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!

I adored this book! I haven’t even read Emma but I still felt very attached to all the characters. Now I’m going back to read it as well. Emma and George are the most adorable couple! I love Emma desire to seek justice for Mrs. Elton even though they did not really get along. I love her love for her community. It was the perfect historical cozy mystery! I sincerely hope Vanessa Kelly writes more soon!

This. Was. Excellent. 👌
The tone and feel are true to Austen’s original, and it was so lovely to be back in Highbury and with old friends again. I loved seeing Emma and Knightley as a married couple, and deeply appreciated that while we are informed they’re very much enjoying married life ^ahem^ particulars are left to our imagination. {I don’t mind spice, but in this case it works so beautifully to not be told. Knightley would not approve of a sexy scene being shared, hehe}. The murder and subsequent investigation are twisty and convoluted and of course our dear Emma is going to be involved.
It’s good reading, thoroughly enjoyed myself, and already can’t wait for Book 2 when Book 1 has not published yet!

This was a delightful read. The book is set after the events of Emma, with Emma having settled into a life of marital bliss with Mr. Knightley. All is well in Highbury until she and Harriet come across the dead body of the dreaded Mrs. Elton and Emma decides she is gonna to play detective.

I thought the characterization was done really well. I kept picturing the actors from the 2009 BBC adaptation while reading the book. I look forward to reading future books from this series.

Thanks as always to NetGalley for the ARC.

An enjoyable post Emma tale about the solving of a murder. It was easy to get into as we already know the characters. The author did exaggerate some of the personalities of the original which had me rolling my eyes a few times but overall quick, easy, fun, murderous read!

Turns out Emma is a better detective than she is matchmaker. This is a clever and cozy story that I thoroughly enjoyed. The charm of Austen comes through and I thought all of the classic characters were put to good use. I do think being familiar with the original story would be necessary to enjoy this book. This book is good fun; it’s not an introduction to Emma.

This was delightful! I don’t know if the author was a fan of the Gwyneth Paltrow adaption but she captured the essence of it perfectly. Emma’s detecting was believable for her character, and she proved better at it than at matchmaking.

Very much will be recommending this.

I loved this one! It was fun reading a book about a couple that’s already married. The murder mystery was absolutely fantastic! I loved the “Emma” vibes and think it was very well done. The story was so funny, and Emma is just a doll. She’s smart and resourceful and caring. I did not correctly guess the bad guy so that was very well done!

If you've read Emma (or if you haven't) you NEED to read this book! It kept SO well to the original source material that I got lost in the story and the characters. It felt seamless. The author definitely knows Emma, Mr. Knightley, Mr. Woodhouse, and all the other fabulous characters from Austen's Emma.
As if Kelly's incredible accuracy wasn't enough--on top of that, this story was the perfect blend of humor, mystery, and fun.
I always love a good whodunnit--and Murder in Highbury did not disappoint.

Who would want Mrs. Elton dead? Well, that's what Emma is resolved to find out. Much to Mr. Knightley's dismay. She uses her charm, wit, and smarts to solve this village mystery.
I had no idea who the villain was until very close to the end. So, it wasn't at all predictable.

I very much hope to read more from this author. And if that includes more Emma Knightley solving mysteries--sign me up!

Review will be posted on my website and Goodreads soon as part of a book tour!

For a woman who published only four novels during her lifetime, with two others appearing shortly after her death and several incomplete or shorter works released into print much later, Jane Austen has had an astonishing and enduring legacy. Personally, I’m of the school that believes Austen should be left in peace to rest on her laurels, but it’s obvious that publishing houses and movie studios feel otherwise. And once in a while, I agree with them. Vanessa Kelly’s foray away from historical romance and into a murder mystery series based on Austen’s “Emma” is one such example.

As happens in the best of these adaptations, Kelly’s Emma Woodhouse—now Emma Knightley—shares basic personality traits with her original conception but is not constrained by them. Stumbling into an impossible-to-predict encounter with a dead body in the chancel of the local church, Emma keeps her head even as her companion, Harriet Martin, seems ready to faint at the horrible sight. Emma confirms the victim’s death, settles her friend down, then sends her off to find the local doctor/coroner and George Knightly, Emma’s husband and the magistrate for Highbury. Emma herself waits behind in the church in case the vicar should pop in and discover his wife lying on the floor with bruises around her neck and her head bashed in. Hearing a noise, she goes to investigate (chiding herself for impetuousness), and even before her husband arrives, she has discovered evidence of murder.

But whodunnit? The residents of Highbury, not to mention the victim and her relatives, display the usual array of problems, lies, misdirections, and motives. The whole is handled with a light touch and a regard for Regency language and deportment, as well as for Austen’s original, that makes it a delightful read.

I look forward to interviewing the author for the New Books Network (link below) in October 2024.

This was an all around pleasant experience with bonus points for really nailing the tone. That said, there were a couple of small things left unresolved, which didn't seem, if you will, in character.