Rating: 
Summary: So What If She's Not Really Jane Austen?
Review: I'm surprised by the number of readers of this series (not so much for this book as the earlier ones) who fault Barron for not being Austen. None of us are Copernicus either, but we may still revolve around the sun. To those critics I am inspired to paraphrase the little Comtesse to Cassandra: "La, you are such a stick!" Barron's series is imaginative in its premise, and engaging in its execution. I love every book and look forward to the next, regretting only that a full-fledged romance between Jane and Lord Harold is quite literally impossible.
Rating: 
Summary: A little less than genius, but still fun
Review: In this, the fourth of the Jane Austen Mystery series by Stephanie Barron, we are once again drawn into a tale more sordid than the ones we are used to from Jane Austen. Jane attends Canterbury Race Day with some of the Austen clan, witnessing the excitement over straining horses, and being shocked by Mrs. Grey, a rich Frenchwoman with a good taste in racehorses, a genius at shocking the populace, and the bad fate to end up brutally strangled by Race Day's end. Once again, our fictional Jane is close to the investigative action -- this time, it's her brother Neddie, local magistrate, who is in charge of discovering the murderer. There is an obvious suspect, the man who owned the carriage in which Mrs. Grey's body was found (scandalously undressed!), but Mrs. Grey had made enemies of much of the people of the Kentish neighborhood.As is usual, Stephanie Barron weaves in cultural information of the day -- one starts with some knowledge of the low pursuits of cock-fighting, high-stakes card parties, and speculation on horseracing, but by novel's end one has learned of the new perspectives in landscaping "improvement", a bit on current women's fashions, British troop movements in holding off Napolean's armies, and the financial ramifications of the Napoleanic wars in general. Not all of the historical information is pleasant to learn; Barron reminds us a little bit too often of the August heat making it a necessity for quick inquests and burials. I'm sure the coroners of England were happy when the inquest jury no longer had to examine the corpse for themselves. As an avid reader of Agatha Christie, I figured out a few of the mystery's puzzles early on, but though I could tell =how= the murder was done, I couldn't tell =who= did it. There are some odd, distracting bits of plot, I believe; however, I do appreciate the little bit of =Emma= that was stolen for the use of this book. It makes for interesting pitfalls; a devoted Janeite will be able to recognize phrases, dialogue, and plot taken from Austen's works, but Barron uses them for her own end and the unwary reader can be caught in surprise twists to the Austen originals. I found the ending of the novel somewhat unsatisfying, but the novel as a whole is entertaining.
Rating:
Summary: A little less than genius, but still fun
Review: In this, the fourth of the Jane Austen Mystery series by Stephanie Barron, we are once again drawn into a tale more sordid than the ones we are used to from Jane Austen. Jane attends Canterbury Race Day with some of the Austen clan, witnessing the excitement over straining horses, and being shocked by Mrs. Grey, a rich Frenchwoman with a good taste in racehorses, a genius at shocking the populace, and the bad fate to end up brutally strangled by Race Day's end. Once again, our fictional Jane is close to the investigative action -- this time, it's her brother Neddie, local magistrate, who is in charge of discovering the murderer. There is an obvious suspect, the man who owned the carriage in which Mrs. Grey's body was found (scandalously undressed!), but Mrs. Grey had made enemies of much of the people of the Kentish neighborhood. As is usual, Stephanie Barron weaves in cultural information of the day -- one starts with some knowledge of the low pursuits of cock-fighting, high-stakes card parties, and speculation on horseracing, but by novel's end one has learned of the new perspectives in landscaping "improvement", a bit on current women's fashions, British troop movements in holding off Napolean's armies, and the financial ramifications of the Napoleanic wars in general. Not all of the historical information is pleasant to learn; Barron reminds us a little bit too often of the August heat making it a necessity for quick inquests and burials. I'm sure the coroners of England were happy when the inquest jury no longer had to examine the corpse for themselves. As an avid reader of Agatha Christie, I figured out a few of the mystery's puzzles early on, but though I could tell =how= the murder was done, I couldn't tell =who= did it. There are some odd, distracting bits of plot, I believe; however, I do appreciate the little bit of =Emma= that was stolen for the use of this book. It makes for interesting pitfalls; a devoted Janeite will be able to recognize phrases, dialogue, and plot taken from Austen's works, but Barron uses them for her own end and the unwary reader can be caught in surprise twists to the Austen originals. I found the ending of the novel somewhat unsatisfying, but the novel as a whole is entertaining.
