Miss Austen Investigates: The Hapless Milliner

Synopsis: A body of a woman, stuffed in a linen closet, is discovered during a ball that Jane Austen is attending in her neighborhood. During the course of investigation, her brother Georg is found in possession of the murdered woman’s necklace and is imprisoned. It is up to Jane to find the real murderer or her brother will face the consequences.

Review
"Miss Austen Investigates" is an amazing mystery story. Jane Austen, is the manin character. She is not the mature woman of Pride and Prejudice. Instead, she is a girl on the brink of womanhood. She is shown as clumsy and this character investigates a murder.
There is a lot of reference about her family, especially her playful relationships with her brothers, Henry and James, and her beloved Tom Lefroy.

Don’t expect a Sherlock Holmes or Miss Marple kind of book; Jane makes mistakes and gets confused. She is charming, confused and makes plenty of mistakes, which only endears the character to the reader. Jane's motivation is to clear her brother Georgy's name, as he's wrongly accused.

The mystery is enjoyable, but the portrayal of the Austen family and their unwavering support for Georgy is what makes it so endearing. The historical details are well-crafted, and the distinctions in social class and money are clearly explained. The characters in the Austen family and their friends are portrayed accurately, reflecting what we know from Jane's letters and various Austen biographies, including their playful teasing of each other.

Thankyou Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

This novel is perfect for Janeites who love to read all things Austen. Jane employs her clever mind to a murder mystery in her village that is crucial for the future of her brother’s life. Surrounded by a host of characters based on her real family and friends with some additional fictional characters, Jane sets out to solve the case before it’s too late.

I was thoroughly invested and highly engaged in this enjoyable tale. Jane’s wit shines in this book. I loved seeing her develop ideas for her novels as she solved the mystery of the hapless milliner. This book was a delight and I am eagerly anticipating the next installment in this clever series.

Many thanks to the publisher for an e-ARC via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

A fun, cozy mystery featuring a young Jane Austen as an amateur sleuth in 18th century rural England!

Hampshire 1795 - Jane Austen is attending a ball at the Harcourt residence and hoping for a marriage proposal from Tom Lefroy but finds herself caught up in a murder investigation instead. A body is found locked inside a linen cupboard and Jane is able to identify the woman as a French milliner (hat maker) who has been selling her wares at the local market. The local authorities are determined to blame the murder on vagrants but Jane's non-verbal brother, Georgy, is found with jewelry that belonged to the deceased milliner and is arrested and jailed for theft. Theft is a capital offence in England at the time and Jane is determined to find the killer and save her beloved brother from the gallows.

This looks to be the first installment in a new series that weaves together real people and events from Jane Austen's life with a fictional mystery. An enjoyable read for any fan of English cozy historical mysteries but great fun for Jane Austen fans with all the references to her life and her writings. This Jane is young, naive, and a bit impetuous yet incredibly clever and utterly charming. I enjoyed the mystery and trying to guess whodunnit but the best part of the story for me was Jane's relationship with her family members and the sense of getting to know them all and what life was like at the Steventon Rectory. Well-written, witty, and a good mystery with a bit of the Jane Austen magic - I'll definitely read the next installment!

Thank you to NetGalley and Union Square & Co. for sending a digital ARC of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I thank NetGalley and Union Square and Co. for an advance reader copy of “Miss Austen Investigates: The Hapless Milliner.” All opinions and comments are my own.

Miss Jane Austen as detective is not a new concept; several other series use the writer as protagonist; but Jessica Bull keeps her subject freshly engaging (and a good detective) in “Miss Austen Investigates: The Hapless Milliner,” the first in this new series. Even in first person present, not my favorite point of view.

The murder might be enough to examine on its own, but the scene soon involves a member of Jane’s family. So, in between waiting for a marriage proposal and observing the village inhabitants in their comings and goings, something the real Jane Austen would understand, we get a first-class investigation, with a few twists and turns along the way. Fans of the historical mystery genre should enjoy going along as she solves this puzzle in a satisfactory fashion, in “Miss Austen Investigates: The Hapless Milliner.”

"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."

I mean, I'm here for all the Jane Austen, but if you want a complete series that has been lauded over the years Stephanie Barron's series about Jane Austen just ended this past fall...

Janeites, put this one on your TBR now! Delightful book #1 in new series features young Jane as an amateur sleuth. Can she save her brother from being charged with murder? Great fun!