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Jane Austen Mysteries #5
Jane and the Stillroom Maid
Jane Austen as sleuth continues to delight in her latest adventure (after Jane and the Genius of the Place), which sheds new light on the author's travels in 1806. While enjoying a ramble in the Derbyshire hills near Bakewell (a town Eliza Bennett visits in Pride and Prejudice), Jane discovers the mutilated body of a young man. Jane's suspicions are roused when her escort, Mr. George Hemming, prefers to remove the unidentified corpse to Buxton, rather than Bakewell, and they increase when the body proves to be that of a woman dressed in men's clothing. Moreover, the corpse is identified as Tess Arnold, a servant at one of the area's great houses, whom Mr. Hemming should have recognized. As the compounder of stillroom remedies, Tess had a reputation as a healer, until accused of witchcraft. Rumors of ritual murder by Freemasons-who include most of the neighboring gentry-excite the local populace and jeopardize the investigation of the justice of the peace, himself a Mason. When Mr. Hemming disappears before the inquest, Jane and the justice turn for help to Lord Harold Trowbridge, a guest at the nearby ducal house of Chatsworth. Barron catches Austen's tone amazingly well. Details of early 19th-century country life of all classes ring true, while the story line is clear, yet full of surprises. The "editor's notes" that punctuate the text and old cures for various ills that open each chapter add to the charm. (Aug.)
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2000
75 people are currently reading
1436 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Barron
37 books884 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Stephanie Barron was born Francine Stephanie Barron in Binghamton, NY in 1963, the last of six girls. Her father was a retired general in the Air Force, her mother a beautiful woman who loved to dance. The family spent their summers on Cape Cod, where two of the Barron girls now live with their families; Francine's passion for Nantucket and the New England shoreline dates from her earliest memories. She grew up in Washington, D.C., and attended Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School, a two hundred year-old Catholic school for girls that shares a wall with Georgetown University. Her father died of a heart attack during her freshman year.
In 1981, she started college at Princeton – one of the most formative experiences of her life. There she fenced for the club varsity team and learned to write news stories for The Daily Princetonian – a hobby that led to two part-time jobs as a journalist for The Miami Herald and The San Jose Mercury News. Francine majored in European History, studying Napoleonic France, and won an Arthur W. Mellon Foundation Fellowship in the Humanities in her senior year. But the course she remembers most vividly from her time at Princeton is "The Literature of Fact," taught by John McPhee, the Pulitzer Prize winning author and staff writer for The New Yorker. John influenced Francine's writing more than even she knows and certainly more than she is able to say. If there were an altar erected to the man in Colorado, she'd place offerings there daily. He's her personal god of craft.
Francine spent three years at Stanford pursuing a doctorate in history; she failed to write her dissertation (on the Brazilian Bar Association under authoritarianism; can you blame her?) and left with a Masters. She applied to the CIA, spent a year temping in Northern Virginia while the FBI asked inconvenient questions of everyone she had ever known, passed a polygraph test on her twenty-sixth birthday, and was immediately thrown into the Career Trainee program: Boot Camp for the Agency's Best and Brightest. Four years as an intelligence analyst at the CIA were profoundly fulfilling, the highlights being Francine's work on the Counterterrorism Center's investigation into the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988, and sleeping on a horsehair mattress in a Spectre-era casino in the middle of Bratislava. Another peak moment was her chance to debrief ex-President George Bush in Houston in 1993. But what she remembers most about the place are the extraordinary intelligence and dedication of most of the staff – many of them women – many of whom cannot be named.
She wrote her first book in 1992 and left the Agency a year later. Fifteen books have followed, along with sundry children, dogs, and houses. When she's not writing, she likes to ski, garden, needlepoint, and buy art. Her phone number is definitely unlisted.
Stephanie Barron was born Francine Stephanie Barron in Binghamton, NY in 1963, the last of six girls. Her father was a retired general in the Air Force, her mother a beautiful woman who loved to dance. The family spent their summers on Cape Cod, where two of the Barron girls now live with their families; Francine's passion for Nantucket and the New England shoreline dates from her earliest memories. She grew up in Washington, D.C., and attended Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School, a two hundred year-old Catholic school for girls that shares a wall with Georgetown University. Her father died of a heart attack during her freshman year.
In 1981, she started college at Princeton – one of the most formative experiences of her life. There she fenced for the club varsity team and learned to write news stories for The Daily Princetonian – a hobby that led to two part-time jobs as a journalist for The Miami Herald and The San Jose Mercury News. Francine majored in European History, studying Napoleonic France, and won an Arthur W. Mellon Foundation Fellowship in the Humanities in her senior year. But the course she remembers most vividly from her time at Princeton is "The Literature of Fact," taught by John McPhee, the Pulitzer Prize winning author and staff writer for The New Yorker. John influenced Francine's writing more than even she knows and certainly more than she is able to say. If there were an altar erected to the man in Colorado, she'd place offerings there daily. He's her personal god of craft.
