A great Regency murder mystery set in Dorset, England in 1798 where we see Jane Austen (love that) on a seaside holiday with her family. But a peaceful seaside holiday turns into a murder investigation when Jane finds a dead body on the beach.

I can say I read this book in one day as it was a bit of fun seeing Jane Austen as a sleuth and it was a good solid read which was fun, entertaining and enjoyable. The writing is good and the characters work well making it a good book to read.

Thank you NetGalley and Sapere Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

I'm not sure I loved Jane Austin as a sleuth but it was a different kind of regency book. If you want something new from Austin then this might be a good fit.

3 1/2 stars. A solid mystery starring Jane Austen as the investigator, though with plenty of help from her sister Cassandra. This is the fourth in the series and you do not have to read the others to understand what is going on here. There were plenty of twists and turns to this mystery and I did not expect the solution.

Of course, the depiction of Jane isn't going to be 100% in line with behaviors and thoughts from the time period because this is for a modern audience. So there has to be some leeway given to the author. Most of it I could except but at the end there was some steps she took that could get her in big trouble in this day and age so it is even more unbelievable then. That led me to lower my rating. I have read others in this series and while she pushed some boundaries I found them acceptable. Here, I just didn't find it believable.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

While holidaying in Lyme Regis in 1798, Jane Austen stumbles upon the lifeless body of a young woman at the bottom of the cliffs. Convinced the woman was murdered, Jane faces dismissive authorities and a town unwilling to investigate. Undeterred, she delves into the mystery, uncovering a series of deaths that others seem keen to overlook, prompting Jane and her sister Cassandra to untangle the web of secrets connecting the victims.

Having read two of this series before, I enjoyed seeing Miss Jane Austen tackling another murder. This time, she is on holiday with her family, so she has the added obstacle of her parents’ disapproval. With authorities reluctant to admit that there has been more than one murder, Jane has to use all of her wits for this case.

The plot moves at a fast pace. The setting comes alive, though it is not overly detailed. My biggest criticism with this is that Jane doesn’t come across as unique. Aside from a few references to her writing, this could be any feisty young lady in any time period of history.

Overall, it was a fun read. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy cozy mystery stories. I received an advance reading copy through NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own.

This was a mystery murder which portrayed Jane Austen and her sister Cassandra as the sleuths in this beautiful setting of Lyme Regis. The Austens are on holiday and Jane discovers the body of a young woman on the beach. The girl has been strangled and the signs including bruising are very apparent. What becomes surprising is that the coroner and magistrate almost immediately give a verdict of accidental death and send the body home in a sealed coffin.

Jane is furious at this careless attitude and realises that they are covering up. It especially becomes important because over the last two years two other young girls have been discovered dead under shady circumstances. Further enquiry going back years uncovers another two unaccounted deaths.

Trying as outsiders and as women to uncover the truth is no easy task. They are blocked at every turn especially as the enquiry turns on the local aristocrats. However, the final outcome is very surprising and added to the tension in the story.

Despite it being a murder mystery the entire tone of writing was soothing. Talk about being contradictory.

A mystery set in the late 18th century. Jane Austen is the heroine of this series, with the help of her sister Cassandra and the support of her parents (especially her father). A young woman is found dead on a beach - an accidental fall from a cliff? Suicide? Or murder? Jane gets to the bottom of the mystery in the fourth book in the series. The novel can be read as a standalone. This is a quick and entertaining read. Jane seems quite modern in her actions and speech, but it's fun to follow along as she deciphers the clues. Thank you to NetGalley and Sapere Books for the ARC.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Laura Martin for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Body on the Beach. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I have this series, but this is the first book I’ve read. I’m obsessed with the regency era, and all things Jane Austen. The idea of Jane Austen solving mysteries is so fun and fascinating to me. I was really interested in the plot. I thought the characters were really solid. I also loved the captain and his involvement in solving his sister’s murder. The writing gives off very cozy vibes and I love it. Jane and Cassandra seemed so close as sisters and I thought their differences added a lot to the plot.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the regency era, Jane Austen and mysteries!

Let me start off by saying that as a huge Janeite, I will read just about anything related to Austen and/or her works. None of these inspired-by books will ever come close to Austen's dearly beloved writings, but they are still typically fairly entertaining.

This particular title is actually the fourth installment in a mystery series which sees Jane as a sleuth. One does not need to have previously read the other books in order to dive into this one.

Is it particularly good? No. Did I remain interested and engaged throughout? Yes.

The aspect of this book that detracts from it the most is the lack of historical accuracy as regards the social behaviors, manners, speech, etc. of the time period. However, I just tried to keep reminding myself that Laura Martin is a modern author writing for a modern audience; it's not as though she is claiming to be a historian or a contemporary Jane Austen.

I will probably read the rest of the books in this series. They are quick reads and the mysteries and the writing are not bad. Plus, as I have already stated, if it's Jane Austen-related, you can almost always count me in.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an ARC of this book.

I have read all the books in this series and have loved them all. This one is out of Jane's area while she is on holiday with her family so she does struggle more as she doesn't have any authority in the area. There are a number of suspects but I must say I didn't guess the culprit. A page turner I didn't want to put down. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review

THE BODY ON THE BEACH by LAURA MARTIN is an easy and enjoyable read. It is the fourth novel in the Jane Austen Investigations series, but it can easily stand alone.
Jane and Cassandra are on holiday with their parents in Lyme Regis. On an early morning walk Jane finds the body of a young girl on the beach. With the local doctor and magistrate doing all they can to cover up the fact that a murder has taken place, Jane and her sister get moving to solve the case. In their investigations they find that two other similar cases have also been hastily covered up. Is the same person responsible for all three murders?…..
I like the way Jane follows leads, and is not afraid of play acting in order to obtain the desired effect!
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Sapere Books. The opinions in this review are completely my own.