Sense and Second-Degree Murder: A Jane Austen Murder Mystery for Young Adults About Sisterhood, Investigation, and Victorian Justice - Hardcover

Price, Tirzah

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0062889834 ISBN 13: 9780062889836

Publisher: Storytide, 2022

Synopsis

In this second book of the Jane Austen Murder Mystery series, Tirzah Price takes readers for another fun, murderous romp through one of Austen’s beloved novels. Perfect for fans of The Lady Janies and Stalking Jack the Ripper. A Junior Library Guild pick!

When eighteen-year-old aspiring scientist Elinor Dashwood discovers her beloved father slumped over the desk of his office study, she knows his death means dire straits for the Dashwood women. To make matters worse, an outdated will entails his estate—including Norland & Company, the private investigation firm where her younger sister Marianne worked as her father’s partner and protégé—to their half-brother and his haughty wife, who waste no time in forcing the Dashwoods out of their home and into a cramped apartment on London’s Barton Street.

But before they go, the Dashwood sisters make a startling discovery: a suspicious substance in their father’s teacup—one that can only be described as poison. And poison, as Marianne’s father taught her, always points to murder.

It could be dangerous; it could ruin their reputations; and most importantly, it won’t bring back their father. But if the Dashwood sisters can combine their talents and bring their father’s murderer to justice, it may bring them all some comfort—and it might even lead to love.

“Pride and Premeditation is a romantic and entertaining page-turner, sure to delight readers of any genre.” —Kerri Maniscalco, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Stalking Jack the Ripper series 

About this title

About the Author

Tirzah Price is a former librarian and Book Riot contributor and holds an MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. When she’s not writing, reading, or talking about YA books, she experiments in the kitchen and knits. She lives in Michigan.

Reviews

Gr 9 Up-Price's second "Jane Austen Murder Mystery" is just as clever as the first (Pride and Premeditation), this time giving a murderous spin to Sense and Sensibility. This novel begins much the same as Jane Austen's classic, with the death of the Dashwood patriarch and their brother's inheriting everything. However, in this tale Elinor and Marianne discover that their father's death was a poisoning. Marianne, an apprentice detective following in her father's footsteps, and Elinor, an aspiring chemist, are the perfect duo to take on the case. Over the course of the investigation characters from the original novel appear, easily recognizable despite changes in circumstance for many of them, because Price expertly crafts their personalities to match the source material. The mystery is just complex enough to keep readers guessing without becoming frustrating, it revolves around opium, so the book may be better suited to more mature readers. A suspension of disbelief may be necessary due to the historical inaccuracies (explained in an author's note) regarding the Dashwood sisters' unladylike, but empowering, behavior. All characters are white. VERDICT A delightful reimagining of a classic that will be enjoyed by Jane Austen fans and mystery readers alike.-Mariah Smitalaα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Edition details

• Publisher: Storytide
• Publication date: 2022
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0062889834
• ISBN 13: 9780062889836
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 416