My daughter had such a great time reading this story. She keeps referring to back to it. It was great that the main characters

There's a new girl in the world of middle grade detectives: Jane Austen!

This book was a fun and fast paced book, I'm looking forward to buying a copy to share with my kids and can't wait to read more of Jane Austen's adventures in the future!

"It had to be acknowledged that the life of a clergyman’s daughter in deepest rural Hampshire was disappointingly full of duties. There were few things for an adventurous girl to do."

This was such a well written story that brings a young teen version of Jane Austen to life on the page. The story was witty, entertaining and enjoyable as Jane goes on an adventure in this middle grades story. This grabbed my attention from the opening lines and had me turning page after page to see what would happen next. The author was well versed in the time period, customs of the day, Jane Austen's life. Her writing style was not only immensely enjoyable, but it is accessible to adults and middle grade children alike. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and feel so thankful that netgalley introduced me to this book!

All thoughts are my own. Thank you to netgalley for the advanced copy.

As a Jane Austen fan, I was thrilled to find Golding's book. While I have read plenty of retellings/reimaginings of Austen's books, I have never read a book where Austen herself is the young protagonist.

As the story opens,Jane is embarking on a week long visit that she is sure will be nothing but boredom. She couldn't be more wrong. Instead, Jane finds herself filling her trusty notebook as she investigates numerous odd situations.

It was such fun to envision what Jane Austen's personality might have been like as a tween. The author does a wonderful job of placing breadcrumbs that hint at Jane's future endeavors. These things, combined with the inclusion of a faithful canine companion really made this book work for me. I'm looking forward to checking out more from Julia Golding!

Thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

This was a wonderful book to be read by the children of those who love Jane Austen's work. It was a clean read with the action tame enough to excite a young reader but not give terror. As a lover of Austen enjoyed reading this book and was delighted with it from start to finish. It was how I would think that Jane Austen would be like as a pre-teen. I highly recommend this book to all of my friends with middle-grade girls.

This book was just OK. The all caps on some of Jane's thoughts got old really quick and it really emphasized the immaturity of the character. Which I suppose is fine but it got annoying very fast.

Overall, an enjoyable read from the perspective of someone from history.

A fun, historical mystery, this is a great introduction to Jane Austen for younger readers. I loved reading this, so much fun and a joy to read!

Thanks to NetGallery for the chance to read this in exchange for an honest review

Jane Austen Investigates: The Abbey Mystery is a delightful mystery story for middle-years readers, introducing the famous Regency author Jane Austen in the guise of a young detective. The story includes many references to Austen's rather humble, yet supportive, family background and pointers to her future literary works. I read the book out loud with my 11-year-old daughter, who loves mystery stories and is developing an appreciation for the world of Jane Austen.
After her older sister Cassandra is injured in a carriage accident, 13-year-old Jane Austen is sent in her stead to act as a ladies companion to the rather snooty Lady Cromwell at Southmoor Abbey. Sir Charles and Lady Cromwell are preparing to host a grand coming-of-age party for their son and heir.
Foreshadowing her future heroines, the young Jane is far from the meek and cowering young woman her hosts had expected. Shortly after arriving, Jane has discovered a dangerous family secret, concerning the future inheritance of Southmoor Abbey, and has defied the rules of the house to explore at night the adjacent ruins of the ancient abbey for which the house is named. She makes friends of stableboy Luke, Fitzwilliam, the son of Sir Charles's steward and the multi-talented Deepti, daughter of Southmoor's Indian cook.
On the eve of young Cromwell's party, a fire in Southmoor's library wakes the household, and shortly thereafter Sir Charles's two most loved and valuable horses, Romeo and Arachne, are found to have been stolen. Jane, aided by her new friends and her loyal "lapdog" Grandison, sets out to identify the culprit or culprits.
The language and themes in the story are fitting for the late 18th-century setting, but also accessible to a young 21st century audience, which is quite an achievement! There are frequent oblique references to tropes and themes Austen would go on to employ in her famous early-19th century novels. The young Jane is depicted as being already an astute observer of the ridiculous in polite society. The few letters she writes home to the ailing Cassandra are delightfully clever and witty.
Jane Austen Investigates: The Abbey Mystery was a joy to read, and both my daughter and I enjoyed it immensely - we're hoping desperately that it's the first book in a new series! I'd recommend the book to young readers (9-14) interested in historical stories and/or mysteries, and to parents, educators and others who seek to introduce the world of Austen to a younger audience.
Our thanks to the author, Julia Golding, publisher Lion Hudson Ltd. and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this wonderful title.

