The Hapless Milliner, the first book of the Miss Austen Investigates series, starts off strong with a murder of a mysterious merchant whom only our main character Jane recognizes.

The first 30% of the book was enjoyable and I thought this has the potential to being a 4 star read. However the joy flew out of the window the moment you realize Jane is not exactly clever... at all. It's definitely not going to bother everyone as it is a matter of preference, but I do expect the main character of a murder mystery novel to have at least a few working (little grey) brain cells. Jane does not need much evidence to come to conclusions and accuse (publicly!) every character she starts to suspect. She does not take her time to think it through, she just points fingers to the point where even her own family is telling her off. She did that to every main suspect, making the mystery... not really that much of a mystery.

That is also why I felt the conclusion to the mystery was anti-climactic and didn't make sense to me personally. You really want me to believe that someone who doesn't think much through and is guided by emotion rather than logic suddenly solved the murder and found an extremely unlikely murderer? I personally could not, leaving me very disappointed by the end.

There was also so many side characters and they mostly read the same, which isn't a big problem but I did find it a tad boring.

I think there is potential in this series but sadly this book just didn't do anything for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Novelist Jane Austen finds herself the investigator of a murder when her younger brother is implicated in the crime.

Cleverly working with documented events and characters from Jane Austen's life, this is a page-turner of a murder mystery with added jeopardy and left me wanting to turn back to my Austen biographies to find out more!

It's 1795 and the only thing on Jane's mind is whether Tom Lefroy is going to propose at the local ball.

But then there's the shocking discovery of a milliner's lifeless body in a closet and the tragic event has consequences the Austen family could never have envisaged.

Jane's younger brother Georgy is implicated in the crime and Jane takes it upon herself to clear his name. If she doesn't succeed the consequences are profound.

I do like a murder mystery and this was wonderfully pitched with a period setting, our familiar and admirable heroine, and just the right mix of wry humour and fear and trepidation.

I really enjoyed this, a well crafted murder mystery and with a young Jane Austen solving the crime. I loved the setting, the descriptions of the parlours and dresses. A different take on the usual cosy crime, I would recommend.

A fun and witty book that is a great mix of historical fiction and a murder mystery. Being solely from the point of view from Jane herself you go on the journey with her to find out who murdered Zoe Renard. I enjoyed the story as I am a fan of Jane Austen and her works and I do love a murder mystery and this was a well written one with good twists. However, I felt the book was just a bit too long and some elements could have been wrapped up quicker. I also wasn’t sure I felt comfortable with how Georgie was portrayed I felt like it was quite a dated view of someone with a disability.

This is a murder mystery story using the names and places of Jane Austen and her family. It is not really written in her style, and is without the wit. If you are a lover of Jane Austen, you may be disappointed. If you just want a historical crime novel, then you will enjoy it

The book was very enjoyable and a lovely introduction to this reimagining of a period in JA’s life, but I soon grew tired of the descriptions of wallpaper in everyone’s drawing rooms and parlours, which the author seemed to deem necessary to give the book a feeling of period place.

The mystery was well plotted and the Austen family collective were excellently portrayed in all their various ways to deal with a crisis!

📚🔍 Book Review: "Miss Austen Investigates" by Jessica Bull 💼🔎

"Miss Austen Investigates" by Jessica Bull offers a delightful twist on the classic world of Jane Austen, blending mystery and historical fiction with aplomb. 🎩🕵️‍♀️ From the moment I delved into this charming tale, I found myself thoroughly engrossed in the clever sleuthing of our intrepid protagonist.

Bull's writing style effortlessly captures the essence of Austen's era, transporting readers to a time of corsets, carriages, and clandestine affairs. As a fan of both Austen's works and mystery novels, I was delighted by the seamless integration of familiar Austenian characters and settings into a compelling whodunit narrative.

