This was such a fun concept. A cozy mystery starring the descendants of Jane Austen's characters? Yes, please! It sounded like a book I'd really love.

Unfortunately, I can't say I loved it. I liked it well enough. There were definitely some fun parts. My favorites were the excerpts from the "real" Elizabeth Bennet. I just wish the modern parts had entertained me as much as those did.

I read a copy of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

This was a pretty cozy read. It kind of reminded me of madam Blanc, I think it's called. I think it's definitely worth a read

From the start, I was captivated. As a fan of Jane Austen, a lover of cozy mysteries, and someone who enjoys a touch of romance, this book initially felt like a perfect fit for me. The first few chapters drew me in effortlessly, and I didn’t even mind that there wasn’t a dead body right away. I adored the whimsical Aunt Iris, even if she was somewhat stereotypical, and I found the lively cousin Joy, who introduces our American sleuth to British life, quite charming. However, by the midpoint, I was put off by the overly saccharine and immature romance between Heath and Eliza. It felt more like a young adult romance novel than anything else, with the characters behaving more like teenagers than adults in their mid-twenties. Even Aunt Iris’s constant chatter about love and marriage started to grate on my nerves.

For a cozy mystery, it was all too much. At one point, I nearly put the book down because of the overuse and misuse of British expressions in the dialogue. It felt as though the author was trying too hard to showcase a superficial understanding of British vernacular. A few phrases here and there to highlight cultural differences would have been amusing, but this was over the top. During my time living in England, I never heard people speak the way Berg's characters do.

The predictability of the plot was another letdown. It was obvious from the outset who was involved, and the rest of the story was just piecing together the clues. Towards the end, there was an attempt to add a twist, but it veered into a darker, thriller-like territory, which felt out of place.

The effort to incorporate Pemberley and the Darcy/Bingley/Wickham lineage was commendable and could have provided a thrilling backdrop for Austen fans and a connection to the unfolding events. However, merely inserting Elizabeth Bennet’s journal entries fell short for me. I wished the sleuth had embodied more of Austen’s original Elizabeth Bennet's wit and intelligence, rather than being a clumsy, awkward character prone to stumbling into rose bushes. The cringe-worthy romantic moments with Heath were also off-putting.

On a structural note, there were discrepancies in the time of day and the settings, and some clues didn’t align with the narrative. A thorough review by a line and copy editor could have caught these issues. Berg relies heavily on dialogue to advance the plot, which sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t. The sudden shift from a cozy mystery to a thriller towards the end was jarring. While it added excitement and made the book a page-turner, it wasn’t true to the genre.

Is there anything wrong with blending genres? Not if it’s done well. But for me, this novel didn’t succeed. It seemed undecided about its identity but ultimately leaned towards being a cheesy young adult romance more than anything else.

I received an advance reader copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review.

The pace of this book is too slow for me. At 15% in, there’s been no plot so far—just introducing characters. DNF.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

Eliza comes to merry old England to the home estate that her father came from. When murder happens, she decides to be an amateur sleuth and help solve the murder. She also wants to find out why her father was estranged from his family. Enjoyed this one, and a fun cast of characters. A good cozy mystery set in rural England, and one I highly recommend.