The Jane Austen Investigates: The Abbey Mystery
by Julia Golding
Back of the Book: "Jane Austen turns detective in Julia Golding’s exciting new historical mystery series! Perfect for fans of Nancy Drew, Enola Holmes and Sally Lockhart.
1789. A young Jane Austen turns detective as she seeks to solve the mysterious happenings at Southmoor Abbey. When a carriage accident forces a change of plans, 13-year-old Jane is sent to be a companion to Lady Cromwell for a week as the household prepares to celebrate the eldest son’s coming-of-age party. While there, Jane vows to solve the mystery of the ghostly monk in the Abbey grounds – for she does not believe in such stories!
But this is not the only strange occurrence for adventurous young Jane to investigate. There are spooky night-time investigations, an Indian girl with secret talents, a library fire, two prize horses in danger, and friends to save from false accusations.
With notebook in hand and faithful dog Grandison by her side, will Jane overcome the obstacles to finding the truth?
Perfect for readers aged 9+, and for fans of Katherine Woodfine and Lucy Worsley."
Impressions: What an absolutely delightful book. Although this is meant for young readers, I have to admit that I was fully taken by Jane’s charm and spunk! This was a mystery worth reading for young and old. I also want to add that the cover was perfect for this book.
Rated: Just a good old fashion mystery!
Liked: There was so much to like about this book. The characters were well written and the mystery was exciting to follow.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review shared here.

This is not the sort of book I would normally go for. I cracked it open and prepared myself to do battle with some elaborate prose and flowery language and was delighted to find that I could not have been more wrong! What followed was a witty, unpredictable and fast-paced mystery, which would be enjoyed by many young readers and may even pique their interest in reading some regency-style writing.

Jane Austen is the protagonist in the story. When tasked with acting as a companion to Lady Cromwell, Jane stumbles upon some sinister happenings at Southmoor Abbey. Can she solve the mystery and save her new friends?

I thoroughly enjoyed this piece of historical fiction, and particularly loved the links to the real Jane Austen - the place names, family members and feminist stance of the young Jane, for instance. It is a fantastic window into the cultural norms at the time and would lend itself well to classroom discussions on the class-structure, position of woman and racism of the Georgian-era. Like novels written by the actual Jane Austen, it has the same social commentary and sense of humour, which readers will both learn from and enjoy.

I will definitely be adding this to our Year 6 bookshelf and will be signposting it to fans of mysteries, or historical fiction. It will be a new style of novel for many and would enrich any child's reading repertoire.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ -- What an adorable middle grade read this was!

<b>PROS</b>
-- Well written
-- Geared towards middle graders, but works well for all ages.
-- Fast paced (relatively quick read).
-- Engaging and charming plot that kept me hooked throughout.
-- Loved the setting and the Jane Austen tie in.
-- Intriguing and likable characters.
-- Satisfying ending (I assume there will be more books in this series).

<b>CONS</b>
-- None that I can think of! 😉

**ARC Via NetGalley**

A solid middle grade historical mystery. Jane is delightfully plucky and this is a fantastic way to introduce young readers to Jane Austen! I have to be honest that I struggle with reading Austen's works even now as an adult, so it was fun to see her reimagined in this way. Our library will definitely be purchasing a copy.

1789: After her older sister is injured, thirteen-year-old Jane Austen is sent in her place to be a companion to Lady Cromwell while she prepares for her son’s birthday party. Jane is excited to go so she can solve the mystery of the ghost that haunts the Abbey. However, Jane soon has to investigate some incidents. Two horses go missing and a fire burns part of the library on the same night. Jane must sneak around the Abbey to figure out who is to blame for these two crimes.

As soon as I saw this novel about a young Jane Austen who investigates mysteries, I knew I had to read it. This is a middle grade mystery novel, similar to Nancy Drew but set in the 18th century. Jane was a hilarious character, who was outspoken and sneaky, but I don’t think she was like the real Jane Austen at that age. Jane made some funny comments, such as writing an obituary for her dress that was ruined which promoted her third-best dress to second-best dress. She was a witty and entertaining character.

Another thing I liked about this story was the way that it hinted to Jane’s future novels. There were characters named Fitzwilliam and Tilney, like the characters in Pride and Prejudice and Northanger Abbey. The story was also set in a haunted Abbey, like Northanger Abbey. There was even some diversity in the story, which wouldn’t have been in a story written during that time period. Jane became friends with an Indian girl, Deepti, who lived at the Abbey with her father, the cook. These additions to this historical fiction story made it more relatable to a modern audience.

I loved this story. I hope there will be more Jane Austen Investigates novels!

Thank you Lion Fiction for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love Jane Austen's books, and feel like Julia Golding really captured her as a character. Jane Austen Investigates reminds me of a clever Enola Holmes.

When Jane is sent to Southmoor Abbey for a week to be a companion to Lady Cromwell, she expects to be bored to tears. Sure, she'll look for the ghost her brother claims haunts the abbey, but she thinks that's all nonsense anyway. The week turns out to be fraught with mystery and adventure. There's a house fire, stolen horses, a ghost, a fair, a ball, and enough family secrets to keep Jane reaching for her notebook.