While the pacing may lag in some places, particularly in the middle sections of the book, the overall plot remains engaging and filled with enough twists and turns to keep readers guessing until the very end. Bull's attention to historical detail adds depth and authenticity to the story, immersing readers in the rich tapestry of Regency England.

I thoroughly enjoyed "Miss Austen Investigates" and commend Jessica Bull for her inventive take on beloved literary characters. For its clever premise, engaging plot, and homage to Jane Austen, I am pleased to award this book 4 stars. 🌟📖

I extend my heartfelt thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of "Miss Austen Investigates." It was a pleasure to delve into this intriguing mystery, and I eagerly anticipate future literary adventures from Jessica Bull. 📚🔍

There's plenty of historical mysteries featuring Jane Austen but this is one of the best: witty, well plotted, a solid mystery that kept me guessing.
I loved the well rounded characters, the vivid historical background, the good storytelling.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

While Jane Austen is surreptitiously meeting her admirer Tom Lefroy at Lord and Lady Harcourt's ball, other guests are discovering a woman's dead body hidden away in a linen closet. Shocked to find this is a women she's met, although only briefly, Jane decides to investigate.

Official suspicion moves from an unknown itinerant worker to Jane's brother George, but really fails to investigate. Jane on the other hand sets about learning more about the deceased woman, and finds her suspicions landing on a variety of local gentlefolk.



The story weaves details of Jane Austen's life - her family and circumstances, and her romance with Tom Lefroy - with an intriguing murder mystery, and I must admit I found the murder side of things more engrossing. In part, I suppose, this is due to having seen the film Becoming Jane with Anne Hathaway and James McAvoy and being aware of the romance between Jane and Tom Lefroy. The murder mystery though was gripping and satisfying. As Jane's investigations progress the suspects seem to multiply rather than reduce, until it seems like almost everyone outside of Jane's immediate family might have had a motive for murder. A book that I'm sure will appeal to lovers of cosy crime

"Her investigations send her on a journey through local society, as Jane’s suspect list keeps on growing— and her keen observational skills of people will be put to the test to solve the crime and save her brother."

This was such a lovely read, and defiantly a change of pace for me from reading so many psychological thrillers!

this was such a great historical witty murder mystery with lots of compelling twists throughout which kept me so engaged in the story.

I really loved all the references in homage to Jane Austen! As a massive fan of her works, this was such a treat to read, and I immediately need to go and watch sense & sensibility ... <3

I can't wait to read more from this author! Thank you so much NetGalley and Penguin Random House!

I was expecting a cooler, smarter Jane Austen. Instead, we’re treated to a real scatterbrain – someone who finds it difficult to think clearly unless she writes everything down. While she clearly has a clever wit and a sparkling personality, she is also hot-headed, impetuous and inclined to let her tongue run away with her, often hurtfully. Think of Emma, but more so. I’ll be honest, while I thought the plotting and pacing of the whodunit was done extremely well, I struggled to line up this much sillier, immature version with the person responsible for some of the cleverest, witty novels in the English language.

Yes, she’s only nineteen. But she’s also the daughter of a country parson at a time when many of her contemporaries were already married and bearing children. Furthermore, working-class young women of her age had been out earning a living for at least six years, maybe longer. People grew up fast in those days – they had to. While I’m prepared to concede that she might have prattled away in letters to siblings as if she didn’t have a serious thought in her head – I don’t believe she would have behaved in such a manner. And her flirtation with Tom Lefroy is plain reckless – if they’d been discovered in the greenhouse together, her reputation as a respectable unmarried woman would have been ruined even in the more lenient Georgian era. The fact that none of Jane’s heroines behaved so freely says it all.

