Joy L. (vintagejoy) - reviewed on 3/5/2010 + 337 more book reviews

This is an excellent book! A great blending of a cozy mystery and Jane Austen. The premise reminds me of Susan Wittig Albert's "Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter." Beatrix is the mystery solver in that series and it is written in the time frame she lived in, as this is. Here in the first novel we find Jane at Scargrave Manor, invited by her dear friend, Isobel, newly married to the Earl of Scargrave, to attend a ball given in her Isobels honor as by her husband on their return home from a three month long honeymoon. Here Jane witnesses a tragedy, the death of the Earl from a mysterious and agonizing illness. In time, Isobel and the Earls nephew are charged with not only adultery, but of the murder of the Earl as well. Isobel begs Jane to help her, and so Jane embarks on the investigation. I enjoyed this novel, the plot is well done, the characters are introduced well, and it includes many twists and turns throughout. An important part in the novel is Janes introduction to Lord Harold Trowbridge, a gentleman rogue who plays a great part in subsequent books. Jane perserveres in her quest to find the murderer of the Earl of Scargrave to clear her good friend Isobel. There is alot of action going on, and to me the ending was not at all what I thought it would be. I love that the author explains certain words, customs, lifestyles, etc. for the time period (1802) throughout the book as they come up. Will definately be continuing on with the series.

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