Hi y’all!

I am thrilled to be participating in the blog tour for Stephanie Barron’s final novel in her Being a Jane Austen Mystery series: Jane and the Final Mystery. I loved this concluding tale about the classic writing Jane Austen solving one more mystery as her health fails. The writing is exquisite. The characters are compelling. The research is impressive. And the murder mystery is surprising and so clever.

I was lucky to participate in the 2022 blog tour for Jane and the Year Without a Summer, an earlier novel in the series. I enjoyed that one very much and was so glad to be asked to participate again!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher. All opinions are my own.
This book releases on October 24, 2023!

Book Summary: “The final volume of the critically acclaimed mystery series featuring Jane Austen as amateur sleuth.

March 1817: As winter turns to spring, Jane Austen’s health is in slow decline, and threatens to cease progress on her latest manuscript. But when her nephew Edward brings chilling news of a death at his former school, Winchester College, not even her debilitating ailment can keep Jane from seeking out the truth. Arthur Prendergast, a senior pupil at the prestigious all-boys’ boarding school, has been found dead in a culvert near the schoolgrounds—and in the pocket of his drenched waistcoat is an incriminating note penned by the young William Heathcote, the son of Jane’s dear friend Elizabeth. Winchester College is a world unto itself, with its own language and rites of passage, cruel hazing and dangerous pranks. Can Jane clear William’s name before her illness gets the better of her?

Over the course of fourteen previous novels in the critically acclaimed Being a Jane Austen Mystery series, Stephanie Barron has won the hearts of thousands of fans—crime fiction aficionados and Janeites alike—with her tricky plotting and breathtaking evocation of Austen’s voice. Now, she brings Jane’s final season—and final murder investigation—to brilliant, poignant life in this unforgettable conclusion.“

The writing is engaging with meticulous research shown throughout the novel. Barron’s writing is beautiful and pulls readers into the story. The phrasing and word choice are reminiscent of Jane Austen herself. I felt like I was in Regency England trying to solve a mystery with Jane. The writing helps create that setting and tone for the story. Barron’s writing was augmented by her impressive research. I appreciated her details about the time period and about characters in the novel. So much of this story is based in historical details true to the time. I absolutely loved that. She seamlessly weaves history into her story. Many authors write historical fiction but few can create such an authentic setting and story as Stephanie Barron.

Barron offers such a compelling, descriptive version of Jane that she seems to come right off the page. I love seeing Jane Austen as a character. Imagining how it would be to get inside her head and see her interact with those around her. I loved her loyalty to family and close friends. The ways she supports those she loves with her courage and cleverness. Each of the characters are well developed and create a community that you become invested in. You cheer for these characters. You want to figure out why William was framed. You want to understand how things work for these students at the college. You want to discover the connections in the Austen family and see them all have greater financial and health stability. At the center of these characters is Jane. And the beautiful descriptions of her character are what have made this series last so long and conclude in such a compelling way.

The murder mystery elements are a clever balance of intensity and surprising twists. I do not often read murder mysteries. I am not a big fan of the violence and often find them a bit unbelievable. This is not the case with the Being a Jane Austen Mystery series. The mystery captivated me from the first pages. I was very invested in the outcome and trying to find the murderer alongside Jane and her nephew Edward. I thought the clues were cleverly place throughout the story. And the reveal of who the murderer was felt authentic and surprising. Plus there were a few incredible twists along the way that made my jaw drop. It is difficult to write murder mystery well and here is a whole series of beautifully crafted mysteries that are also true to the style of Jane herself. Well done, Stephanie Barron!

I really enjoyed this clever mystery! The characters are well developed. The historical setting is beautifully crafted. And the mystery is engaging and surprising. Even if you haven’t read any of the others in this series, I highly recommend them to fans of historical fiction, murder mysteries, and Jane Austen alike!

What are your favorite Jane Austen inspired novels?
Any Jane fans reading today? Which are your favorite of her novels?

Again, this novel will release October 24th, 2023. You can find more info and purchase options here:
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Stephanie Barron is a graduate of Princeton and Stanford, where she received her Masters in History as an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fellow in the Humanities. Her novel, THAT CHURCHILL WOMAN (Ballantine, January 22, 2019) traces the turbulent career of Jennie Jerome, Winston Churchill’s captivating American mother. Barron is perhaps best known for the critically acclaimed Jane Austen Mystery Series, in which the intrepid and witty author of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE details her secret detective career in Regency England. A former intelligence analyst for the CIA, Stephanie—who also writes under the name Francine Mathews—drew on her experience in the field of espionage for such novels as JACK 1939, which The New Yorker described as “the most deliciously high-concept thriller imaginable.” She lives and works in Denver, CO.

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