Review: Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor

by Stephanie Barron
publisher: Bantam
date published: May 20, 2008 (first published 1996)
format: trade paperback
pages: 304
source: purchased

From Goodreads:

"In a time of near Jane Austen-mania, what better heroine to solve a mystery than Jane herself? Only two things are required: a satisfying, well-structured whodunit plot and a knack for rendering Austen's style at picking up the most delicate nuances in social behavior. Stephanie Barron succeeds on both counts. When the squire of a country manor in Hertfordshire is found lifeless in his bed, foul play is suspected and Jane is called upon to unravel the mystery. Along the way, Barron employs Jane as the first-person narrator and adeptly re-creates Austen's voice and delightfully subtle humor."

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What I Thought

I finally carved out enough time to devote to this book. I am very happy that I did. Stephanie Barron has brought Jane Austen back to life in her Being a Jane Austen Mystery series. She has done a great job of capturing Jane's essence and turned it to an unexpected purpose: detective work. The idea of Jane Austen solving mysteries is a very intriguing and fun one.

This book was written in the format of journal entries and letters (in other words, the epistolary fashion), with the forward setting up the premise of the entries being found in an old house and later revealed to be lost writings of Jane Austen. The story picks up shortly after Jane's refusal of Harris Bigg-Wither's marriage proposal. She has escaped the stresses of Bath in favor of Hertfordshire, where she is to attend a ball in honor of the marriage of her friend Isobel to Lord Scargrave. That very evening, Lord Scargrave succumbs to an illness thought to arise from severe indigestion, only to expire by morning. What follows is a series of events that will implicate the new Countess and Lord Scargrave's nephew as murderers. It is up to Jane to discover the truth and set everything to rights before it is too late.

This story had so many details and so many twists and turns that I was at great pains to put the book down. Barron took great care to include hints from Austen's various works within the pages of Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manner. I also noted similarities between the story of Isobel and Fitzroy Payne (the late Lord Scargrave's nephew) and that of Tristan and Isolde, though with an even darker twist. Barron does an excellent job of keeping the reader guessing as to the identity of the murderer so that, unless you notice the small hints scattered throughout the novel, you will be kept guessing until the very last chapter. Indeed, as the true murderer was revealed, I slapped my hand to my forehead as the realization of the various clues struck me.

The characters Barron introduces are very well developed, as well as entertaining. From the shrewd Jane to the ridiculously frivolous Fanny Delahoussaye, there are many personalities to observe and ponder, lending even more depth to the plot. Great care is taken to ensure that each character has their own unique personality, mode of behavior, and expression of emotion. You almost feel as if you are reading of real people.

If you are a fan of Jane Austen, you can't go wrong with this series. Barron has provided an excellent extension of the spirit of Jane Austen within the pages of these books. Even if you aren't a staunch Austen fan, you may yet enjoy these books for their mystery plots. I give this book 5 hoots.