While I am not usually a fan of books that turn an actual human being into a fictional character, this book was a good Christmas holiday read. I should state that the twelve days of Christmas is one of my holiday decorating themes so I was prepared to enjoy that aspect of the book. Jane, her sister, and her mother have an accidental meeting with Raphael West, son of painter Benjamin West, as they are on their way to spend Christmas with the James Austen family and he is on his way to the Chute country estate. He tells his hostess of the encounter, resulting in an invitation to the Austens to join the Chutes and their other guests for Christmastide. The Chutes are great hosts of a country Christmas but they had not planned for the naval messenger carrying the Treaty of Ghent to London to stop by their estate and then be murdered upon departing before he reached the road. A snow storm has made it a certainty that the murderer is on the estate. Nor were the Chutes prepared for one of their guests to be so overwrought by the messenger's death that her body would be found two days later in their chapel with an empty bottle of laudanum. Jane Austen is not the only detective in this case. One of the other guests is a British spy trying to catch a French spy. The author has done both her real Jane Austen and her historical period research.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
Stephanie Barron’s mystery series about the “real life” Jane Austen is a must for all who love Jane. The series center around Jane’s uncanny ability to be involved in murder mysteries during her travels. You’ll love the Austen quotes scattered throughout the books, as well as the “Jane style” of writing.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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