Being the First Jane Austen Mystery (Being a Jane Austen Mystery Book 1)

This book was a satisfying and fun read; exactly the kind of book I most like and close enough to JA's style to suit me--and that's saying something. (I like Austen so much that I became a novelist myself to write a discreet romance of the same era and in the same vein.) I really hate the slew of modern books that have Regency era people behaving in thoroughly modern ways, with thoroughly modern value systems...etc. I like the authenticity of this book, the feeling of being in that time and age, which is precisely what I strive for in my own writing. This book is a hands-down five stars.

Linore Rose Burkard, author of, Before the Season Ends

I love mysteries, and I love Jane Austen. Imagine my delight in discovering a series that combines both. Stephanie Barron does a wonderful job portraying the beloved Jane Austen as not only one who studies human nature, but also one who solves crimes in the process. I love the seamless blend of fact and fiction in this novel, especially the "editor's forward" and the editorial notes. It is as if the author is winking at the reader. Yes, we all know this isn't real, but isn't it great fun to pretend? Get ready to suspend your disbelief and ENJOY!

This is the first in a series of Jane Austen mysteries. The style of writing and period details wonderfully reflect the era in which Austen lived (late 18th/early 19th century Regency England). Woven through are well researched bits concerning the manners, status and limitations on the lives of the period's "young ladies of more fashion than means. " The author further provides introductory information about Austen and interjects an occasional informative footnotes throughout the text.

The author, Stephanie Barron, uses wit, subtle humor, and a true to form Austenesque style to captivate readers in the first of the Jane Austen mystery series. I, for one, think the idea for the book is some of it's genius--who better than Jane Austen, novelist & student of human character, to solve crime?
Though i DID notice (as a couple of other readers mentioned), that sometimes her style draws the readers attention more than the story, her words are cleverly crafted, and its obvious Barron took some pains in studying prevailing(19th c.) uses of diction, syntax, etc.
The mystery was excellent, definately NOT predictable. The vilian turned out to be the person I least expected (though i admit, i am quite easily duped by red herrings). A character who I found a bit revolting was Isobel. Her motives, whining, and general uselessness made me think: how could she ever have been friends with Jane Austen??!!!
Another gripe with previous reviewers: I loved the footnotes. For those not intimately acquainted with the early 19th cen. England, they are valuable. How else would I know that a "square" was a thing they put on boots to raise them so they could walk through the mud?
Overall, a great read. Good for time-kill, when you are sick, or need to read a comfort book. I recommend highly to all, especially Austen fans.

Stephanie Barron is not Jane Austen. If you pick up this book thinking she is, you will be disappointed. If you pick up this book & want to be entertained, you will be pleasantly surprised. This book is great for those of us who can not seem to get enough Jane Austen. The only diappointment for me is the introduction about these being lost diaries, etc. I found the book to be a fast read & lots of fun. I was pleased by the accurate picture that Ms. Barron painted for the reader of England during this time period. She did her research.

I actually read this first entry to Stephanie Barron's Jane Austen mysteries second, and I ws interested to go back and see how she began this series. This is excellent, and not really tame reading. Jane finds herself embroiled in a mystery with a group of distinctly complex and rather lurid types, and has to save her friend who has been accused of murdering her husband, with the assistance of her husband's young heir, with whom she has fallen in love.
I would recommend this to those who like historical mysteries.

Wonderful series based on a fictional Jane Austen. The author had a bit of a slow start but I'm glad I stuck with the series because the writing improved quite a bit after the second book. Hoping there are more books in the works!

I am only 13 so this isn't going to be perfect. I have loved Jane Austen since before I could remember. This book is so similar to Jane's writing. This is the first mystery book that I could not predict the outcome. Of course I haven't read too many mysteries, but from what I have read, I wasn't exactly chomping at the bit to read another one. But Stephanie Barron has totally changed my mind.If you like unpredictable, interesting, mysteries, this is at the top of my list.
In the begining, Jane is visting her friend Isobel from Bath. Isobel is just recently married to the Earl of Scargrove and having a ball to celebrate. But the joy ends here. That night the earl dies. Then Isobel and her nephew, Lord Payne, recieve a disturbing letter charging the two of murder and adultery. Isobel calls upon Jane to find the truth. This sends Jane on a trail of clues leading her to the scary truth that may have her fearing for her life!
To know the rest read this book.

No, it isn't anything like a Jane Austen book. But it's a good mystery all the same, and the Jane character is an likeable heroine. Like other reviewers, I found Lady Isobel annoying and not worth the effort that Jane put into her friendship, but that makes Miss Austen all the more admirable. I plan to pick up the rest of the series right away, and hope they are as enjoyable.

I was very surprised at this new series, and, being an ardent fan of Jane Austen's works, I have found it very pleasing. It takes a while for this tale to get off the ground, but when it does, it soars to great heights. The suspense of this tale was intense, the characters intriguing, and the execution superb. This was a very good book, and its pseudo-Austen style is seamless.

