woman, Jane is sure she recognizes her as a woman who sold her a hat recently at a market. While everyone is puzzled and distressed as to how this mystery woman came to be killed, things soon take a dark turn for the Austen family when Jane's brother, Georgy, is arrested for the crime. Georgy, who is mentally disabled and unable to speak, has been found with the dead woman's necklace in his possession. Since no one is able to verify where Georgy was at the time of the crime or how he came to be in possession of the necklace, he's arrested and thrown into prison while awaiting trial. Jane knows the outcome of the trial won't be good. Georgy will either be hanged, transported to Australia, or committed to an insane asylum. She decides she must work out who the real murderer is.

I did enjoy reading about Jane as a real person and imagining her family going about their daily lives. It was nice to have a romance for Jane and also to see all of the considerations that marriages entailed at a time when connections, societal standing, and familial obligations were much more important than individual feelings. I didn't really like the Jane in this story, though. She was desperate to get her brother out of jail and to overcome the indifference of the legal system, but she went around accusing pretty much everyone of being the killer -- in public and with plenty of onlookers. No one seemed especially surprised or disturbed by her very public outbursts, at a time when women were routinely "ruined" for even minor offenses to propriety. Jane also was very snarky and mean right to people's faces, playing off her cruelty as "sharp wit." It didn't make her a very sympathetic character. Still, her tenacity and dedication to finding out the truth made this an interesting mystery as we followed Jane along in her sleuthing.

Endearing is the perfect word for this book. If you are a fan of Jane Austen then the style and characterization will feel familiar and heartwarming to you. And yet the characters are the people that Jane actually grew up with. Her siblings, her parents, her beloved cousin, her neighbors, even her housemaid, made this book jump off the page. Make no mistake, it was a great mystery, but that’s wasn’t my favorite part. The most lovable part of this book was seeing a young Jane fall all over herself, making mistakes, getting in trouble, and doing anything she could to save the life of her dear brother George. I can’t wait to read the next installment. 5⭐️

** “In the end, everything comes down to love or money.” **

Jessica Bull dives into the mystery-solving world of Jane Austen with “Miss Austen Investigates: The Hapless Milliner.”

When a mysterious unknown woman is found dead at the neighborhood ball, Jane Austen seems to be the only person to recognize her — the new-to-town milliner Madame Renault. But the question on everyone’s mind is why is she at the ball and who, obviously, would want her dead.

When her brother Georgy, who struggles with developmental challenges, is accused of possessing the dead woman’s property, Jane knows she must diligently work to find out who killed the hatmaker before it is too late.

Bull does a great job of drawing out the world of Jane Austen, including actual people closest to her like her parents, siblings, cousin and good friends to create a delightful cast of characters, all while creating a plot filled with twists and turns, and many misdirections that will keep the reader guessing until the very end.

My only complaint is that she makes Jane a bit of a flighty lovesick girl.

Fans of Austen’s novels, mysteries set in that time period, and authors like Julie Klassen, Sarah E. Ladd and Claudia Gray will love “Miss Austen Investigates,” which is due out Feb. 27.

Four stars out of five.

Union Square & Co. provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

In the past few months, I've been reading a number of books inspired by Jane Austen and her novels. "The Hapless Milliner" is the first in a cozy mystery series that stars Jane Austen as an amateur detective. I would recommend to readers who enjoy Austen-inspired fiction and late 18th century history, but I'm not sure it will hit the mark for cozy mystery readers without an interest in Austen or history.

For me, the most compelling thing about this novel was learning about Austen's family, particularly her brother George, who was nonverbal Through his arrest for a crime he did not commit, we learn more about how the 18th-century British justice system treated differently abled people. I'm really curious now to learn more about George.

Other than the insights into Austen's family, the novel was a pretty standard historical cozy mystery.

This is reportedly the first in a series of cozy historical mysteries with the author, Jane Austen, as the main character acting in the role of amateur sleuth. The story opens in December 1795 when Jane turns twenty. When her older, disabled brother, George, is accused of robbery and murder, Jane takes it upon herself to identify the real culprit.

