‘The very worst sort of companion that Emma could possibly have. She knows nothing herself... Her ignorance is hourly flattery’ Mr Knightley, Emma

But Harriet Smith - wallflower and amateur sleuth - has conned them all

Mrs Churchill is convinced someone is trying to kill her. As if she didn't have enough to vex her, she fears that lowly Jane Fairfax has won the heart of her nephew, Frank.

She hires Emma Woodhouse's secretly devious companion Harriet Smith to break up the relationship and uncover who wants her dead.

Harriet's list of suspects soon grows - Frank Churchill, Jane Fairfax, Mrs Elton and Wakefield the butler all have means, motive and opportunity.

Will Harriet prevent the worst from happening? And will she avoid falling for the charming Frank Churchill herself?

Murder Most Austen, written by a mega-fan and crime fiction scholar