@austenprose – Gwendalyn’s Books

Jane and the Final Mystery

By Stephanie Barron

• Series: Being a Jane Austen Mystery (Book 15)

• Genre: Historical Mystery, Austenesque Fiction

• Publisher: Soho Crime (October 24, 2023)

• Length: (312) pages

• Format: Hardcover, eBook, & audiobook

• ISBN: 978-1641295055

• Tour Dates: October 16 – 31, 2023

BOOK DESCRIPTION

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.

PRAISE FOR JANE AND THE FINAL MYSTERY

• “Poignant . . . Elicits deep emotion out of Jane’s struggles against her own mortality. This is a fitting send-off for a beautifully realized series.”— Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

• “Barron developed Jane’s narrative voice by reading Austen’s collected and published letters, and it is neither spoiler nor surprise to say that series readers will be sorry to say goodbye to Jane Austen, amateur sleuth.”— Booklist

• “[Barron] has brilliantly combined authentic historical and biographical details with skillful plotting and a credible evocation of Austen’s wry, distinctive voice. She brings the English author’s final investigation to a poignant, unforgettable close. Fans of this historical series will not be disappointed.”— First Clue

PURCHASE LINKS

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REVIEW

From the desk of Gwendalyn

This book was received from the Author, and Publisher, in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is a non spoiler review, because you as reader need to read this book. Also, I feel sometimes I have in the past gave away to much of the plot line. This has diminished the pleasure for would be readers.

Jane and the Final Mystery by Stephanie Barron is the final installment to her “Being a Jane Austen Mystery” series, set in the Georgian era.

March 1817, Jane Austen latest manuscript comes to a halt, as she is grappling with the illness that will soon take her in July of that year. She travels to Winchester College accompanied by nephew Edward to investigate the death of one of his former schoolmates at Englands prestigious prep school, Winchester college.

William the son of her dear friend widowed Elizabeth Heathcote is the key suspect in the murder of Arthur Prendergast.

Stephanie Barron has captivated readers since 1996 in her wonderful mystery series that featuring Jane Austen as an amateur sleuth. Meticulous researched, Barron has consistently written exceptional books. The voice of Jane Austen rings true, along with the authors ability to draw readers into a rewarding mystery The rich imagery of place and time along with the characters themselves were absolutely wonderful and so vividly descriptive. If you are a lover of Jane Austen or cozy mysteries themselves, please reward yourself with this book series.

Happy Reading 🫶📖

Thanks to @soho_press, @Austenprose

AUTHOR

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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GOODREADS

Book Reviews

A Beautiful Disguise

August 25, 2023August 28, 2023 Gwendalyn’s Books

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for

A Beautiful Disguise by Roseanna M. White

• Title: A Beautiful Disguise

• Series: The Imposters (Book 1)

• Author: Roseanna M. White

• Genre: Historical Romance, Detective Mystery, Inspirational Fiction

• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (August 22, 2023)

• Length: (368) pages

• Format: Hardcover, Trade Paperback, eBook, & Audiobook

• ISBN: ‎ 978-0764240928

• Tour Dates: August 21 – September 4, 2023

BOOK DESCRIPTION

In Edwardian London, not all that glitters is gold as a lady and an intelligence officer’s secret mission take them from the city’s dazzling ballrooms to its covert intelligence offices.

Sir Merritt Livingstone has spent a decade serving the monarch in the field, but when pneumonia lands him behind a desk in the War Office Intelligence Division just as they’re creating a new secret intelligence branch, he’s intent on showing his worth. He suspects an aristocrat of leaking information to Germany as tensions mount between the two countries, but he needs someone to help him prove it, so he turns to The Imposters, Ltd. No one knows who they are, but their results are beyond compare.

Left with an estate on the brink of bankruptcy after their father’s death, Lady Marigold Fairfax and her brother open a private investigation firm for the elite to spy on the elite. Dubbed The Imposters, Ltd., their anonymous group soon becomes the go-to for the crème of society who want answers delivered surreptitiously. But the many secrets Marigold learns about her peers pale in comparison to her shock when she and her brother are hired to investigate her best friend’s father as a potential traitor.

Lady Marigold is determined to discover the truth for her friend’s sake, and she’s more determined still to keep her heart from getting involved with this enigmatic new client . . . who can’t possibly be as noble as he seems.

PRAISE FOR A BEAUTIFUL DISGUISE

• “White’s well-woven plot is engaging from start to finish with delightful threads of mystery, romance, and inspiration.”— Carrie Turansky, award-winning author

• “A Beautiful Disguise has all of the hallmarks of this beloved author’s resplendent fiction: pitch-perfect historical research, a thrilling setting and perfectly paced plot and a love story that sparks as wonderfully as Lady Marigold’s effervescent intelligence and charm. A sheer and unputdownable delight by a true master.” —Rachel McMillan, author of The Mozart Code

• “5 STARS – Espionage, intrigue, and secrets abound in this beautifully crafted historical fiction set in pre-WWI Edwardian England (1909). Roseanna M White’s gift of weaving intricate, engaging plots and creating charming, lovable characters shines so clearly in this book that kicks off her new series Imposters.”— Mindy Houng, Interviews & Reviews.com

PURCHASE LINKS

REVIEW

Hello Gracious Readers

A Beautiful Disguise by Roseanna M. White is the first installment in the author’s The Imposters Series.

Roseanna M. White newest book is set during Edwardian London, readers follow Lady Marigold and her brother Lord Yates, Earl of Fairfax. Who have taken things into their own hands, when they were left orphaned with an estate on the brink of ruin. Their Eccentric upbringing has allowed them to be successful with their anonymous group of professional private investigators, known as The Imposters, Ltd.

