DNF at 22%

I really think this book just wasn’t my cup of tea, but it could totally be for other readers! If you’re looking for a regency-era murder mystery based on Jane Austen’s Emma Knightley, then look no further.

I wanted to love this book; I typically love mysteries and love historical fiction, but something about this book just wasn’t doing it for me. I found the pacing to be very slow and was having a really difficult time actually getting into the book. Some of the dialogue also just felt really drawn out. However, I think my struggle to enjoy this book was more about it not being my personal favorite and not about it not being a good book. Please still give it a try!

Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Publishing, and Vanessa Kelly for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. Lovers of Jane Austen, be sure to stay tuned for the release of Murder in Highbury on October 21, 2024!

It's safe to say that I adore Austen retellings, ESPECIALLY ones that involve murder mysteries. Claudia Gray's YA mysteries featuring Juliet Tilney and Jonathan Darcy, and Tirzah Price's Jane Austen murder mysteries immediately come to mind. While Emma is not my favorite Austen novel (I'm about to reread it though, so maybe that will change), I was still so excited to read Kelly's murder mystery featuring the misguided matchmaker, and it did not disappoint!

This novel follows the characters after the ending of the original Emma. Emma is married to Mr. Knightley (swoon) and she and her friend Harriet Martin find themselves entangled in a murder mystery when they discover a dead body in the church. It's not a spoiler to say it's Mrs. Elton they find...and if you have read Emma, maybe you'll understand when I say I wasn't sad about it. I loved Emma as an amateur sleuth--her cleverness and meddlesome nature work well in this capacity!

This book was everything I wanted it to be. It was fun, exciting, and kept me guessing. I thought the ending was extremely well done. When I wasn't reading it, I found myself thinking about it! Normally, I read a few books at once, but as soon as I started Murder in Highbury, it was the only book I wanted to read.

I recommend this one for anyone who enjoys Jane Austen, Austen retellings, and murder mysteries.

A whodunit involving Emma & George Knightley? Yes please! I adored this Regency mystery! Vanessa Kelly brilliantly captured the essence of Jane Austen’s beloved couple so well. It felt like a natural extension of Emma with a mystery that kept me completely enthralled.

When Emma & her friend Harriet Martin discover the body of their nemesis Mrs. Augusta Elton in the church, it’s apparent she’s been murdered. But, which of the people she ran afoul with could have done such a thing in their tranquil town of Highbury? With Knightley as the magistrate, it’s up to him and his somewhat inept constables to investigate the crime. When an old, seemingly harmless friend is accused of the murder, Emma sets out to discover the truth.

I loved this mystery! It was so fun revisiting all the familiar characters of Jane Austen’s much loved Emma. From Emma & Knightley, Frank & Jane Churchill, the Martins, Miss Bates, & Emma’s father, to the annoying Mr. Elton, I felt like I was reacquainting myself with old familiar friends. The mystery kept me guessing with each new clue Emma discovers. There are quite a few suspects, and while I guessed who it might be fairly quickly, I was riveted leading up to the dramatic conclusion.

Highly recommend this lovely cozy Regency mystery, especially to Jane Austen fans. I’m hoping Emma & Knightley find another mystery to investigate, maybe that elusive poultry thief… I received an advanced complimentary copy from the author and publisher. All opinions are my own & voluntarily provided.

CW: a few instances of mild swearing, brief violence, mild description of murder scene.

Murder in Highbury by Vanessa Kelly is an exhilarating read that had me hooked from start to finish. As my first book by the author, I was blown away—just wow! The story is filled with intrigue, well-drawn characters, and a plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I was so captivated by the entire book that I felt a pang of sadness when it ended, eager for the next installment. If you're looking for a mystery that delivers on every front, this should absolutely be on your TBR list.

Absolutely loved this! Characters and relationships were true to original while telling a new story. I particularly liked Mr. Woodhouse. Also managed to included poultry thieves. Knightley and Emma as a married couple was totally believable. Was nice to see them making the situation of living with Emma's father work. Mystery kept me guessing to the end. Just a fabulous read!

Fans of Jane Austen and historical mysteries won’t want to miss Murder in Highbury, the first in the new Emma Knightley Mystery series! Now married to George Knightley, Emma is off of matchmaking and on to... solving crimes! When she and Harriet Martin stumble across the body of Mrs. Elton, it's immediately clear to Emma that the woman has been murdered. But who in Highbury could possibly commit such a heinous crime? When the men in charge of the investigation leave a lot to be desired, Emma decides to take matters into her own hands and follow the clues herself. If she can make love connections, she can certainly connect the dots in a murder mystery just as well.

Murder in Highbury is full of humor and wit, pushback against outdated thinking on what women can or should do, and furthered connections among the residents of Highbury. I adored this!

