Murder in Highbury
by Vanessa Kelly
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Pub Date Oct 22 2024 | Archive Date Oct 29 2024
Kensington Publishing | Kensington
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Description
"Clever and charming, Vanessa Kelly brings Austen’s world in Highbury village to life with beloved characters, twisty hijinks, and a mystery that will keep you guessing." —Madeline Martin, New York Times bestselling author of The Keeper of Hidden Books
Less than one year into her marriage to respected magistrate George Knightley, Emma has grown unusually content in her newfound partnership and refreshed sense of independence. The height of summer sees the former Miss Woodhouse gracefully balancing the meticulous management of her elegant family estate and a flurry of social engagements, with few worries apart from her beloved father’s health . . .
But cheery circumstances change in an instant when Emma and Harriet Martin, now the wife of one of Mr. Knightley’s tenant farmers, discover a hideous shock at the local church. The corpse of Mrs. Augusta Elton, the vicar’s wife, has been discarded on the altar steps—the ornate necklace she often wore stripped from her neck . . .
As a chilling murder mystery blooms and chaos descends upon the tranquil village of Highbury, the question isn’t simply who committed the crime, but who wasn’t secretly wishing for the unpleasant woman’s demise. When suspicions suddenly fall on a harmless local, Emma—armed with wit, unwavering determination, and extensive social connections—realizes she must discreetly navigate an investigation of her own to protect the innocent and expose the ruthless culprit hiding in plain sight.
“Brimming with all the wit and charm one can expect from a visit to Jane Austen’s world...the sequel we formerly could merely long for and imagine.” —Christina Dodd, New York Times bestselling author
Advance Praise
"Jane Austen’s nosiest protagonist turns out to be an excellent amateur sleuth in this buoyant series launch...Kelly makes good use of the most memorable characters from Emma, including the impoverished Miss Bates and Emma’s dim-witted father, folding them neatly into a well-executed mystery plot. The real draw, however, is the way Kelly effortlessly transforms Emma into a successful gumshoe by exploiting the same qualities Austen gave her heroine. Readers will be charmed." - Publishers Weekly
"Fans of Jane Austen will love this lively pastiche featuring one of her most beloved characters as a clever sleuth." - Kirkus
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781496745972 |
| PRICE | $27.00 (USD) |
| PAGES | 400 |
Links
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Carolyn P, Media/Journalist
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.
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