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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN num: 9780553385618
ISBN number: 0553385615
Label: Bantam
Manufacturer: Bantam
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 304
Printing Date: May 20, 2008
Publishing house: Bantam
Release Date: May 20, 2008
Sale Popularity Level: 329797
Studio: Bantam
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
For everyone who loves Jane Austen...a marvelously entertaining new series that turns the incomparable author into an extraordinary sleuth!
On a visit to the estate of her friend, the young and beautiful Isobel Payne, Countess of Scargrave, Jane bears witness to a tragedy. Isobel's husband—a gentleman of mature years—is felled by a mysterious and agonizing ailment. The Earl's death seems a cruel blow of fate for the newly married Isobel. Yet the bereaved widow soon finds that it's only the beginning of her misfortune...as she receives a sinister missive accusing her and the Earl's nephew of adultery—and murder. Desperately afraid that the letter will expose her to the worst sort of scandal, Isobel begs Jane for help. And Jane finds herself embroiled in a perilous investigation that will soon have her following a trail of clues that leads all the way to Newgate Prison and the House of Lords—a trail that may well place Jane's own person in the gravest jeopardy.
Amazon.com Review:
In a time of near Jane Austen-mania, what better heroine to solve a mystery than Jane herself? Only two things are required: a satisfying, well-structured whodunit plot and a knack for rendering Austen's style at picking up the most delicate nuances in social behavior. Stephanie Barron succeeds on both counts. When the squire of a country manor in Hertfordshire is found lifeless in his bed, foul play is suspected and Jane is called upon to unravel the mystery. Along the way, Barron employs Jane as the first-person narrator and adeptly re-creates Austen's voice and delightfully subtle humor.
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers -
In the end I really enjoyed this book. It is not the very first time that an historical mystery is told in the form of supposedly found lettes and documents. The one that does this extremely successfully is Elizabeth Peters in her Amelia Peabody series, which happens to be be a huge favourite of mine. Jane Austen in the role of sleuth is not that big a stretch since we already know that the lady was intelligent and had a keen wit. I enjoyed the way Ms. Barron portrayed her in this book, and she was interesting enough to make me want to read more in this series. There were a few loopholes in the plot though, and some "flights of fancy" that seemed to come from nowhere. The historical detail is also not perfect, but these small flaws don't destroy the story. I think the genre for this book is more historical cozy than historical mystery, so keeping this in mind, the flaws do not seem so important and the story is lots of fun.
Rated by buyers -
I'm a relatively new fan of mysteries, but I have to say I really enjoyed this one. I am a huge fan of Jane Austen, so I liked having her as the mysteries sleuth. She was witty and human and the stroy was entertaining. I look forward to continuing reading this series.
Rated by buyers 
-
Mystery and Jane Austen fans may rejoice in this perfect series of fictionalized murder mysteries. Based on intensive research of the author's life, but definitely fiction.
If you long to taste life at the time of Jane, this is your portal. The smells, sights and sounds of the Regency surround you immediately and you'll learn a great deal about Austen's life as well--the author drops considerate footnotes like tasty bread crumbs for you to follow into research of your own.
You just might get so caught up in the realistic descriptions, that you begin to believe Austen was the super sleuth Barron has created. Read them all. You won't be sorry!
Rated by buyers -
The Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor is the very first in a series of novels that purports to be based on "long lost" Austen journals -- journals where, shockingly enough, Jane is revealed to have an aptitude for solving crimes. Perhaps even more shocking is how well the concept works in Barron's execution of the story. Through novels like Pride and Prejudice and Emma, Austen revealed herself possess a masterful understanding of human nature and all its foibles, and this skill lends itself well to casting Austen as an unconventional investigator with a flair for understanding the criminal mind.
Since relatively little is known of Austen's life, there's plenty of opportunity for an Barron's imagination to fill in the gaps. She grounds her stories in what little is known of Austen's life. In the case of Scargrave Manor, the fact that Austen had once received and refused a proposal from a Harris Bigg-Wither serves as the impetus that allows Barron to send Jane to the home of a beloved -- but entirely fictitious -- friend in order to recover. Soon after her arrival, Jane finds herself embroiled in not one, but two cases of murder most foul, with her beloved friend Isobel standing accused of murdering her husband. Isobel begs Jane to employ her acute powers of observation in order to discover the truth of the matter, and so the chase is on for Jane to discover the truth before Isobel is brought to trial before the House of Lords.
Barron's very first novel featuring Jane Austen in the role of sleuth succeeds on all fronts -- it's an incredibly engaging, fast-paced read, rich with historical detail (supplemented by select footnotes which aid in giving credence to the assertion that the story is an edited "journal"). Most enjoyable of all is the experience of seeing inside Jane Austen's head, albeit a fictitious Austen. The story's prose is rich with the language and customs of the early nineteenth century, and it's an enjoyable escape to read a novel that pretends to flesh out the character of one of the most beloved, but mysterious, novelists of all time. All in all it's a thoroughly enjoyable and absorbing read.
Rated by buyers -
I had already read one of the later books in the series, and decided that I liked it enough to start at the beginning of the series.
This book was good. It was written in the form of letters to her sister, Cassandra, and journal entries. The text kept you in suspense, and although I guessed a portion of the plot, it was twisted in such a way that even when you know what's coming, it's still fun to get there.
My only disappointment is Jane's lack of self-respect when it comes to her looks. She seems to be bent on making herself into the worst, when it comes to her looks. But isn't it the truth that we are sometimes harder on ourselves than anyone else is. However, I think she truly could have been happy on several occasions throughout her life, had she just relaxed a bit.
If you enjoy Jane Austen's style of writing, and mystery writing in general, then you should find this an enchanting novel.
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