Rating: 
Summary: More like Barbara Cartland than Jane Austen.
Review: Jane (Austen) and the Genius of the Place, by Stephanie Barron, is the sort of mystery Dick Van Dyke solves in 47 minutes. But he doesn't have the distractions of balls, dressing for dinner or paying calls on titled neighbors. Jane is a keen observer, but sees very little. The book is a first-person narrative, so we know everything Jane does, yet we can figure things out chapters before she does. How can a fashionable, veiled woman, seen driving her own carriage from the Canterbury Races, be found dead, in her shift, back at the races in another carriage? Simple deduction gives the answer in a trice. And what of the young dandy she lashed with her riding crop earlier in the day-why isn't anyone looking for him? The author of this "discovered manuscript" bears a closer resemblance to Barbara Cartland than the creator of Emma. Although this Jane is based on her letters, which were not polished with the same care as her exquisite novels, it just isn't the same voice. The period detail is more or less accurate but flaccid, rather like that found in a romance novel. And a reference to papal infallibility is prescient-that doctrine was not promulgated until much later in the century. Neither devotees of Jane Austen nor mystery lovers will get any satisfaction from Jane and the Genius of the Place or, I'll venture, any of Stephanie Barron's Jane mysteries.
Rating:
Summary: Not like Jane Austen
Review: Many people seem to enjoy this series very much, but I find this book and the others as mysteries feeble, and as historical fiction unconvincing. The plots are improbable, and characters cardboard. Most annoyingly, Miss Barron has distorted the characters of jane Austen' family until they are unrecognisable, most unkindly of all, she portrays Jane's mother as a raving imbecile. miss Barron is lucky not to be haunted by Mrs. Austen's indignant ghost. If Jane Austen had written mysteries, they would have been a lot better than these. In fact, most mysteries are better than these.
Rating:
Summary: Not like Jane Austen
Review: Many people seem to enjoy this series very much, but I find this book and the others as mysteries feeble, and as historical fiction unconvincing. The plots are improbable, and characters cardboard. Most annoyingly, Miss Barron has distorted the characters of jane Austen' family until they are unrecognisable, most unkindly of all, she portrays Jane's mother as a raving imbecile. miss Barron is lucky not to be haunted by Mrs. Austen's indignant ghost. If Jane Austen had written mysteries, they would have been a lot better than these. In fact, most mysteries are better than these.
Rating: 
Summary: Thanks to readers who enjoyed the series
Review: My thanks to all those readers who enjoyed my particular Jane--and took the time to say so.
Rating:
Summary: Jane Austen and foreign intrigue in 1805 Kent.