The concept of the series by debut novelist Jessica Bull is fun, if not original. Writing Jane as a detective has been done before, and quite successfully, by author Stephanie Barron, whose Bantam and Soho Press published Jane Austen Mystery series was popular with readers and critics alike during its 25-year run (1996 to 2023). Unfortunately, Miss Austen Investigates is an unsatisfying attempt to use Stephanie Barron’s developmental framework and recreate it. It appears to be geared toward a younger, less sophisticated literary audience than Stephanie Barron's works.

Plotwise, the mystery of the Hapless Milliner itself is so derivative it’s cliché. It utilizes nearly every negative and careworn mystery novel trope concerning female characters. There is the victim blaming and shaming as everyone speculates about the deceased's profession, societal station, virtue, and marital status. The female suspects are also neatly categorized into those familiar boxes of Immoral, Calculating, Devious, and Hysterical.

Due to the shallow plot, there are so many needless words that don't serve any purpose other than to bring the word count to novel length. I lost track within the first few chapters of the number of random tangents that the author went off on. At one point I’m pretty sure I was told what some character’s grandmother’s favorite food was. There was a paragraph dedicated to a description of Jane’s favorite cat of the Austen family cats. This had the effect of slowing the pacing so significantly that it erased the possibility of any tension or suspense for the reader.

Similarly, there is a mind-numbing level of minutiae as far as descriptions and actions. If we’re told that someone is shown the door and heeds the request, the reader knows what that means. We don’t need to be told that the doorknob of the closed door was turned, the hinges squeaked, a burst of rose-scented air came into the room, the sky was blue outside, the character walked three and three-quarter steps onto the porch, turned around, and watched as the door shut again.

We are also hit over the head with endless detail about every single room (including every piece of furniture and object within it), every piece of clothing, every hairstyle, and every leaf on every tree. An example: “Jane dresses with great care. She suffers the dreaded curling irons rather than relying on the buoyancy of her natural waves, and gives herself permission to borrow Cassandra’s cornflower-blue gown. Jane has her own gown, made from the same bolt of cotton, but since she has not taken as much care of it, the colour is washed out.” FOR THE LOVE OF PETE WHO CARES.

One of the weirdest things about this novel is that is written in present simple tense. I don’t think I’ve ever read a historical novel written in any form but past tense. And because present simple is the most simplistic tense, there were times when I felt like I was reading a middle-grade book. For example, this passage from chapter one: “James pushes open the door. He balks. Jane sidles up beside him.”

Putting aside the issues of execution, in my opinion, the most egregious aspect of the novel is the author’s portrayal of the sober-minded, highly intelligent, clergyman’s daughter, Jane. The Jane in this story is moody (described as “glowering” and “furious” one minute, and “choking on her tears” the next). She is meeting secretly with her sweetheart, Tom LeFroy, while acting the flirtatious coquette on one hand, only to turn her back on him the next and dash down the lane when he says something she doesn’t like. She gets drunk at an assembly and nurses a hangover the next morning. She doesn’t have any compunction about disregarding the social graces of the day, so flounces around town rudely interrupting, interrogating, and openly accusing people of wrongdoing, (Only to be completely embarrassed and ashamed when she is proven wrong, repeatedly.)

Ironically, this Jane doesn’t really do any investigating at all other than finding out the victim's real name, and then gossiping and engaging in idle speculation with her friends and family. The historical and revered Jane Austen is known for her razor-sharp wit, yet in this book she is an irresponsible, impetuous, indecisive, insufferable busybody who only figures out who the murderer is by wrongly accusing every other possible suspect first.

In sum, this debut is so cringy I cannot believe that this author has ever written a full-length novel before. If the next manuscript is anything like this one, it needs a seasoned editor with plot development experience who can help the author come up with an imaginative crime for Jane to solve, and who isn’t scared to say that padding the manuscript with irrelevant detail only distracts the reader’s focus on the plot. I would also nix the present tense. It doesn’t work.

Thank you Netgalley and Union Square & Co for the opportunity to read and review this novel. All opinions are my own.