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Murder Most Austen (An Elizabeth Parker Mystery #4)

3.58 of 5 stars 3.58 · rating details · 127 ratings · 38 reviews

A dedicated Anglophile and Janeite, Elizabeth Parkeris hoping the trip to the annual Jane Austen Festival in Bath willdistract her from her lack of a job and her uncertain future with her boyfriend, Peter.

On the plane ride to England, she and Aunt Winnie meet Professor Richard Baines, a self-proclaimed expert on all things Austen. His outlandish claims that within each Aus...more

Hardcover, 291 pages

Published September 4th 2012 by Minotaur Books

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Apr 12, 2013 Margaret Sullivan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012

So we received an email from a fellow Janeite who shrieked (as much as one might shriek via email) "OMG CHECK OUT THE DESCRIPTION OF THIS BOOK THE MURDER VICTIM IS (an Individual with Unique Ideas™ about Jane Austen with whom you have engaged in several online kerfuffles)!"

We scanned the description and shrieked back (see above disclaimers) "OMG IT IS TOTALLY (the Individual) OMG GOTTA READ THIS!" and purchased the book as soon as it was available.

Said Individual was noted on email lists stating...more So we received an email from a fellow Janeite who shrieked (as much as one might shriek via email) "OMG CHECK OUT THE DESCRIPTION OF THIS BOOK THE MURDER VICTIM IS (an Individual with Unique Ideas™ about Jane Austen with whom you have engaged in several online kerfuffles)!"

We scanned the description and shrieked back (see above disclaimers) "OMG IT IS TOTALLY (the Individual) OMG GOTTA READ THIS!" and purchased the book as soon as it was available.

Said Individual was noted on email lists stating that the Individual had written to the Authoress to lodge an Objection, and the Authoress replied that the character was NOT this Individual but an original creation.

Having read the book, we agree with the Authoress: the character is NOT this particular Individual, but the Individual and the murder victim have a lot of the same Unique Ideas™. We think the Authoress, endeavoring to create a character who would be particularly unlikable to a group of Janeites, all of whom might then be suspected of murdering him, borrowed several of the real-life Individual's Unique Ideas™ and gave them to the character. It worked quite spectacularly in our opinion.

However, the authoress also gave the character some other Unique Ideas™ that have been expressed by other Individuals with Unique Ideas™ about Jane Austen. (Sadly, there is a distressing amount of attention-seeking behavior and general insanity among our mostly lovely fandom.) We think she successfully created an original character, but we were very much amused by the similarities to the Individual. We wonder how many readers thought the whole thing was made up, because no one could POSSIBLY be that insane. LITTLE DO THEY KNOW.

The funny thing is that a friend had the same experience as the main character, in being on an airplane with the Individual on the way to an Austen-related event and overhearing the Individual loudly holding forth about the Unique Ideas™. One wonders if the Authoress was perhaps on the same airplane. From such innocuous acorns do mighty oaks grow.

All that being said, the book itself was an enjoyable read. However, most of the Austen events we've attended (and we've attended a lot) were not much like the event in the book, which took us out of it a little. Also, for a book that is supposed to be inspired by Austen's Northanger Abbey, there's way too much P&P (sorry, Team Darcy, but there it is). But fiction writers must be allowed space to create, and readers must suspend disbelief to the best of their abilities.

We give the Authoress a knowing wink and four stars; perhaps a half-star more than we might have, due to the attendant hilarity. Well played, madam; well played.(less)

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Feb 23, 2013 Jeanne Gerhard rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the fourth book in which the main character, Elizabeth Parker becomes embroiled in solving murders. The twist in this story, as in the others, is that the author has deftly woven in characters that are “descendants” of various Austen creations, bring them into the present. The fact that Elizabeth (and several of her friends) are constantly dropping quotes from various Austen books makes it all the more delightful. Anyone familiar with Jane Austen will find these books addicting.

