As a result of my various committee appointments and commitments I am unable to disclose my personal thoughts on this title at this time. Please see my star rating for a general overview of how I felt about this title. Additionally, you may check my GoodReads for additional information on what thoughts I’m able to share publicly. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this and any other titles you are in charge of.

The Jane Austen Investigates was a pure delightful read!

Julia Golding does a fantastic job of capturing the personality of young, sparky, Jane Austen in her debut novel!
In her story, Jane is 13, witty, and a troublemaker. She is adored by her family (mom, dad, sister, and two brothers plus dog) and brings life to their simple parish existence. When a fateful carriage accident forces Jane to take her sister's place as a companion to Lady Cromwell, Jane is thrust into a mystery no one things she can solve. Yet in typical Austen fashion, she wows all who is involved and becomes a Victorian Agatha Christie! The Cromwells have a secret and a ghost....can Jane use her wits, along with her friends Luke and Deepi, to solve the mystery of the Cromwells before her friend Fitzwilliam is sent to be hanged on false charges? Read it and find out! (trust me, it is worth your while!)

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this fun book and I hope for many more to come!

I LOVED this book! What an ingenious take on the early life of the famous author Jane Austen. Golding portrays 13-year-old Jane as plain and practical while simultaneously vibrant and sparky. I especially enjoyed the events and scenes in this book that seem to seem to inspire her adult writing - Austen fans will be sure to smile.

The story was supported by a wonderfully conveyed cast of characters....and did I spy some familiar names...?! It was also funny, Jane's actions and comebacks were classic and honoured the witty tone of her own books and letters and made for an enjoyable and convincing portrayal. As a huge fan of both Jane Austen and 9-12 fiction, I felt that this was a fantastic combination and complemented both beautifully.

Fast paced and engaging, I was hooked from page one. A great introduction to Austen for younger readers and a brilliant period detective story.

Really looking forward to more!

I enjoyed The Abbey Ghost Mystery, it was a rather good adventure story.
Jane was clever, witty and fun and I could see the students in my school wanting to spend time with her. I could see this appealing to fans of Robin Stevens

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher Lion Fiction for access to this arc in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.

The Jane Austen investigates is a charming middle grade mystery perfect for the middle-grader who’s fond of a ghostly tale or the Jane Austen enthusiast of any age.

Follow a plucky young Jane and her faithful sidekick, Grandison the dog, as they discover the secrets of the ghost monk.

A fantastic beginning to a series. I can’t wait to read more

3.5 stars

Such a charming delight! Jane Austen Investigates was a perfect blend of mystery, wit and light-hearted humour!
The story follows the infamous Jane Austen in her youth as she is sent to Cromwells in place of her injured prettier, smarter older sister, Cassandra.
There Jane is faced with an enigmatic mystery that she solves with the help of her friends, Deepti, Luke and Grandison the dog!
The plot was fast paced complimented with witty writing and some of Jane's amusing letters. It really was everything a mystery should be!
Jane Austen Investigates was a delightful read and highly recommended!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the E-arc.

The Abbey Mystery was just a delight to read. It felt like a mash-up of Northanger Abbey and a Lady Hardcastle mystery in middle grade form. An adolescent Jane Austen turns witty heroine as she investigates a library fire and the disappearance of two prize horses. As you would expect, even in juvenile form, Jane poses a threat to convention with her confidence, smarts and canine companion. I hope this becomes a series.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a breath of fresh air to read a new book that really felt like it was an old book.
As a lover of Recency fiction and of Austen in particular I was immediately hooked on the idea of following a young Jane on her adventures.
Julia Golding captures the plucky spirit of young Jane perfectly with her witty observations, casual asides and dry humour.
Jane is sent to be a stand in companion for Lady Cromwell at Southmoor Abbey where she soon becomes entangled in more mysteries than either she or her siblings at home could ever dream of. As her hosts prepare a magnificent party for the coming of age of their son, Jane begins to unravel the tale of the Ghostly Monk - for she believes in no such nonsense.
A tale of friendships made and trust and status tested The Abbey Mystery kept me reading on and on. There are plenty of twists and reveals to keep mystery enthusiasts entertained and historical facts and details galore for lovers of history.
This book would work brilliantly in UKS2 in a study of Edwardians/Victorians or looking at the perceptions of girls in history. I hope there will be more Jane Austen Investigates books - I can't wait to read more.

I received an advanced reader's copy from Net Galley but all thoughts are my own.

