Perfect for fans of Laura Levine and Stephanie Barron, Elizabeth Blake’s Jane Austen Society mystery debut is a mirthfully morbid merger of manners and murder.In this Austen-tatious debut, antiquarian bookstore proprietor Erin Coleridge uses her sense and sensibility to deduce who killed the president of the local Jane Austen Society.Erin Coleridge’s used bookstore in Kirkbymoorside, North … bookstore in Kirkbymoorside, North Yorkshire, England is a meeting place for the villagers and, in particular, for the local Jane Austen Society. At the Society’s monthly meeting, matters come to a head between the old guard and its young turks. After the meeting breaks for tea, persuasion gives way to murder—with extreme prejudice—when president Sylvia Pemberthy falls dead to the floor. Poisoned? Presumably…but by whom? And was Sylvia the only target?
Handsome—but shy—Detective Inspector Peter Hadley and charismatic Sergeant Rashid Jarral arrive at the scene. The long suspect list includes Sylvia’s lover Kurt Becker and his tightly wound wife Suzanne. Or, perhaps, the killer was Sylvia’s own cuckolded husband, Jerome. Among the many Society members who may have had her in their sights is dashing Jonathan Alder, who was heard having a royal battle of words with the late president the night before.
Then, when Jonathan Alder narrowly avoids becoming the next victim, Farnsworth (the town’s “cat lady”) persuades a seriously time-crunched Erin to help DI Hadley. But the killer is more devious than anyone imagines.
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Good book, reads like a British mystery show. Lots of Jane Austen quotes that kind of get annoying.
This is the first book in a new series by Elizabeth Blake and I am HOOKED! It is like Midsomer Mysteries and I could see it play out in my head as though it were on the small screen. I felt a connection with the various characters who were wonderfully written. I am really looking forward to seeing them evolve. The plot was well-paced. The dialogue was entertaining. I knocked it down one star because I felt like the mystery was too easy to solve. Perhaps that is the author’s style though, to let the audience in early while the characters remain in the dark. If I realize this to be the case, I will probably come back and give it full marks.
Thank you to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, and Elizabeth Blake for giving me the chance to read this story and share my honest thoughts and opinions with others.
Pride, Prejudice and Poison by Elizabeth Blake is the first novel in A Jane Austen Society Mystery series. I enjoyed the setting of Kirkbymoorside, North Yorkshire, England. It is a quaint village with a variety of quirky residents. It seems that everyone is a fan of Jane Austen and her books. Erin loves to quote from Jane Austen’s novels and the villagers are frequently reading different versions of the authors works. I did feel that the Austen element was overdone (too many quotes). I wish it had been done with a lighter hand so it would have retained the humor. I did, though, like how the quotes connected to the plot. Erin Coleridge owns the used bookstore, Readers Quarry where the villagers tend to congregate for tea and gossip. Erin is a member of the local Jane Austen Society. At their monthly meetings there is controversy. While the group takes a tea break, the club’s president, Sylvia Pemberthy drops dead. Erin jumps into the investigation when it appears that the killer is setting up Farnsworth Appleby to take the fall. Erin flirts with the investigating detective who is referred to in my copy (an ARC) as DI Peter Hadley and DI Peter Hemming (talk about confusing). I am sure this was corrected for the final version. There were multiple suspects in this whodunit, but the killer can be identified quite easily (before the body departs for the inquest). I would have liked a bit more of a challenge. Erin’s behavior mimics that of most amateur sleuths. She lies to the police, asks questions, stumbles upon information and puts herself in danger. I felt that Pride, Prejudice and Poison was a slow starter because of the introduction of so many villagers (a little much at the start). Gossip spreads rapidly in the small village and tea is consumed in vast quantities. Pride, Prejudice and Poison is a lighthearted cozy mystery with Austen admirers, toxic tea, a bounty of books, an introverted investigator, and a set up suspect.