Look out for my full review on October 23rd here and on my blog.

I cannot believe what I just read! Murder in Highbury is the best Jane Austen murder mystery novel I have ever had the pleasure of reading!

The story continues a year after Emma has wed George Knightley. With the Knightley’s settled in the idyllic Hartfield, all seems to be well in Highbury until Emma and her dearest friend Harriet stumble upon a body at the vicarage. Determined to find the culprit, Emma takes it upon herself to investigate the murder.

Vanessa Kelly did such a wonderful job mirroring the style of Jane Austen’s work in this book. It was seamless and picked up where Jane Austen left off. The author reacquaints the readers with the delightful cast of the original novel but puts a unique spin on Emma Knightley as the devoted wife, daughter, and amateur sleuth. There were surprising plot twists that I should have seen coming but embarrassingly missed. Right when I thought the mystery was solved, the author threw me into a different direction. The pacing of the book is delightfully quick and ends in a vicious whirlwind. In all, I simply adored this book and was sad to have finished.

Murder, mayhem, mystery, and manners. What more could a mystery lover and Jane Austen fan want?

Many thanks to author Vanessa Kelly and AustenProse for the ARC. This review is voluntary, and all thoughts are my own.

A very fun Regency Jane Austen murder mystery!

I read Emma for the first time shortly before reading this, but I really did not need to to enjoy this book. The author does a good job of quickly getting the reader up to speed without being heavy-handed in the details. Because I did read Emma recently, however, I can confidently say the author preserves and honors the characters and town of Highbury. Mr. Knightley still overly lectures Emma and Emma is Emma but in the best way. I also appreciate that the author was able to convey the dottiness of Miss Bates and Mr. Woodhouse in a much more tolerable way than in Emma. (Jane Austen is quite merciless in her characterization of these two in Emma with extended diatribes that are rough to read.) The Regency-era criminal legal investigation proceedings were very interesting to include and it really makes me wonder how much justice there was in those times. The author clearly put a lot of care into thoughtful details that added to the story and enjoyment of the Jane Austen world.

I did suspect the murderer from the beginning, but it was more due to my dislike in the character's personality than deductive reasoning. The twists and turns were realistic but kept me engaged. Murder mystery is not my preferred genre, but I still really enjoyed this. If there must be murder, better make it in Jane Austen style. I will certainly read the next books in the series!

Thank you, Kensington Publishing, for this arc!

Out of all the Jane Austen heroines, Emma is the one I believe most likely to try and solve a murder. This murder mystery imagines that soon after Emma and Mr. Knightly settle into wedded bliss, someone murders poor Mrs. Elton! Emma discovers the body and takes it on herself to sleuth out the killer, especially when the local officials are clearly bungling the whole affair.
I had to laugh at the choice of victim—not a lot of readers will feel sad to see Mrs. Elton leave the pages of an Austen book, although her escapades before death definitely cause enough mayhem to keep her presence known.
I guessed the solution early on, but it was still fun to watch the characters blunder through false leads and hasty conclusions.
If you like Jane Austen and murder mysteries, this is an enjoyable story.
Thanks to @vanessakellyauthor @kensingtonbooks @austenprose for the free print and ebook.

I really enjoyed this "sequel" to the classic "Emma", showcasing Emma's investigative and deductive abilities, after her marriage to George. There were so many viable suspects, it was easy to vacillate between them but Ms. Kelly did a great job with misdirection and red herrings so it was a constant guessing game. I have enjoyed her books in the past but this could be a fun series and I look forward to more with these characters., especially as she has kept so many of the characteristics of the original characters. Highly recommended.
#netgalley

For fans of Jane Austen's Emma, we are met with Murder in Highbury which finds our matchmaker in the role of a detective. With a familiar cast of characters, including Knightly, Harriet, and Miss Bates, as well as Mr. Elton and others, we can cozy up to this mystery and feel right at home in Highbury,

This is a delightful cozy mystery when Emma stumbles upon a murdered person, What ensues only increases her father's anxiety and Knightly's exasperation, I loved this journey. back to Highbury with all of Emma's rationalization and conclusions. Vanessa Kelly does a wonderful job with these characters and this world. It feels authentic to Austen's characters and world, with a humor of its own, in spite of the mystery,

The mystery is rich with twists and turns with a very much unexpected conclusion and quite a bit of work to get there. In the journey, you get to interact with delightful friends, a bit of mischief, and a few proper set downs.

I delighted in this world and this story, It is a worthy offering and I would love to see further mysteries solved by the lovely Mrs. Knightly, much to Mr. Knightly's chagrin.

I received an early copy of this story and this is my honest review.