Despite this grizzle – for which I’ve deducted a point – I wasn’t ever tempted to DNF this offering. For all my quibbles regarding Bull’s depiction of Jane, the rest of the period details and scene setting appears spot on and the Austen family dynamic worked well. As for the murder mystery, Jane’s habit of accusing the wrong person meant there were plenty of credible suspects so that I didn’t guess whodunit until the denouement. There was also an intriguing and poignant twist. Overall, I highly recommend this entertaining read and look forward to the next slice of Jane’s adventures. While I obtained an arc of Miss Austen Investigates from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
8/10

Miss Austen Investigates
Synopsis -
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that every good mystery is in need of a brilliant sleuth . . .
Welcome to Hampshire, 1795, where a young Jane Austen has her sights set on securing a marriage proposal from the dashing Tom Lefroy at a local ball.
But when a shocking discovery is made - a milliner's lifeless body tucked away in a linen closet - Jane finds herself embroiled in an unexpected murder mystery.
As she races against the clock to clear her beloved brother Georgy's name, Jane uses her sharp wits to navigate the treacherous waters of society, unmasking secrets and unearthing hidden motives along the way. With every twist and turn, Jane's determination to solve the case deepens. And if she fails, her brother will face the ultimate punishment - the hangman's noose
Join Jane on her quest for justice as she faces down danger, deceit, and scandal amidst her own friends and neighbours. Will she uncover the truth in time, or will the real killer go free? One thing's for certain - in Hampshire, nothing is as it seems . . .

I’ve read a few books where Jane is investigating a murder/theft/disappearance so when this popped up on Netgalley I requested right away.
The story is set in Jane’s childhood home in Hampshire and Jane is young and enjoying a life of friendships and Balls. She’s also enjoying a secret romance with the handsome Tom Lefroy.
When a milliner is found murdered at a Ball, Jane is shocked to discover that she had bought a hat from this unfortunate lady recently. What was she doing the grand house and who on earth would want to murder her?

My thoughts
I mostly enjoyed this mystery however,I felt it was a little too long, i became disappointed with the pacing in the middle of the book in particular. The book would have benefitted from a god edit, in my opinion, I wouldn’t have lost some interest in the plot that way.
It was a decent enough mystery, I think it could have been even better though, that said I’m sure lots of people will love the book.
⭐️⭐️⭐️

This cosy mystery, set in a quintessential English setting, is the perfect read for all...but especially those who love the classics!

It's Jane Austen turn to be the protagonist and she's on a mission to solve a murder and will stop at nothing to uncover the truth behind the crime...

Being a Janite this was a real treat for me. The author has cleverly infused real facts from Jane's life into the story and has also given a few nods to characters and occurrences from Jane Austen's novels all the while creating an entertaining murder mystery. You need to keep your wits about you to keep up with the big cast of characters! But the story will keep you on tenterhooks till the very end.

In this piece of historical fiction, we have a fairly classic “whodunit” scenario, but with the fairly novel twist in that it is a young Jane Austen who is tracking the killer.

We meet Jane as an aspiring writer, waiting for her suitor Tom to propose while attending balls and enjoying life with her family. However, that all changes when the body of a woman is discovered at a ball, and a loved one of Jane’s is accused of the crime.

I enjoyed the concept of Jane Austen applying her wit to this kind of crime-solving, and also liked the relationship between her and some of the other characters in the story. However, I did feel as though Jane as a character was a little – well – silly, and didn’t act in a way that would be expected for someone as socially conscious as she was. I appreciate that some artistic license was taken, but I wanted to believe in Jane more as a character instead of finding her inconsistent.

Overall, though, this is a fun read, with plenty of Austen references thrown in throughout. 3.5 rounded up.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for the arc to review.

Hampshire 1795: while a young Jane Austen is canoodling in the greenhouse with Tom Lefroy during a ball, a woman is being brutally murdered. Jane recognises the victim as a milliner from a nearby town and, frustrated at the local magistrate's lack of interest in her testimony and lacklustre investigation, decides to makes her own enquiries. Her investigation becomes a lot more urgent, however, when her beloved non-verbal brother is found with incriminating evidence and accused of the murder.