Francine spent three years at Stanford pursuing a doctorate in history; she failed to write her dissertation (on the Brazilian Bar Association under authoritarianism; can you blame her?) and left with a Masters. She applied to the CIA, spent a year temping in Northern Virginia while the FBI asked inconvenient questions of everyone she had ever known, passed a polygraph test on her twenty-sixth birthday, and was immediately thrown into the Career Trainee program: Boot Camp for the Agency's Best and Brightest. Four years as an intelligence analyst at the CIA were profoundly fulfilling, the highlights being Francine's work on the Counterterrorism Center's investigation into the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988, and sleeping on a horsehair mattress in a Spectre-era casino in the middle of Bratislava. Another peak moment was her chance to debrief ex-President George Bush in Houston in 1993. But what she remembers most about the place are the extraordinary intelligence and dedication of most of the staff – many of them women – many of whom cannot be named.
She wrote her first book in 1992 and left the Agency a year later. Fifteen books have followed, along with sundry children, dogs, and houses. When she's not writing, she likes to ski, garden, needlepoint, and buy art. Her phone number is definitely unlisted.
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June 25, 2021
Touring the Derbyshire countryside in the summer of 1806, Jane Austen, her mother, sister Cassandra and cousin Rev. Edward Cooper are staying at the Rutland Arms in Bakewell, in the Peak District. While on a day excursion out into the country with Mr. Cooper and his friend Mr. Hemming, the gentleman enjoy angling along the River Wye and Jane pursues her passion for a country walk, shortly ending in a disturbing discovery. A young gentleman is found “foully and cruelly” murdered on a crag near Millers Dale with a bullet in his head, his entrails torn from his body and his tongue cut out. Jane and Mr. Cooper are tourists to the area and the victim is unknown to them. Mr. Hemming, a local solicitor also claims not to recognize the young man. All three are deeply disturbed by the grisly discovery, but Mr. Hemming strangely acts out of character insisting that the body be transported a distance to Buxton and not to Bakewell the town under proper jurisdiction to the local Justice of the Peace and Coroner. After some uneasy discussion, Mr. Hemming reluctantly concedes to allow the corpse to be taken Bakewell, but Jane cannot help but notice that he is acting like a man burdened with guilt.
The local surgeon Mr. Tivey is summoned from his blacksmith duties and examines the deceased. He recognizes the victim immediately, suspecting some kind of evil mischief afoot. The young gentleman is no gentleman, he is a lady, one Tess Arnold, the stillroom maid of Penfolds Hall, the country estate of Mr. Charles Danford near Tideswell, only one mile north of where the body was discovered. Tivey is quick to spread the shocking details among the villagers of the vicious extent of her wounds. He claims it is a ritual killing related to an act of revenge conducted by the Freemasons when one of their own is betrayed. The local Justice of the Peace, Sir James Villiers, arrives and interviews Jane and her cousin Mr. Cooper. The Coroner’s Inquest will be called in three days. Run by the disgruntled Mr. Tivey who has been very liberal with his derogatory opinions of the murder by the Freemasons after they rejected him as a member. The “evil weight of a jealous tongue” has turned the villagers into an angry mob who want justice. Sir James entreats Jane to remain in town and relay her story of discovering the mutilated corpse.
At the Coroner’s Inquest, the parties connected to the young victim Tess Arnold are called to be questioned. Jane and her cousin relay their story, but oddly, the third witness in the discovery, Mr. Hemming, does not appear when called. We learn more about the victim and her duties as stillroom maid, and, her disreputable character. Her former employer Charles Danforth, who is in mourning the recent death of his wife and child, recognizes the clothing found on the corpse as his own, but cannot explain how she had possession of them. His personal connection to the victim is scrutinized by the coroner and he storms out of the proceedings. The Housekeeper is questioned and reveals that Tess had been dismissed on the same day as her death. Feigning heart trouble, or is it purposeful swooning, the proceedings for the day are stopped to assist the housekeeper. As the inquest disperses, Sir James invites Jane for nucheon to discuss her opinions on the case and an old friend unexpectantly arrives.
'At that moment, the rustling in the passage increased and the parlour door was thrust open. I turned, gazed, and rose immediately from my chair. A spare, tall figure, exquisitely dressed in the garb of a gentleman, was caught in a shaft of sunlight. He lifted his hat from his silver hair and bowed low over my hand
“It is a pleasure to see you again, Miss Austen. We have not met this age.”