Jane was personable, witty, and curious. I loved her letters to her sister, and the humor she brought to the story. Fans of Jane Austen, Enola Holmes, or a good mystery will be grabbing for this book with both hands!

Audience: middle grade fiction, all content was appropriate for this age group.

I have been a massive Jane Austen fan for many years so I am always willing to read any book that has even the slightest thing to do with Austen or one of her novels. This book intrigued me so much, a mystery where Jane Austen is the investigator? Sign me up!

I do think that this book could have been slightly better. The writing was very well done but I think it took a while to get into the actual plot and a lot of the exposition sometimes felt a bit unneeded. I will 100% read more books if Golding puts them out though.

I would like to thank netgalley and Lion Hudson Ltd for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Lovely adventurous middle grade book. I would have liked it if Jane hadn't instantly blamed the only people of colour in the book, when something was stolen.

A young Jane Austen plays amateur sleuth in this delightful new middle grade release that is serves as both a perfect introduction to Austen for young readers as well as a charming story for older fans of Austen and mysteries to enjoy as well. The story centers around a spunky and tenacious young Jane Austen's quest to both find both herself and her place within society and her family as well some answers to some strange events occurring at Southmoor Abbey. An unfortunate accident leaves Jane's older sister unable to fulfill her duty to serve as companion to Lady Cromwell as she prepares for her young son's coming of age festivities. Jane arrives to serve in her place and is instantly intrigued by the Abbey and all of its inhabitants. The Abbey itself is said to be haunted, with Jane's older brother encouraging Jane to seek out the ghost said to reside here. As Jane settles into her duties, she stumbles across more strange occurrences, many of them centered around the Lord and Lady of the Abbey. With each new secret she unveils, Jane comes closer to solving the mysteries that surround the Abbey and those who reside there, however the closer she comes to answers, the closer she comes to danger as well.
Jane Austen Investigates is a captivating, cleverly constructed story that pays homage to Austen herself. Readers familiar with her work will find many events and characters similar to those that take place within her work hidden inside this new tale. Jane herself is reminiscent of a young Elizabeth Bennett. Each character was expertly constructed starting with our young protagonist who contained a perfect mixture of wit, charms, and fierce determination. The historical setting created the perfect backdrop for young readers and the conversations and events within held true to the time period. Part ghost story, and part coming of age story with an engrossing mystery at the center, Jane Austen Investigates is a perfect read for mystery lovers both young and old.

Jane Austen Investigates: The Abbey Mystery is a modern thriller written like a classic. Julia Golding has got some great style to her writing.

This book has personality and spunk. It is written like it is to be a classic, but also weaves in thriller vibes. Throw in the fun, quirky pages (A Page in Mourning was excellent), a dash of fantasy, and a plot to keep you hanging on, and you've got yourself one cool book! It's definitely way better than I could have expected it to be! A potentially evil spirit who is out to get revenge mixed with the classic nature of Jane Austen, but written in engaging manner.

This book feels like it would be excellent for Young Adult readers and middle grade readers who are seeking a little bit more. It's an excellent read that keeps you glued to the edge of your seats. Just think of the classics but adding a bit of spice - ghosts? Fantasy? Intrigue? It's a great way to get new readers interested in old classics, but in a more engaging and fun way than lectures at school.

Overall, this is a great read!

Four out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lion Hudson Ltd. for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

Jane Austen was known to be clever woman with a sense of curiosity and humor. It’s that whit that appeals to readers the world over. But her writing isn’t always accessible to younger readers. That’s where Julia Golding’s new series, Jane Austen Investigates, comes in.

In The Abbey Mystery, readers are exposed to societal norms of the time through a sort of Nancy Drew lens. Golding’s prose meets somewhere in the middle — with sophisticated phrasing that feels reachable to more modern sensibilities. Her tone is clear and concise, providing equal attention to both Jane’s surroundings and the action at hand.

Golding widens her audience by paying homage to the real Austen with nods to Northanger Abbey throughout. This, plus Golding’s depiction of the Austen family’s interactions as a whole, broadens this book/series’ appeal to fans of all ages.

The Abbey Mystery is a fast-paced read laced with humor throughout. I look forward to more books in this delightful series.

I love JAFF and I really enjoyed this book. The author did a good job of keeping their speech (phrases, words, etc) the same as that of the Jane Austen's style and era. She also did a good job of giving us a little glimpse of what the legal proceedings were like without it being a distraction, she gave us just what we needed.

This is a great book for the young and older YA reader. While Jane in the story was young she was not portrayed as childish nor was she portrayed as someone too mature for her age. The book was all about the characters and their motives, you felt connected and invested. I am looking forward to reading more from this author, she is one I will not hesitate to recommend.

Thank you, NetGalley for the chance to read this book!