This is not the wise and witty author of 'Persuasion' in her mature years, this is the young author of 'Lady Susan' - a heroine more similar to Catherine Morland than Elizabeth Bennett. She makes embarrassing blunders, accuses all the wrong people and is blindly naive about the motivations of others, and yet she is tenacious and steadfast in her determination to get to the bottom of the murder and clear her brother's name.

Like the experience of reading Northanger Abbey, Jane's non-subtle approach is a little cringey to start with, but you can't help but root for her, especially as she is dismissed and overlooked by the authorities and even the men in her own family. I loved all the inside jokes and Austen family references - like Jane's increasingly bizarre suggestions about what Cassandra can do with her letters once she has read them.

I really enjoyed this story - a delicious treat for Austen fans but also an engaging mystery in its own right.

Hampshire, 1795, a ball at the residence of the prominent Harcourt family.

Young Jane Austen is hoping that a man she’s been enjoying a flirtation with, will finally propose.

However, instead of a marriage proposal, Jane finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery.

A body of a young woman is found, whom Jane recognises as Madame Renault, a milliner. Jane bought one of her straw hats before.

Mr Craven, a magistrate for the county, is asking for people’s help in catching the murderer. He’s quick to dismiss Jane’s valid questions and concerns, because she’s a female.

But when Georgy, Jane’s brother with learning disabilities, is accused of Madame Renault’s murder, Jane is determined to reveal the true culprit.

What a wonderful story! As a huge fan of Jane Austen, I was so excited to read this book and I wasn’t disappointed.

I didn’t really know much about Jane’s life and her family, but this book has revealed some interesting facts for me, especially around her brother Georgy. He was born disabled, but the nature of his disability was unknown.

In the book, Bull explains that he was sent away to live with another family. After doing some extra reading around the topic, I discovered that it was customary for people of that era to sent away their disabled children, as they brought ‘shame’ to the family.

In the book, Georgy was such a gentle and naive character, and him and Jane shared a special bond. It was wonderful to see Jane wanting to clear her brother’s name.

Another powerful theme in the book is the treatment of women.

A woman’s place was in the home raising her children and nothing else. Jane was a rebel in that regard, as she was always busy writing and trying to finish her novel, but at the same time, she did want to conform to the societal norm of marriage and family. I am glad that she didn’t, otherwise there would be no Sense and Sensibility, Emma, or Pride and Prejudice.

In the book, Jane’s ideas were quickly dismissed. She did raise some serious concerns around the murder, but the magistrate wouldn’t listen to her. She had to take matters into her own hands, showing grit and determination.

I cannot wait for another book in the series.

Many thanks to Michael Joseph for approving my NetGalley request to read and review this title.

i’m not too sure how i feel about this - i think i’ll have to do a reread BUT having said that, i did very much enjoy the writing style itself.

What an intriguing and very different look at the daily life and developing character of one of our finest and most famous novelists. This Jane is still young and impetuous, yet her reasoning and her inquisitiveness is already in evidence as she determinedly weighs up the facts and the possibilities in order to pin down the murderer and clear her brother's name. There are little nods to her future as an author and appearances by people we know inhabited her world, yet this is fiction. Well researched Regency fiction that entertains, with a light touch, humour, and a satisfying conclusion. The teaser chapter at the end can't help but make the reader long for more! Roll on, book two.

I love reading cosy mysteries and this was enjoyable to read. Loved the thriller, humour and mystery! Perfect afternoon reading.

Miss Austen Investigates was a hugely enjoyable and light read and I loved the author’s portrayal of Regency England in 1795 and Jane Austen and her family.
When Jane is at a ball the body of a milliner is discovered and suspicion soon falls on Jane’s brother George. Jane is determined to investigate and discover the real killer.
This is a fairly slow paced novel but this allows the reader to immerse themselves in the language and period of the time. The author describes what it was like to be a woman of Jane’s class during this time and this is also reflected in how Jane is able to investigate the murder.
A fun read that I would recommend.
Many thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.