Rating: 
Summary: Not perfect, but a real page-turner
Review: Having read way too many Jane Austen biographies in which so-called scholars took what I consider inexplicable leaps of logic with the events of her life, I really don't have a problem with Stephanie Barron making Jane into a sleuth (at least we KNOW this is fiction). If one is willing to accept the central conceit of the series, that the gaps in Jane Austen's letters as well as her celebrated eye for observation lay open a path for imagination to fill, then you will have a good time with these books. Ms. Barron needs to ramp up her research on Jane's life and times (Jane would not have referred to her papa as "Reverend Austen," but "THE Reverend MR. Austen"--sorry, nitpicky pet peeve of mine) and I really don't think Mrs. Austen was quite so silly as she was portrayed here, but lemme tell ya, I couldn't put this book down, nor the first one in the series. I didn't find the resolutions obvious at all--the discovery of both of the culprits were a surprise to me. Of course, I don't read a lot of mysteries so maybe I'm just a cheap date. But I love the idea of Jane having these little semi-romances with dark, mysterious rogues, as well as a few adventures. I really think she would have gotten a kick out of these books. People sometimes forget that Jane had a great sense of humor and that she could be whimsical. I'll be checking out the rest of the series, and from what I hear, they only get better.
Rating:
Summary: Another Fun Read from Stephanie Barron
Review: Having really enjoyed the first and third books in this series, I did groan when this installment began with scenes that seemed shamelessly stolen from Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, but Barron's plotting and intriguing characters quickly won me over. These novels are meant for light reading; readers who really know Austen's works and the time period well will catch Ms. Barron in some errors, but these do not spoil the fun of the adventures or the attempts to figure out "who done it" before our heroine does. I actually laughed aloud with delight when I reached this novel's climax! Overall, I think this installment is the best of the three I have read so far. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series, and I think most fans of Austen and mystery novels will certainly enjoy them.
Rating: 
Summary: Great light reading
Review: I am a real fan of Ms.Barron's work. She handles the difficult Regency world with skill and scholarship. No mere writer of costume novels in which 21st Century people wander about in period clothing and settings doing 21st Century things, she truly has an ear for the dialect and an eye for the rich detail of the early 19th Century.The mysteries themselves, while slight, are great fun and are satisfyingly dealt with. Miss Austen and her social set are well drawn and lively. One could do much worse than ordering up a set of these engaging stories.
Rating:
Summary: Buy with confidence!
Review: I am a real fan of Ms.Barron's work. She handles the difficult Regency world with skill and scholarship. No mere writer of costume novels in which 21st Century people wander about in period clothing and settings doing 21st Century things, she truly has an ear for the dialect and an eye for the rich detail of the early 19th Century. The mysteries themselves, while slight, are great fun and are satisfyingly dealt with. Miss Austen and her social set are well drawn and lively. One could do much worse than ordering up a set of these engaging stories.
Rating:
Summary: Great light reading
Review: I chose to comment on this book because it is my particular favorite in the series, though I much enjoyed all the others. I have read and re-read all of the "real" Jane Austen novels with much delight (except Mansfield Park, which was peculiarly hard going). IMHO the reviewers who compare Ms. Barron's "Jane" with the "real" Jane Austen, are missing the point. The "Jane as detective" works by Ms. Barron are truly "entertainments," the delightful results of a fanciful and imaginative reconstruction of history as it might have been, with humor and astute social observation to the fore. Whether or not Ms. Barron's novels depict the "real" Jane, I will leave to readers to judge, but for my own part, Ms. Barron's "Jane" is every bit as lovable as Emma (my favorite heroine), and reading the Barron series left me wanting to reread all of my favorite Austen novels, with the added resolve of trying to slog my way through Mansfield Park.
Rating:
Summary: Refreshing and fun!
Review: I discovered this series quite by accident when browsing through the bookstore, and I'm so glad I did! What a novel (no pun intended!) idea, to take Jane Austen and place her in the role of sleuth, complete with wonderful Regency England settings and history. Footnotes at the bottom of almost every other page educate the reader on items that might be unfamiliar, such as the name of a popular dance or the reason behind a particular social custom, and these little tidbits are almost as enjoyable as the story itself. I was a little wary at first before I read the first installment (Scargrave Manor), but was soon swept away. I didn't find this second book boring in any way, though I noticed some others did. I enjoyed the setting - a seaside town where the Austens are vacationing, the characters - including Jane's sister Cassandra and scandalous sister-in-law Eliza, and Barron's writing is wonderful. She does a fantastic job of echoing Austen's style, as well as the times, while modernizing it enough for the contemporary reader to thoroughly enjoy. Now, I'm just waiting for the series to come out in Audiobook format! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Rating:
Summary: Better than the first in the series
Review: I very much enjoyed reading this novel and thought that it was better than the first in the series. Some of Jane's actions are perhaps not realistic for an unmarried woman in the early 19th century, but remember this is fiction and as such meant to entertain, which this book definitely does! Lord Trowbridge's presence is delightful as always, and he and Jane make a good detective pair.
Rating:
Summary: Better than the first in the series
Review: I very much enjoyed reading this novel and thought that it was better than the first in the series. Some of Jane's actions are perhaps not realistic for an unmarried woman in the early 19th century, but remember this is fiction and as such meant to entertain, which this book definitely does! Lord Trowbridge's presence is delightful as always, and he and Jane make a good detective pair.
Rating: 
Summary: You could NEVER mistake this for real Jane Austen!
Review: I will admit that the mystery plot of this novel was ratherengaging, in the same line as a Dorothy Sayers perhaps. However, thecutseyness and derivative writing style so annoyed me that I had trouble finishing the book. For those who are real afficianados of Jane Austen and her work, this work is only the palest of camparisons. I could not detect any of the sparkling wit and very little of the sharp social commentary for which the real Austen is well-known. The mystery itself, while clever enough, is sometimes so farfetched that suspension of disbelief is impossible. In general, I found this book to be quite a disappointment. I think I'll stick to Jane, herself, from now on.
Rating: 
Summary: fun novel in the author's series of Jane Austen as sleuth
Review: I've read the first three books in this series and believe this, the second, is the weakest of the three, though Barron is a fine writer and the setting is interesting. 1804 Lyme, where Jane and her family have come to spend their holiday by the sea, is a hotbed of activity for smugglers as Britain battles intermittently with Napoleonic France, and two murders incite Jane to action. While Austen's wit is not here, Barron does capture the style and elegance of Regency England and we do get to see more of Jane's charming sister-in-law Eliza. What I think weakened this particular story is Jane's level of activity. She is sneaking out at night, following criminals to hidden caves, hitting scoundrels on the head -- it really is a bit preposterous -- more like a Nancy Drew novel. Still, Barron deftly incorporates biographical information as well as historical fact into her narrative, making the read even more enjoyable. If you enjoy Jane Austen or Regency England, there is a good chance you will appreciate these books, though this is not the best of the series.
|