Golding's The Jane Austen Investigates is a charming tale that breathes personality to a child Jane Austen. The novel was engaging and the mystery made this a fun read. It reminded me of the Enola Holmes series so I have high hopes for this author.

I've taught both middle and high school and this is perfect for middle school readers. The book is short enough that students won't be intimitated and the mystery is engaging so students won't be bored. It also serves as a great introduction to Austen and might get some students interested in her works. I can easily see myself doing a unit using this book to teach plot since it has such a structured plot structure that students can confidently cite evidence.

Overall the book was a nice quick read that can easily be incorporated into a middle school classroom.

Jane Austen's reimagined life for pre teens

Is a Historical mystery for middle graders. I am a fan of Jane Austen’s work and could not Resist the cover, I was immediately intrigued, no matter my age. I am happy to get to know what is being done for kids, as soon I will be buying some books for my growing children. And this is a trully wonderful novel I would’ve loved when I was 11 years old.

The story follows a fictional Jane Austen that finds herself the companion of a lady in what might be a haunted Abby. The family is not very nice but they have some very interesting servents that make for compelling your friends.

The author used a lot of historical facts about the Austen family, their personalities, and their way of life. And for the older audience there is actually a lot of references to some of Austen’s work, her known letters to her sister, and her love for writing. In fact young people can learn a lot about the time period. The book is full of very educational bits and pieces about what people did and how their social class dictated what they were able or not able to do. The beginning of the book was a bit less natural in tone because of all the information. It wasn’t done in a heavy way, but it broke the flow a little with less natural storytelling. This actually feels like a first novel, as the tone of the book really improves around the middle mark. It feels like the author really got comfortable with her style and didn’t have to highlight those points which are real or which we know about the Austen family.

I like that there was talk about scientific progress, and a girl who could ride horses and handle weapons, all thanks to her being an exotic import from India, And therefore free from many of the girl’s constraints of the time. This makes for obviously richer stories. But it is obviously Jane’s wit and intelligence which is the star of the book.

The next volumes promise to be very entertaining too and I hope there will be a big series to follow because I am sure many girls will love it, especially fans of the Enola Holmes mystery series.

A big thanks to the publishers for providing me with Julia Golding’s new childrens mystery through Netgalley – it was such a fun read!

Ahhh just look at that cover! Now whilst I’m not the biggest classics fan, when I saw the words Jane Austen and historical detective, I was all in. Plus, the cover is BEAUTIFUL. ‘The Abbey Mystery’ follows a young Jane Austen sent away to a rich landowners’ estate and has to solve, not a murder as I’d first thought, but a robbery. Whilst you may ask, ‘do I need to know Jane Austen books to read this one?’ My answer is not in the least. To be honest, I thought it was a bit of unrelated detail that she was Jane Austen – the only reference to her growing up to be the great woman herself was that this Jane enjoyed writing. And had the same name. It felt more of a way to grab your attention without having to create an entirely new heroine, but I really enjoyed Jane’s character all the same.

“Words were Jane’s greatest treasure and she spent hers carefully.”

– THE ABBEY MYSTERY

I always love the omniscient narrator trope. The one where the narrator will correct the other characters – like if someone says ‘There will be no drama at the ball’ and the narrator cuts in with, ‘They couldn’t be more wrong’. It was used a few times in this book to create humor or tension – both of which were expertly done. I haven’t read Julia Golding’s other books, but after reading this, I think I’d like to.

Whilst The Abbey Mystery is aimed at children, the vocabulary isn’t childish and it’s well written. I loved this world of petticoats and prized horses – if you enjoyed the setting of Bridgerton, this is the book for you! (I was almost going to say ‘if you enjoyed Bridgerton, this is the book for you’ but would like to clarify that this is definitely not the same market 😂).

Also, I thought that the clues for the actual mystery were concise but consistent enough to keep you guessing. And whilst the actual explanation felt a bit rushed (I had to think about it for a while), it was a short book so I understand why Golding kept it brief.

Finally, Jane is a brilliant character and pretty funny – I actually laughed out loud a few times! There was some really empowering quotes; it was feminist in the way that a lot of historical children’s mysteries are. I’d recommend The Abbey Mystery for fans of the Murder Most Unladylike series by Robin Stevens or the Lady Grace series by Grave Cavendish (which I’d forgotten I used to be obsessed with) – or anyone looking for a fun light read.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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I love a cozy mystery genre, and am a huge Jane Austen fan, so when I saw this available, I knew it was something up my street, and I was not disappointed.