In this p...more

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Sep 15, 2012 Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: austen-influenced, mysteries, for-review

Everyone loves a good murder mystery. The classic scene where a butler is found dead after the lights suddenly flicker is one that everyone can picture. The thrill of the hunt for the killer is just as exciting as the disappearance of the characters in the plot. As a big fan of Agatha Christie’s mysteries it is no surprise, then, that I was thrilled to read the fourth novel in Tracy Kiely’s Elizabeth Parker mystery series, Murder Most Austen.

Set in present day, Murder Most Austen introduces us t...more Everyone loves a good murder mystery. The classic scene where a butler is found dead after the lights suddenly flicker is one that everyone can picture. The thrill of the hunt for the killer is just as exciting as the disappearance of the characters in the plot. As a big fan of Agatha Christie’s mysteries it is no surprise, then, that I was thrilled to read the fourth novel in Tracy Kiely’s Elizabeth Parker mystery series, Murder Most Austen.

Set in present day, Murder Most Austen introduces us to a Miss Elizabeth Parker, an Austen fanatic (aren’t we all!) that is traveling with her Aunt Winnie to an annual Jane Austen conference in Bath, England. On the way to the conference, they meet Professor Richard Baines, a pretentious man who is under the impression that he is the world’s utmost authority on anything Austen related. Spouting rather odd “facts” about Austen and her work, especially a crazy theory as to the actual cause of her death, Baines manages to irritate and annoy not only Elizabeth and her aunt, but almost everyone at the conference as well. Therefore, it is surprising, although not entirely unwelcome, that Mr. Baines is found murdered during the middle of the convention!

Rumors abound as to who is to blame for this murder most foul, and the actual list of suspects is quite large, until poor Aunt Winnie’s friend becomes one of the prime suspects by unfortunate coincidence. Aunt Winnie begs Elizabeth to help her find the actual killer before her friend is framed. Elizabeth, who was hoping to get away from personal problems of her own by attending this trip, finds herself with a whole new set as she tries to find out who really killed odd Professor Baines.

From page one it was evident that I was in for a real treat, as Kiely’s tongue-in-cheek humor made me laugh. The characters that she created were so numerous and full of life that it was easy to picture myself amongst them. I loved Elizabeth’s character, as her strong will and determination in the face of certain adversity (sound like another Elizabeth we know?) made her a joy to read. Additionally, Kiely’s development of the murder plot itself and subsequent hunt for the real killer was executed perfectly, with multiple layers unfolding at a quick pace that left me wanting to turn the pages as fast as possible.

Finally, I think one of the best things about this novel is the fact that although this is the fourth novel in Kiely’s series, it wasn’t imperative that I read the other three prior to this one. This allowed me to jump into the series and get a feel for her writing all the while not being tied to a larger work. I can definitely say that this has made me want to read the rest of series anyway though! Filled with fun, mischief, and mayhem, Murder Most Austen is definitely one to read!

Kimberly (Reflections of a Book Addict)
Originally Posted: http://wp.me/p18lIL-1cg (less)

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Oct 14, 2012 Laura de Leon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, cozy-mystery, austen-related, review-copy

3.5 stars for light, fluffy fun!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book about a murder at a gathering of Jane Austen fans. It was such a fun setup, and I like the character of Elizabeth Parker.

Thinking back on it, the secondary characters were a bit weak, and the mystery was typical for a cozy mystery, where the mystery itself isn't the strength of the book.

In this case, the book works because of the setting, which is all about Austen. I think the costume ball was my favorite part, even if dire e...more

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Dec 09, 2012 Amelia Elizabeth rated it 3 of 5 stars

I received a copy of the book from a representitve from St. Martin Press to read for the Central NJ region of JASNA. The orginial review of this book can be found here.

I normally don't read mysteries and those that I do read are not cozys, so this book was way out of my comfort reading zone. That being said, I enjoyed reading this book. This is the fourth book in the series, but I didn't feel like I was missing really important background information. Any of that was included in a way that didn...more

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Sep 29, 2012 Meaghan MacPherson rated it 4 of 5 stars

I thought this book was a lot of fun. The author was very well versed in all things Jane Austen and I could definitely appreciate her passion and enthusiasm for this project. I especially loved when Elizabeth and Winnie quoted Austen back and forth to each other. Seemed very authentic for Janeites. Here are my thoughts

Likes:

Good use of the red herring. She really had me leaning on that particular character as the killer, until that character was also killed off. Excellent job.