Review: Stephanie Barron's Jane and the Genius of the Place, is the fourth Jane Austen mystery. The place Ms Barron writes of is Kent and the time is midsummer of 1805. As it happens Jane Austen is in Kent; enjoying summer at Godmersham with her brothers Henry and Edward, along with Edward's large family. Just across the channel, however, Bonaparte is preparing an army to invade England, with Kent the focus of his landing force Already ill at ease because of the endless troop movements through the neighborhood and the countless rumors of invasion, Jane finds her summer in Kent disrupted in a much more serious way. During a family visit to the Canterbury races, where one of Henry's horses is running, a woman is found dead. The deceased turns out to be a Mrs Grey, a lady of some note, (and notoriety). And she has been murdered-strangled to death with a length of ribbon from her own gown. She is found in an enclosed chaise, not far from the Austen family's equipage. Elizabeth Austen is horrified and wants to leave the race grounds immediately. But Edward, justice of the peace for the local area takes charge of the situation and becomes determined to bring the killer to justice. But even with the assistance of Aunt Jane it proves no easy task. Things are not what they seem that summer of '05 on the Kentish coast. And Mrs Grey's murder turns out not to be the crime of passion everyone in town thinks. After some investigation this crime is soon found to be much more than a simple crime of passion. Indeed the safety of England may be at stake. It is clear to the Austens-- Edward, Henry and especially to Jane, that Mrs Grey's death is connected to the preparations for war from the continent. It also is clear that Bonaparte's invasion at Kent cannot succeed without (1) money and (2) information. Mrs Grey was French and connected with a powerful French banking family. She was intimate with many of the powerful men of the district including high-ranking military officers. So, she was in a position to supply both items to the French. Thus, what started out as an apparent crime of passion becomes instead a complex tale of international intrigue. Thus the game is afoot. As a fun read, Ms Barron's latest effort launches well, but bogs down a little later, picks up around the middle, then proceeds to a satisfactory end where many of the story's threads are tied together, but in a not quite satisfactory manner. The factual and the fictional are well interlaced throughout the novel. Ms Barron introduces us to Fanny Austen as well as to Elizabeth Austen, Edward's wife. Henry makes his appearance as a man addicted to horseflesh. And of course the enigmatic Sir Harold Trowbridge makes his appearance however indirectly, as an agent of the Pitt government. Readers will remember Sir Harold from Ms Barron's novel, Jane and the Man of the Cloth. As usual Ms Barron while providing the Austen community with a fine read, gives the us some very interesting insights into little known facts of Regency life concerning banking, horse racing, and something called "estate improvement," perfected at the time by men like Capability Brown. I recommend everyone give the novel a whirl.
Rating:
Summary: Well-written but over-transparent
Review: The style is fabulous, the footnotes lend that authentic air, but unfortunately the means and the culprit are all too transparent in Jane Austen's fourth outing as a detective. Familiar characters from the first three books put in appearances, and as a whole are well-drawn (although with nine kids in the house I'd like to at least know who they all are...). The murder here is more gruesome than some of the earlier ones, but let's face it, as soon as the body is discovered you know how the trick was played, and a certain other scene, related by a jealous would-be suitor, lays the whole thing open. I spent the last two hundred pages or so enjoying the writing but thinking "Get a clue!" I'd recommend any of the others over this one, but for those (like me) who tend to collect an entire series no matter what, it's not a waste of money by any means. At the very least, you get to exult in how smart you are, which is always fun, right? As an aside, the landscaping descriptions are great; even for those who haven't traveled to Canterbury (which is probably most people) it's a cinch to close your eyes and visualize the countryside.
Rating:
Summary: Well-written but over-transparent
Review: The style is fabulous, the footnotes lend that authentic air, but unfortunately the means and the culprit are all too transparent in Jane Austen's fourth outing as a detective. Familiar characters from the first three books put in appearances, and as a whole are well-drawn (although with nine kids in the house I'd like to at least know who they all are...). The murder here is more gruesome than some of the earlier ones, but let's face it, as soon as the body is discovered you know how the trick was played, and a certain other scene, related by a jealous would-be suitor, lays the whole thing open. I spent the last two hundred pages or so enjoying the writing but thinking "Get a clue!" I'd recommend any of the others over this one, but for those (like me) who tend to collect an entire series no matter what, it's not a waste of money by any means. At the very least, you get to exult in how smart you are, which is always fun, right? As an aside, the landscaping descriptions are great; even for those who haven't traveled to Canterbury (which is probably most people) it's a cinch to close your eyes and visualize the countryside.
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