I loved this book so much, and it’s so fun trying to imagine a real life person, especially a famous author, taking up sleuthing as well as becoming the person we know her to be.

The story was fun, and very well written, deffo 5 stars from me.

My daughter choose this book for herself to read. She liked the description of the book due to her being interested in mystery book and the cover really appealed to her.
Jane Austen Investigates, The Abbey Mystery, is a lovely book for young girls to read .
Jane sister gets hurt in accident and her dog joins her on the journey Southmoor Abbey.
Jane is a really lovely character that you warm to straight the way.
The themes of the book sibling relationships-and friendship.

Jane Austen Investigates, The Abbey Mystery, is a wonderful middle grade book. A great introduction for many to the classic Jane Austen style and reminiscent of Nancy Drew mysteries.

Due to Jane Austen’s sister, Cassandra, being hurt in an unfortunate accident, Jane is sent by their mother to Southmoor Abbey as a replacement companion for Lady Cromwell. Jane has grown up feeling inferior to her siblings and has struggled to find her place in the family, experiencing a distinct lack of affection towards her from their mother. Accompanied by her dog, Grandison, Jane is immediately intrigued by her surroundings and those she meets at Southmoor Abbey.

Jane makes new friends, and with them, seeks to solve a mystery and uncover the truth. She is a feisty character, quick-witted and provides humour to the story. Her friends are also likeable characters, and all add to making Jane Austen Investigates, The Abbey Mystery, a really enjoyable read.

The book encompasses themes of sibling relationships, friendship and challenges prejudices indicative of the time.

I highly recommend Jane Austen Investigates, The Abbey Mystery, and hope that this is the first of a series.

Thank you to Lion Hudson Ltd and NetGalley for the Advanced Copy of Jane Austen Investigates, The Abbey Mystery, by Julia Golding.

A fun children's story. I enjoyed how the author used real people as their characters, adding fictional elements to their story.

This book is a sweet, fun and super charming middle years read. Thank you #NetGalley and author Julia Golding for the fun opportunity to read Jane Austen Investigates: The Abbey Mystery! I will always be a Nancy Drew fan so when I saw Jane Austen investigates I leaped at the chance to check out a fun children’s mystery this book.

Jane is the youngest in a big family and has earned the reputation as bit of a troublemaker with her sharp-witted tongue and tendency to get into trouble! Jane is a quirky lovable heroin and the witty banter between Jane and her sister Cassandra hooked me instantly. I found myself chucking at her funny commentary and banter and it’s easy to imagine she grew up to be a famous writer (ps I love Jane Austen!).

Jane’s letters to her sister were the highlight of the book for me and I’m super impressed Jane was able to write a letter to her family almost entirely only using words that start with the letter S. The plot was succinct and well-written and had many mini mysteries within the overarching mystery making it a fun and enjoyable story! Would definitely recommend it for fans middle grade mysteries looking for a fun read starring a silly and loveable heroin. ☺️💖

What a charming book to read. We follow young Jane Austen's adventures as a detective solving mysteries at Southmoor Abbey, while she serves Lady Cromwell. We can't forget her "lap" dog, Grandison, who is her companion and sidekick, who may or may not know how to follow orders. I also love the letters Jane sends to her dear sister Cassandra - they're so witty and mysterious.

In general, I enjoyed the writing, the setting, and can clearly see that the author used Austen's literature to create the characters and story. I am sure that adults, or anyone for that matter, will definitely enjoy reading this middle-grade novel. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this. Looking forward to getting a physical copy for myself.

I think Jane austen lovers would love it. It is a new version of the original that you will love!
Personally, I did not like the original and this one

I thought the cover and the blurb were enticing and intriguing. I find the idea behind this historical fiction original and entertaining. A famous romance novelist turned detective is quite the challenge and I appreciate the creative attempt. Overall, I enjoyed the author’s writing. It’s a neat and pleasant style, but plot-wise, I wasn’t overly enthused unfortunately. I’m still waiting for the wow effect in the way the mystery unfolded. I was expecting more twists and turns and in that area, it was a bit lacking. It might be due to an age factor. Since I’m an adult reader, and this book is targeted at readers aged 9+, then it might be more suited for a younger audience looking for their new Nancy Drew.

A quite amusing story although it was a bit boring at the beginning, but if you reach the half of the book things will get interesting. I thoroughly enjoyed the letters that Jane has written they were witty and smart & I liked Jane's personality that wasn't overly feminist but yet was fascinated by the thought of women fighters & adventurists.