The characters were very well developed and the underlying mystery was quite well woven. I get that the premise of the book is based around a club of Jane Austin supporters and in fact was partly the motivation in selecting the book to read, but the incessant quotes were a bit much and over the top, they actually became a distraction to the story. Once I started skimming past some of the incessant quoting, the storyline became much more enjoyable and I absolutely was pleased with how the mystery unfolded as well as the development of the relationships among the characters. I actually would like to see this book continue on as a series and see how the characters progress. I do hope that the author finds a way to tie back into the Jane Austin Society without beating you about the head with quotes though.
“Pride, Prejudice and Poison” is the first in a “Jane Austin Society mystery” series by Elizabeth Blake.
Erin Coleridge’s used bookstore in Kirkbymoorside, North Yorkshire, England is a meeting place for the villagers and, in particular, for the local Jane Austen Society. At the Society’s monthly meeting, matters come to a head between the old guard and its young turks. After the meeting breaks for tea, persuasion gives way to murder—with extreme prejudice—when president Sylvia Pemberthy falls dead to the floor. Poisoned? Presumably…but by whom? And was Sylvia the only target?
Handsome—but shy—Detective Inspector Peter Hadley and charismatic Sergeant Rashid Jarral arrive at the scene. The long suspect list includes Sylvia’s lover Kurt Becker and his tightly wound wife Suzanne. Or, perhaps, the killer was Sylvia’s own cuckolded husband, Jerome. Among the many Society members who may have had her in their sights is dashing Jonathan Alder, who was heard having a royal battle of words with the late president the night before.
Then, when Jonathan Alder narrowly avoids becoming the next victim, Farnsworth (the town’s “cat lady”) persuades a seriously time-crunched Erin to help DI Hadley. But the killer is more devious than anyone imagines.
I had trouble getting into the book, the beginning is introducing us to the little British village of Kirkbymoorside, Jane Austin society. But the constant quoting soon became annoying for me, not sure why but it did. I did find once the murder happened, things began to pick up and the story got more interesting.
The mystery itself was well-plotted and include some good red herrings. It did keep me guessing whodunit till the end. Be nice to see how the relationship Erin and the handsome policeman Peter Hemming develops in future installments.
I will read the next installment as I do believe the series has potential. I recommend to cozy lovers especially those who love Jane Austin.
I requested and received an Advanced Reader Copy from Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
A charming, cozy mystery! Pride, Prejudice and Poison is the perfect book to curl up in a chair with a blanket and cocoa. A book that any Austen fan will love, with plenty of quotes and references along the way. A great start to a new series, and I’m eager for the next one!
Not terrible but not my cuppa tea
I didn’t love this one. The beginning was a little hectic with all the characters being thrown at you and trying to get acquainted with this little town. The mystery was interesting because there were a lot of plausible suspects. Erin’s bold way of letting the detectives know she was on the case was a little odd and her whole relationship with Investigator Hadley was kind of chemistry-at-first-sight but we-can-never-be-together and don’t get me started on the “romance” between Erin and Alder. It seriously felt like a slap in the face. Personally I’m team Hadley if it comes down to it but i would not categorize this as romance by any means. The wrap up of the mystery was also a little unclear. I know who did it and why they said but I have questions about how somethings are relevant and affected the outcome.
meh. I probably wont continue this series.
The first book in the new series and it looks to be another great one. The book is a cozy mystery/whodunit book set in England. Bookstore owner Erin tries to solve the murder of President of the local jane Austin society club with the help of Detective Inspector Peter Hadley and his partner sergeant Rashid Jaral. A fun read with romance as well as a good who dunit. Light reading fast to pass time. Looking forward to reading more in this series.
This cozy takes place in the village of Kirkbymoorside, close to York. Think MidSomer Murders, but not quite so bloody. Lots of fun village characters, with their own secrets. Who killed Sylvia, the president of the Jane Austen Society. Erin’s friend Farnsworth is a suspect. She served the victim her tea. So Erin sets out to find the killer. The village sounds peaceful and relaxing and the people are all characters. I enjoyed the story and actually was surprised by the killer. It’s also fun that the members of the society are always spouting quotes from Jane Austen. Very enjoyable read.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.