A semi retired circus is taking up residence at the Fairfax Towers in Northumberland, accompanied by a diverse collection of animals. Which is also taking up a strain on the Fairfax accounts. But nerveless Lady Marigold, and her brother Yates adventurous nature, has led them to step away from cultural norms and take up disguises and weave through the Ton. Using deception, Lady Marigold carefully moved through society, uncovering secrets. The notoriety of their business has built the brother and sister duo a notable reputation, along with the business being quite lucrative.

Lieutenant Colonel Sir Merritt Livingstone is bond and determined to find out who informant to Germany is so he seeks out the private investigators, known as The Imposters, Ltd.

A really enjoyable historical fiction, with a absolutely delightful cast of characters that took me completely by surprise. The heartwarming romance between Lady Marigold, and Merritt, was done perfectly. The intrigue and the twist at the end kept me on my toes.I really enjoyed the period setting of the pre-WWI and the beginnings of MI5. The circus premise was engaging and a fun to read about.

This is one book that you need to will to pick up, I highly recommend!

Thank you to Bethany House for the gifted book!

AUTHOR BIO

Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award-winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. She pens her novels beneath her Betsy Ross flag, with her Jane Austen action figure watching over her. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two children, editing and designing, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of numerous novels, ranging from biblical fiction to American-set romances to Edwardian British series. Roseanna lives with her family in West Virginia.

Book Tours

Godmersham Park: A Novel of the Austen Family

October 29, 2022October 30, 2022 Gwendalyn’s Books

Hi There

Welcome to my stop on the Blog Tour for

Godmersham Park by Gill Hornby.

Title: Godmersham Park: A Novel of the Austen Family
 Author: Gill Hornby
 Genre: Historical Fiction, Biographical Historical Fiction, Austenesque
 Publisher: ‎Pegasus Books (November 1, 2022)
 Length: (416) pages
 Format: Hardcover, eBook, & audiobook
 ISBN: 978-1639362585
 Tour Dates: October 24 – November 13, 2022 — Genre: Historical Fiction, Biographical Historical Fiction, Austenesque
Publisher: ‎Pegasus Books (November 1, 2022)
Length: (416) pages
Format: Hardcover, eBook, & audiobook

Book description:

A richly imagined novel inspired by the true story of Anne Sharp, a
governess who became very close with Jane Austen and her family by the #1International bestselling-author of Miss Austen.

PURCHASE LINKS
AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY | BOOKSHOP | GOODREADS

On January 21, 1804, Anne Sharpe arrives at Godmersham Park in Kent to take up the position of governess. At thirty-one years old, she has no previous experience of either teaching or fine country houses. Her mother has died, and she has nowhere else to go.

Anne is left with no choice. For her new charge—twelve-year-old Fanny
Austen—Anne’s arrival is all novelty and excitement. The governess role is a uniquely awkward one. Anne is neither one of the servants, nor one of the family, and to balance a position between the “upstairs” an “downstairs” members of the household is a diplomatic chess game. One wrong move may result in instant dismissal. Anne knows that she must never let down her guard.

When Mr. Edward Austen’s family comes to stay, Anne forms an immediate attachment to Jane. They write plays together and enjoy long discussions. However, in the process, Anne reveals herself as not merely pretty, charming, and competent; she is clever too. Even her sleepy, complacent, mistress can hardly fail to notice.

Meanwhile Jane’s brother, Henry, begins to take an unusually strong interest in the lovely young governess. And from now on, Anne’s days at Godmersham Park are numbered.

Advanced Praise:

“This is a deeply imagined and deeply moving novel. Reading it made me happy and weepy in equally copious amounts…I read it straight through without looking up.”— Karen Joy Fowler, author of The Jane Austen Bookclub

Hornby’s skillful mix of fact and fiction captures the complexities of the Austens and their era, and her crisp, nimble prose sparkles throughout. Best of all, Hornby genuinely channels the sentiment of 19th-century English literature. Janeites aren’t the only readers who will relish this smart, tender
tale.”— Publishers Weekly, starred review

“…a well-written and delightfully observant novel…an excellent read.”— The
Historical Novel Society

REVIEW

Thank you @Pegasus_Books @AustenProse #AustenProsePR for my gorgeous print copy of #GodmershamPark upon my request. All opinions are my own.

Godmersham Park: A Novel of the Austen Family by Gill Hornby

Through Gill Hornby literary imagination we are granted a gracious storyline centered on Miss Anne Sharp. In January of 1804, in the county side of Kent, a lesser known character Miss Sharp spent two years at Godmersham park as a governess to young Fanny.

Fanny Austen, was the daughter of Edward Austen who is brother to Jane Austen. Gill Hornby writes vividly, creating a somewhat melancholy story from Fanny’s Austen’s diaries.

Numb from the loss of her mother, thirty-one year old Anne Sharpe is unable to comprehend what was her father’s motive for casting her out of her home with only enough money to survive. Anne’s predicament meant that she would either be forced to marry her family’s man of business or gain some sort employment.

Anne finds it hard to adjust to her life, her position is neither part of the servants or that of the family. Anne finds her young charge charming and delightful, they have an instant connection.

When Henry Austen and his sister Jane, arrive at Godmersham Park Anne feels the rippling effect. Hornby does a fabulous job displaying the Irony and clever wit, that is the equation for Austen styled literature.

Watercolor of Fanny Austen Knight,
by Cassandra Austen

Author

Gill Hornby is the author of the novels Miss Austen, The Hive, and All Together Now,
as well as The Story of Jane Austen, a biography of Austen for young readers. She lives
in Kintbury, England, with her husband and their four children.

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