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Death of a Lady: A Regency murder mystery with a literary heroine (Jane Austen Investigations Book 1) Kindle Edition

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 87 ratings

An authentic Regency murder mystery featuring Jane Austen as an amateur detective! For fans of Georgette Heyer, Mary Balogh, Elizabeth Bailey and Ashley Gardner.

Can Jane use her observational skills to solve a horrific murder…?

1795, Hampshire, England

Jane Austen and her family are delighted to be attending Lord Westworth’s ball. The event has been at the centre of village gossip after it was announced Westworth was holding a ball to celebrate the return of his brother, who went missing in India many years earlier and had been declared dead.

At the ball an old friend, Emma Roscoe, bumps into Jane and tells her she saw something she shouldn’t have. She asks Jane to meet her at ten o’clock in the library to discuss it.

Delayed by dancing with the charming Mr Tom Lefroy, Jane is late to meet to her friend.

But when she arrives, she finds the body of Emma Roscoe lying on the floor with a dagger sticking out of her chest.

Distraught and feeling horribly guilty, Jane is determined to help with the investigation into Emma’s murder.

Was it a coincidence that the murder happened on the night of Lord Westworth’s brother being reintroduced to society? What did Emma see that was worth killing her over?

And could more people be in danger?

With the help of her sister Cassandra, Jane must use her wit and intelligence to get to the heart of the mystery.

DEATH OF A LADY is the first book in the Jane Austen Investigation series: thrilling Regency-era murder mysteries with a tenacious literary heroine working as a female sleuth.

THE JANE AUSTEN INVESTIGATIONS SERIES:

BOOK ONE: Death of a Lady
BOOK TWO: Last Impressions
BOOK THREE: A Poisoned Fortune
BOOK FOUR: The Body on the Beach
BOOK FIVE: Death of a Curate

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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BSXDHQGF
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sapere Books (April 28, 2023)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 28, 2023
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3.2 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 290 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 87 ratings

About the author

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Laura Martin
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Laura Martin writes historical mystery and romance set predominantly in the Georgian era. She has written more than twenty historical romances, her books have been translated into ten different languages and are sold worldwide.

When not writing Laura spends her time working as a doctor in Cambridgeshire where she lives with her husband and two young sons. She has a love of history and travel and draws on the places she visits for inspiration in her writing.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
87 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on May 11, 2023
    Death of a Lady takes place in England in 1795. While at a Ball, an old friend of Jane Austen says she overheard something she wasn't supposed to and needs to speak to her privately. When Jane enters the manor's library, she's too late - Emma has been murdered. The book features a fictionalized version of author Jane Austen as an amateur sleuth.

    The author's note says she includes facts about the author, but of course uses artistic license when crafting the story. I know that in real life, Jane was very close with her sister Cassandra and that relationship is reflected in the story. I like how Cassandra both supports Jane in her investigation and when she is troubled. In this book, Jane's father comes across as a kind man who gives Jane some leniency in the very strict societal guidelines that women especially had to follow. This is what allows Jane to accompany the magistrate, Lord Hinchbrooke, when he is questioning witnesses and potential suspects in Emma's murder.

    Jane is quick-thinking, clever, and bold and Lord Hinchbrooke is observant, intelligent, and compassionate and together, the two make a wonderful team as they gather evidence in this sad murder case. The author's writing style makes the story very engaging and as I was reading, I couldn't wait to find out how Jane would proceed next in the investigation. There were a few surprises when all was revealed at the end. A second book is scheduled to come out this summer. I don't know if Jane will again be teaming up with the magistrate, but I look forward to reading the next book in this delightful new series.

    I received a copy of this ebook from Sapere Books at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.
  • Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2023
    A charming mystery starring a young Jane Austen who found a friend murdered in the library during a ball. Feeling guilty because she was late to meeting her friend, she was determined to help the magistrate investigate and bring the culprit to justice.

    Good historical details and Jane seemed pretty much in character with what little I know of her. Her intelligence and observation skills came through and could be just as useful in investigations as in observing personalities and social manners that she so aptly depicted in her books years later. There was a nice relationship between Jane and her sister Cassandra. The characters were interesting and the mystery held my interest with plenty of twists. Somethings I guessed, but I've read a lot of mysteries over the years.