Searching in the library for new books to read, I came across this series of Jane Austen mysteries and decided to give it a try. I found the first book somewhat slow going at first, but it became more enjoyable as I read further. Unlike some of the other reviewers I thought that the footnotes were helpful in clarifying details of 19th century life that many readers might not be familiar with. Overall, I would recommend this book, and I'm very much enjoying reading the other books in this series.

A good first book. It makes you want more. I love the premise of these books that give you Jane Austen's life set into a fictionalized mystery. The author is very good at creating Jane Austen's voice.

I wish to comment only on the quality of editing apparent in the Kindle edition. The book is riddled with typos; some of which are easily overlooked because the context allows you to understand the error, but some of them are simply incomprehensible. It appears as though a voice-recognition software translated the words, or that the Kindle edition was transcribed by a non-english speaker, although neither option makes sense to me. A couple of examples: the word "gentleman" appears frequently as "gendeman", and the word "the" appears alternately as "die" and "the". Ultimately, the frequency of these errors is cumulative and disruptive to the reading experience.

This an absolutely wonderful reading of the first book in the Jane Austen Mystery Series by Stephanie Barron. Kate Reading is marvelous and gives a lively re-telling, carrying across Jane's wit, humor and intellect in voice. One can almost believe that it really is Jane that is talking! Even though I had read the book before I got the audio version, I was still as enthralled, excited and captivated by listening to the book as by reading it. Kate Reading should be commended for her ability to bring "alive" the detective Jane. All the excitement and mystery of Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor is captured in this audio book, and I highly recommend it to all Jane Austen lovers, young and old, who enjoy seeing their favorite author in the guise of detective and crime solver! :-)

This book was witty and entertaining. It is stylishly written, and gives a marvelous picture of life in the early 19th century. It is also an engrossing mystery. I look forward to reading the second Jane Austen mystery which I already have in my library! I hope that this will be only the beginning of a long and successful series for Ms. Barron.

This series is wonderful ... my only disappointment is that I have read all eight books and I have to wait until November for the next book to published.

Until November I will have to find other books to read. So,I started reading the books Stephanie Barron has written under the name of Francine Mathews.

Enjoyed this story very much and am currently reading the others in the series.
Very crafty writing with real flair for the period and its complex demands on social interaction both verbal and non-verbal. I think Miss Austen would be rather pleased with the result. Good fun.

I recently finished reading this book for the second time and I loved it just as much the 2nd time around as I did the first. This book is the beginning of a series that, in my opinion, is one of the very best on the market today. I love this series because it combines my two favorite genres - Jane Austen and Mysteries. I care not if the stories are factual or contrived out of Ms. Barron's delightful imagination. The way Jane's character is developed, the adventures that she stumbles upon, and her amazing ability to seek the truth through unconventional means while retaining her respectablility is exactly what I imagine Jane Austen to have been.

This series is wonderful ... my only disappointment is that I have read all eight books and I have to wait until November for the next book to published.

Until November I will have to find other books to read. So,I started reading the books Stephanie Barron has written under the name of Francine Mathews.

Enjoyed this story very much and am currently reading the others in the series.
Very crafty writing with real flair for the period and its complex demands on social interaction both verbal and non-verbal. I think Miss Austen would be rather pleased with the result. Good fun.

I recently finished reading this book for the second time and I loved it just as much the 2nd time around as I did the first. This book is the beginning of a series that, in my opinion, is one of the very best on the market today. I love this series because it combines my two favorite genres - Jane Austen and Mysteries. I care not if the stories are factual or contrived out of Ms. Barron's delightful imagination. The way Jane's character is developed, the adventures that she stumbles upon, and her amazing ability to seek the truth through unconventional means while retaining her respectablility is exactly what I imagine Jane Austen to have been.

This book delivers on its promise of an entertaining mystery. Its precisely what you expect a Jane Austen-style mystery to be: not great literature, but thoughtful and diverting.
I could do without the footnotes.

Love Jane and you'll hate this book. Flowery prose, unlikely story, completey unsubtle in the development of characters, conversational comments. Boo hoo. Hoped to find something that I would love like I love Jane.

I'm anxious to read the second book as this one was confusing as to who was who. I liked the style of the book and since there is no more Jane Austen for me to read I'm happy for the next best thing.

This was an interesting concept for a novel series. This first one was a little slow, but personalites and characters needed to be defined. Hopefully they will become quicker and more humorous (in keeping with Ms Austen's humor).

An unsuccessful attempt to imitate Jane Austen's style, the book is filled with unlikely people behaving in the most extraordinary and clumsily-contrived ways. Examples which jarred particularly were the use of "serviette" and the way the hero, a peer, seemed not to know that he could "frank" letters and thus save the recipient the cost of postage.