Excellent prose. I...more

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Mar 13, 2013 Sarah Pottenger rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: library, mystery, read-in-2013

I don't often give negative reviews. Like, really negative. But this book. Well, it deserves one from me. As a mystery, it's okay, I guess. Rather heavy-handed and unrealistic.

As an homage to Austen, I have to say, it sucks. The characters' (ALL the characters) habit of tossing Austen quotes into EVERY conversation was obnoxious and unrealistic. There were typos and downright errors, i.e. it said "Edward Ferris" instead of "Edward Ferrars," a common mistake if you've only seen Sense & Sensib...more

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Dec 07, 2012 Susan Jones rated it 5 of 5 stars

Tracy Kiely's Austen mysteries are all fun, but Murder Most Austen combines a mystery plot set in Bath (where Austen once lived) with a lot of humor for those who love and know Austen well. Even if you're not a rabid lover of Jane Austen, you'll enjoy both the humor and the mystery. Kiely's Elizabeth Parker has to sort out the clues, save her friend, and bring the murderer to justice.

Elizabeth Parker is an engaging main character whose personal life and ocncerns mix with her sleuthing activities...more

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Feb 08, 2013 Kay rated it 4 of 5 stars

It's a slight, "cozy" mystery, but for an Austenophile a delightful read for all that. "Jane" references are delicious and fit like Spanish moss on old oaks, and there are scattered goodies: "After all, there were plenty of people in life who could be perfectly pleasant just before they stabbed you (or someone else) in the back. Dorothy Parker was one. So was Hemingway. Actually, I took that back. I rather had the impression that Hemingway was nasty to you either way." Of course, the takedowns o...more

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Sep 23, 2012 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-humor, mystery-england

Kiely's series offers many pleasures. There's the involved plot, the joy of knowing you're at least one step ahead of amateur detective Elizabeth Parker, the amusing characters, the background love story, and the laugh-out-loud humor of some of the writing. Elizabeth's aunt Winnie invites her to the annual Austen festival in Bath, where an old friend of Winnie's becomes a murder suspect. Reluctantly (oh, who are we kidding?) Elizabeth agrees to help clear Cora, between panels on the Regency wedd...more

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Oct 08, 2012 Kari Anderson rated it 4 of 5 stars

From Goodreads.com

A dedicated Anglophile and Janeite, Elizabeth Parker is hoping the trip to the annual Jane Austen Festival in Bath will distract her from her lack of a job and her uncertain future with her boyfriend, Peter.

On the plane ride to England, she and Aunt Winnie meet Professor Richard Baines, a self-proclaimed expert on all things Austen. His outlandish claims that within each Austen novel there is a sordid secondary story is second only to his odious theory on the true cause of Aust...more From Goodreads.com

A dedicated Anglophile and Janeite, Elizabeth Parker is hoping the trip to the annual Jane Austen Festival in Bath will distract her from her lack of a job and her uncertain future with her boyfriend, Peter.

On the plane ride to England, she and Aunt Winnie meet Professor Richard Baines, a self-proclaimed expert on all things Austen. His outlandish claims that within each Austen novel there is a sordid secondary story is second only to his odious theory on the true cause of Austen’s death. When Baines is found stabbed to death in his Mr. Darcy costume during the costume ball, it appears that Baines’s theories have finally pushed one Austen fan too far. But Aunt Winnie’s friend becomes the prime suspect, so Aunt Winnie enlists Elizabeth to find the professor’s real killer. With an ex-wife, a scheming daughter-in-law, and a trophy wife, not to mention a festival’s worth of die-hard Austen fans, there are no shortage of suspects.

This fourth in Tracy Kiely’s charming series is pure delight. If Bath is the number-one Mecca for Jane Austen fans, Murder Most Austen is the perfect read for those who love some laughs and quick wit with their mystery.

