Jessica Bull dives into the mystery-solving world of Jane Austen with “Miss Austen Investigates: The Hapless Milliner.”
When a mysterious unknown woman is found dead at the neighborhood ball, Jane Austen seems to be the only person to recognize her — the new-to-town milliner Madame Renault. But the question on everyone’s mind is why is she at the ball and who, obviously, would want her dead.
When her brother Georgy, who struggles with developmental challenges, is accused of possessing the dead woman’s property, Jane knows she must diligently work to find out who killed the hatmaker before it is too late.
Bull does a great job of drawing out the world of Jane Austen, including actual people closest to her like her parents, siblings, cousin and good friends to create a delightful cast of characters, all while creating a plot filled with twists and turns, and many misdirections that will keep the reader guessing until the very end.
My only complaint is that she makes Jane a bit of a flighty lovesick girl.
Fans of Austen’s novels, mysteries set in that time period, and authors like Julie Klassen, Sarah E. Ladd and Claudia Gray will love “Miss Austen Investigates,” which is due out Feb. 27.
Four stars out of five.
Union Square & Co. provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.