    There were some phrases that were repeated a lot. And Jane would never have been allowed to be alone with magistrate, even if she was acting as his secretary, during this period. It would have ruined her reputation. So that historical inaccuracy was a bit annoying but sometimes if there is to be a story, such things need to be overlooked.

    I would definitely read more of this series and look forward to the next installment.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2023
    I love all things Jane Austen and I feel that the author did a fantastic job with the character development of both Jane and Cassandra. Jane has the chance to shine as the main character which showcases her intelligence and wit as she is put to work assisting the local Magistrate in solving the murder of a friend and also we get a quick glimpse of her falling in love (which isn't meant to be). This is going to be an excellent series.
  • Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2023
    In Death of a Lady, young Jane Austin and her family attend a ball. While there Jane is introduced an attractive young man, Tom Lefroy, an Irishman visiting his uncle. This delays her meeting her friend Emma, who wanted to tell her something. When she looks for Emma she finds her dead. Shocked and bewildered Jane feels guilty. Investigating the murder, Jane relies on her quick wit and powers of observation to help the magistrate Lord Hinchbrooke discover motives for crime that exist in the lives of these middle-class country people. We are introduced to members of Jane's family, especially her older sister Cassandra who smooths out Jane's occasional rough edges. The solution to the murder is eventually revealed, involving family secrets unknown to the reader.
    This is an enjoyable book combining fiction and historical detail. I especially enjoyed the growing relationship between the magistrate and Jane, which will lead to their continuing to work together in the future.
    Thank you to Sapere books for an Advance Reader copy . The comments and conclusions are my own.
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2023
    Jane Austen is concerned when an old friend, Emma, confides that she saw something she should have and doesn’t know what to do. They arrange to meet in private later, but when Jane arrives a few minutes late, she finds her friend dead on the floor. Jane is determined to help with the investigation into Emma’s murder. Can she uncover the truth before someone else is hurt?

    This is not the first series I’ve read with Jane Austen as an amateur sleuth. I am always on board for an adventure with one of my favorite authors. Do I believe she would have been allowed to track down criminals? No, but it is fun to imagine! This was very easy to read and I enjoyed it.

    The mystery was straightforward. There were several possible suspects. I was more interested in how Jane would continue to be on hand to assist Lord Hinchbrook, the magistrate, discover the truth. There were times she couldn’t be there, and it was understandable why. There was a side plot of Jane meeting Tom Lefroy, but I found it rather uninteresting.

    Overall, this was a fun book to read. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy seeing Jane Austen tackle mysteries. I received an advance copy through NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own.

Top reviews from other countries

  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Definitely a wonderful example of the Regency era cozy mystery genre.
    Reviewed in Canada on September 7, 2023
    A delightful book although oddly, even though I am a Jane Austen fan, this book might have worked better had the author simply gone with a regular person as the main character. Still, really enjoyed it and looking forward to reading the other books in the series.
  • Jay
    5.0 out of 5 stars good story
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 5, 2023
    A surprisingly good story. As a rule, I generally hate stories with Pride and Prejudice characters in it, and I include Jane Austen herself in that. This was a good story, and it didn’t need the heroine to be Jane Austen to make it so. Well worth reading.
  • helen r
    5.0 out of 5 stars a good read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 25, 2023
    Even though I guessed the murderer, it was a good read, the story moved along at a reasonable pace and there was an unexpected twist thrown in which I didn’t see coming.
  • Marion Long
    1.0 out of 5 stars Oh Dear!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 27, 2023
    Spelling mistakes, typos and ungrammatical, anachronistic language pepper the text. It is also full of dreadful American phrases e.g. I’m sorry for your loss’ and ‘reaching out’.
    The book does not appear to have been proof read.
    I’m not a fan of authors who use Jane Austen’s fame on which to base their work, but thought I would give this book a try, however suffice it to say that I won’t be reading any more in the series. It was dire.

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