As an avid reader, I am a bit ashamed to say that I have never read a Jane Austen book. I know, cue the gasps and huffs and puffs. I need to, it’s just something I’ve never gotten around to. Actually, I am not well-versed in many classics. I read and loved Jane Eyre,but that’s about it. That said, these books are great, but would probably make a little more sense if I had read Austen’s work.

Luckily for me, Tracy Kiely wrote this series well enough that I don’t necessarily have to be a Janeite to understand these books. This is the second book of hers I have read. I also read Murder Most Persuasive. The series follows Elizabeth Parker who gets unintentionally thrust into scenarios which she has to start investigating. I mean, when your friends and family become murder suspects, what else can you do?

Kiely introduces us to some great characters. Aunt Winnie is a hoot and very youthful for her ripe elderly age and maybe even a little promiscuous. Professor Baines, well I wanted to harm him myself and I’m not even a Janeite. Then there are his several family members who have many troubles of their own, with and without Jane’s influence. And of course Aunt Winnie’s friend and her daughter who try their best to clear their names.

One thing I love about this series is that you don’t have to read all of them to know what is going on. I missed the first two, but read the third and fourth and felt like I was up to pace. I would like to read the first couple though so I can see exactly how Elizabeth became a sleuth. Wonder if that is a skill I can learn through reading and do it myself

I enjoyed the book. It was fun and upbeat for a murder mystery, but I did feel like the setup to murder took forever to get to. Early on, we know Baines was going to die and I just kept waiting and waiting for it to happen. I like the investigation party of murder mysteries. With that said, I don’t feel like anything was necessarily left out of the investigation, it just took a long time, I thought, to get there. But the setup was enjoyable and I did find myself laughing a few times, which is always a plus.

I give Murder Most Austen 4 out of 5 bookmarks.
(less)

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Oct 09, 2012 Leslie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Light and entertaining, Murder Most Austen would be a far better tribute to Austen if it's voice weren't so distinctly that of today. Today meaning not just modern times, but literally 2011-12. Trendy contemporary references and paper thin supporting characters aside, Kiely's attention to the inimitable Ms. Austen's wit and wisdom has allowed her to create a fun and frothy pastiche.

Not the best - nor even close to the worst - of Austen-inspired works, Murder Most Austen should appeal to fans of...more

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Sep 26, 2012 Judy Goodnight rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

4th in a series of Austen-related mysteries, this newest outing has our main character, Elizabeth Parker, flying off to England with her Aunt Winnie to attend the Jane Austen Festival in Bath. The festival starts off with a bang when an obnoxious & controversial Austen scholar is found dead. Elizabeth finds herself investigating in order to exonerate her aunt's friend who is implicated in the murder. Lots of conversation & another murder occur before Elizabeth can unmask the real murdere...more

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Oct 18, 2012 Patti rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: england-setting, mystery, published-2012-read-in-2012, read-in-2012

From my blog: http://pattispenandpicks.blogspot.com/

Murder Most Austen by Tracy Kiely is an excellent into the world of all things Austen. In this adventure, Elizabeth Parker and her great Aunt Winnie travel to England for a Jane Austen Festival being held in Bath. First they stop in London to enjoy some of its wonders, and then move on to Bath and the Festival.

On the plane to England, aunt and niece overhear, then become involved in, a conversation that renowned Professor Richard Baines is havi...more

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May 08, 2013 Holly rated it 4 of 5 stars

This series by Tracy Kiely is in one word: fun. They are not to be taken too seriously. Yes, she plays homage to Jane Austen by having quotes and such throughout her books. No, you don't have to read Austen to enjoy them. Are they going to be the best mysteries you have ever read? No. However, they make me smile and I enjoy the tongue-in-cheek humor. Good series so far.

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Jan 26, 2013 Julia rated it 3 of 5 stars

This one was too focused on Jane AUsten's works for my taste. I know it's unreasonable, given the title of the book, but based on her previous mysteries I wasn't expecting it and since I'm not a big Austen fan I wasn't really wowed by it. It certainly won't prevent me from reading her next book, but this isn't a mystery I will bother to read again.