(3 1/2 Stars) This was a really sweet debut. It definitely helps with reader enjoyment to have a familiarity with Austen's Emma. I found the dialogue to be a bit stilted and repetitious at times, but I imagine it's hard to writer Austen-appropriate conversations in current times. Emma was written in a fun, likable way and it was a delight to find her having conversations with characters from Emma (the novel, not the character). The mystery was fairly predictable, but I still found myself turning the pages quickly. This fits extremely well into the new trend of murder mysteries with familiar regency characters.

I loved this book! I love Jane Austen and enjoy when authors create new fiction based on her characters. Emma is probably my least favorite book because I found her hard to like, but in this book I was drawn in and found a new love for old characters. Even Mr. Woodhouse! The mystery kept me thinking about who could have been the murderer with so many potential suspects. I would love a 2nd book to see what happens with Mr. Woodhouse and Miss Bates.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.

I am a Janeite who has an admittedly high bar for pastiche. When it comes to beloved characters like Emma and George Knightly appearing in newer books, I'm both enthusiastic and cautious. Will the new work maintain their chemistry and personality quirks? Will their banter be as charming as in the original story?

In the case of Murder in Highbury by Vanessa Kelly, the answer is YES! Emma and Knightly are as delightful as in the original, but they get to investigate the murder of Mrs. Elton in this story. While George is the magistrate in Highbury, Emma is the person who stumbles upon the body (with Harriet), so her involvement is understandable from the beginning. We get to see the entire original cast in this story, even Jane and Frank, which I thought would be impossible, but Vanessa Kelly managed it.

The pace is brisk without being breakneck and the banter keeps things lively and entertaining. This was such a fun read. I was happy to see hints that this isn't likely to be a standalone! I'd love to see more of Emma and George sleuthing together!

This was such an original idea. Taking beloved characters, turning them on their heads and putting them in a murder mystery. It was fabulous. I found the murder mystery itself to be intriguing and engaging. The story was well-paced and I had to force myself to slow down so I could savor the book. It was so much fun to see characters we know well interacting with one another, and getting a view of how we would imagine their lives after saying good bye. I loved the interactions between Emma and Mr. Knightly, it still seems strange to call him George, they were sweet, just as I would have imagined them to be when reading Emma. I had so much fun with the book and look forward more of the like. Disclaimer: I received an advanced reader copy from NetGalley for an honest review.

Vanessa Kelly brought back all of our favorite characters from Jane Austen’s - this time to solve the murder of one of their own. Per usual, Emma is meddling in the best way possible. I absolutely loved this book and this concept and found myself kicking my feet and giggling at the witty banter between Emma and Mr. Knightley, just as I did in the original novel. I recommend this book for anyone who loves Jane Austen retellings and is looking for a cozy murder mystery vibe!

thanks to NetGalley for the eARC

⭐️=3.75 | 😘=2 | 🤬=2 | ⚔️=2.5 | 14+

summary: Mrs. Elton is murdered! whodunnit? Emma Knightley on the case! cozy mystery shenanigans ensue et cetera

thoughts: this is good! Highbury is tailor-made for a cozy mystery (Emma is honestly like a detective fiction precursor), so it’s pretty hard to mess this up with a perfect setting gifted via Jane Austen. I liked this! the characterization was on point for the most part, not too many new people added, and I’m left with (almost!!) no questions. a good time <3

I am always on the hunt for fantastic Austen continuations and when I find one that also contains a murder mystery, it’s definitely shooting to the top of my TBR. Vanessa Kelly has captured the charm and delight of beloved Emma and all its wonderful characters. Only this time, our dear Emma finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery that rocks the village of Highbury to its core. This book has it all-
•The swoon-worthy love story of Emma and Mr. Knightley
•The friendship of Emma and Harriet
•Funny dialogue and situations involving Mr. Woodhouse and Ms. Bates
•A suspenseful murder investigation

This is the first book in a promising new mystery series and I simply cannot wait to read the next installment. Highly recommend!

Good to Know:
•multiple instances of God’s name in vain, a couple of profanity occurrences
•Kisses only romance a couple of times
•A few instances of banter between husband and wife alluding to intimacy

A tremendous thank you to author Vanessa Kelly, Kensington Books, and Austenprose for a gifted copy of this fantastic book! All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

This was an excellent read. As a Jane Austen fan and a mystery fan this was a spot on mix of both. The tone of the book was true to the original feel Austen created. 
The mystery, murder and following investigation are twisty and convoluted and lots of red herrings. I truly enjoyed this book and am looking forward to this being a long series.

As a huge Jane Austen enthusiast, I absolutely loved this Emma adaptation! The language and tone were spot on for the time period, making it feel authentic. I especially enjoyed seeing more of George and Emma, and all the other characters were spot on. The plot twists and “whodunnit” mystery kept me hooked from start to finish. If you're an Austen fan or just love a good mystery, this is a must-read.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review!