Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor: Being the First Jane Austen Mystery (Being A Jane Austen Mystery) - Softcover

Barron, Stephanie

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0553385615 ISBN 13: 9780553385618

Publisher: Bantam, 2008

Synopsis

For everyone who loves Jane Austen . . . a marvelously entertaining new series that turns the incomparable author into an extraordinary sleuth!

On a visit to the estate of her friend, the young and beautiful Isobel Payne, Countess of Scargrave, Jane bears witness to a tragedy. Isobel's husband—a gentleman of mature years—is felled by a mysterious and agonizing ailment. The Earl's death seems a cruel blow of fate for the newly married Isobel. Yet the bereaved widow soon finds that it's only the beginning of her misfortune . . . as she receives a sinister missive accusing her and the Earl's nephew of adultery—and murder. Desperately afraid that the letter will expose her to the worst sort of scandal, Isobel begs Jane for help. And Jane finds herself embroiled in a perilous investigation that will soon have her following a trail of clues that leads all the way to Newgate Prison and the House of Lords—a trail that may well place Jane’s own person in the gravest jeopardy.

Praise for Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor

“There’s plenty to enjoy in this crime-solving side of Jane. . . . [She] is as worthy a detective as Columbo.”—USA Today

“Happily succeeds on all levels: a robust tale of manners and mayhem that faithfully reproduces the Austen style—and engrosses to the finish.”—Kirkus Reviews 

“Splendid fun!”—Star Tribune, Minneapolis

About this title

Review:

In a time of near Jane Austen-mania, what better heroine to solve a mystery than Jane herself? Only two things are required: a satisfying, well-structured whodunit plot and a knack for rendering Austen's style at picking up the most delicate nuances in social behavior. Stephanie Barron succeeds on both counts. When the squire of a country manor in Hertfordshire is found lifeless in his bed, foul play is suspected and Jane is called upon to unravel the mystery. Along the way, Barron employs Jane as the first-person narrator and adeptly re-creates Austen's voice and delightfully subtle humor.

From the Publisher:

Being the First Jane Austen Mystery

"There's plenty to enjoy in this crime-solving side of Jane....[She] is as worthy a detective as Columbo."
--USA Today

"Happily succeeds on all levels: a robust tale of manners and mayhem that faithfully reproduces the Austen style--and engrosses to the finish."
--Kirkus Reviews

"Splendid fun!"
--Star Tribune, Minneapolis

About this edition

• Publisher: Bantam
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0553385615
• ISBN 13: 9780553385618
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 289