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Feb 24, 2013 Gigi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

You don't have to be a fan of Jane Austen to love this humorous mystery. With its setting at a Jane Austen festival in England, it pays homage to Austen and the conventions of the traditional mystery, but that's only one layer of this story with American amateur sleuth Elizabeth Parker. A delightfully fun mystery.

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Feb 05, 2013 April rated it 2 of 5 stars

This was an enjoyable light fluffy mystery about a woman and her aunt off to a Jane Austen convention where murder and mayhem occur. Some parts of the plot seem forced (like the heroine's new best friend) but it was still an enjoyable read. I liked the character of the aunt the best. She seemed the most real.

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Sep 26, 2012 ❂ Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: cozy-mystery

I love this series and Murder Most Austen was, I think, the best so far. The main character Elizabeth really comes into her own in this book, I got a much better sense of her as a 'person'. I thought the dialogue between her and her aunt was full of wit and humour. The setting of Bath was a great one, especially if one is a Jane Austen fan, as this takes place during the Jane Austen Festival.

The murder mystery was very well crafted: lots of suspects, a red herring or two, a surprise here and the...more

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Sep 30, 2012 Kathy rated it 5 of 5 stars

A great book that all Janeites would love. Elizabeth Parker and her aunt Winnie attend the Jane Austen festival in Bath, England, and naturally a murder occurs. the fourth in Tracy Kiely's Austen series.

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Apr 06, 2013 Janice rated it 5 of 5 stars

Murder Most Austen was a great murder mystery. I loved the 2 main characters Elizabeth and her Aunt Winnie. Thank you Tracy Kiely for a good mystery! Thank you goodreads for another free giveaway!

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Sep 19, 2012 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

Not the best mystery I've read, but entertaining. It keeps you guessing, which is always good in a mystery!

A little heavy on the pop culture references - there are so many Jane Austen references that the more modern pop culture comments seem out of place/unnecessary.

Received through goodreads giveaway.

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Apr 18, 2013 Tonya rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

Another cute, cozy mystery from Tracy Kiely. I loved the characters and dialogue, although I did feel that the characters were not developed enough. I enjoyed the read - especially all the Austen quotes.

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Sep 23, 2012 Michele rated it 4 of 5 stars

A very fine, well-writteen mystery with lots of Jane Austen references and facts.
Characters are consistent and reliable. The murders are kept a mystery to nearly the end, with lots of red herrings.
I didn't like this one as much as previous books in the series, but it it is still a great read.

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Jan 14, 2013 Judy rated it 3 of 5 stars

If you are a fan of Jane Austen read this series. Fun characters who can get into crazy situations which of course include murder.

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Sep 23, 2012 Marianne rated it 3 of 5 stars

I've read all 4 books in this series and enjoyed them all. Murder mystery with Austen's storyies woven in make for a fun read.

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Nov 28, 2012 Nicole K rated it 3 of 5 stars

This series of Austen-inspired murders was just a way for me to kill time, and so that I would not need to think too much.

Kiely tried to make the parallels between Austen's "Northanger Abbey" and her novel by making Elizabeth a "Catherine Morland" character. I can't say that I can appreciate the parallels. Overall, quite fluffy and not terribly thrilling.

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Sep 27, 2012 Kelly Wagner rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

Amusing enough, but far too many of the characters are stereotypes with no real personality.

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Dec 30, 2012 Donna rated it 3 of 5 stars

still a great series this time set at a Jane Austen fest in Bath, England

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Oct 24, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wonderful characters and great use of wit. I will be reading the rest of this series.

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About Tracy Kiely

Tracy Kiely graduated from Trinity College in 1990 with a degree in English. Tracy's first novel, Murder at Longbourn, is a mystery set in Cape Cod, and combines her love of the classic English country house murder and Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. She currently lives in Maryland with her husband, Matt, and their three children.

More about Tracy Kiely...

Books by Tracy Kiely

Murder at Longbourn (An Elizabeth Parker Mystery #1)

Murder Most Persuasive (An Elizabeth Parker Mystery #3)

Murder on the Bride's Side (An Elizabeth Parker Mystery #2)

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Murder Most Austen (An Elizabeth Parker Mystery #4)

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