Nor had we. But I must confess that the gentleman had lately been much in my thoughts.
“Lord Harold,” I replied a trifle unsteadily. “The honour is entirely mine.” Page 86
What a grand entrance for the Gentleman Rogue! Bathed in sunlight like a God? LOL! What? No twinkling stars in his eyes and blinding white teeth?
Jane and the Stillroom Maid is the fifth Jane Austen mystery, and for those unfamiliar with this series, the narrative is from a fictional diary written by Jane Austen and discovered in 1992 in a Georgian manor house near Baltimore. Inspired by actual events in Jane Austen’s life, historical fact and cultural detail, each of the novels has Jane Austen using her keen observational skills of human nature as a sleuth in a murder mystery.
This narrative is set in Pemberley country, that palatial country estate of Mr. Darcy, the hero of Austen’s famous novel Pride and Prejudice. Well, we don’t really know where in the county of Derbyshire the fictional Pemberley estate is, but we do have some clues from Austen that it was near Bakewell, where Jane and her family are staying in his story. It has long been suspected that Jane Austen modeled Pemberley after the famous Chatsworth House, the seat of the Duke of Devonshire and the Cavendish family since 1549. It lies only three and a half miles from Bakewell. The fact that Lord Harold is a guest at Chatsworth and takes Jane there as his guest to be served ratafia, route cakes and rumors of indiscretions, that may of lead to murder, is a delicious coincidence. It is delightful to imagine that Jane Austen could have toured the Peak District in the summer of 1806 and visited Chatsworth and modeled her Pemberley after it.
Each of the chapters is prefaced by a recipe from the Stillroom Book of the victim Tess Arnold. Stillroom maids were a combination of herbalist, apothecary and food preserver on large estates. Because of their skill at curatives and elixirs, stillroom maids were often accused of being witches, even in Jane’s time during the early 1800’s. Some of the recipes are disturbing to modern sensibilities: adding brains of four cock sparrows or mourning doves into a fruit tart to give someone courage, ew! But the recipes added to the charm of the era and brought home how far we have evolved with modern medicine and education.
The mystery was intriguing, but I think I figured out whodunit too soon. It did not spoil one moment of my enjoyment. Barron excels at historical detail, early 19th-century language and fabulous characterization. Her portrayal of Jane Austen is so natural and engaging that I lose myself in the character and forget that this is just fiction. Jane’s friendship with Lord Harold is exciting and tragic. I want them to be a couple, but realize that his being the second son of a duke and she an impoverished gentleman’s daughter, that it cannot happen. I also enjoy finding allusions to Jane Austen’s own characters in Barron’s own and laughed-out-loud at her interpretation of Mr. Edward Cooper, Rector of Hamstall Ridware, Staffordshire, Jane’s first cousin, supercilious singing toad and Mr. Collins knock-off. His reaction when being interrupted while fishing by Jane’s announcement of a murder is hilarious:
“A corpse?” Mr. Cooper exclaimed, with a look of consternation. “Not again, Jane! However shall we explain this to my aunt?” page 31
Laurel Ann, Austenprose
The local surgeon Mr. Tivey is summoned from his blacksmith duties and examines the deceased. He recognizes the victim immediately, suspecting some kind of evil mischief afoot. The young gentleman is no gentleman, he is a lady, one Tess Arnold, the stillroom maid of Penfolds Hall, the country estate of Mr. Charles Danford near Tideswell, only one mile north of where the body was discovered. Tivey is quick to spread the shocking details among the villagers of the vicious extent of her wounds. He claims it is a ritual killing related to an act of revenge conducted by the Freemasons when one of their own is betrayed. The local Justice of the Peace, Sir James Villiers, arrives and interviews Jane and her cousin Mr. Cooper. The Coroner’s Inquest will be called in three days. Run by the disgruntled Mr. Tivey who has been very liberal with his derogatory opinions of the murder by the Freemasons after they rejected him as a member. The “evil weight of a jealous tongue” has turned the villagers into an angry mob who want justice. Sir James entreats Jane to remain in town and relay her story of discovering the mutilated corpse.
At the Coroner’s Inquest, the parties connected to the young victim Tess Arnold are called to be questioned. Jane and her cousin relay their story, but oddly, the third witness in the discovery, Mr. Hemming, does not appear when called. We learn more about the victim and her duties as stillroom maid, and, her disreputable character. Her former employer Charles Danforth, who is in mourning the recent death of his wife and child, recognizes the clothing found on the corpse as his own, but cannot explain how she had possession of them. His personal connection to the victim is scrutinized by the coroner and he storms out of the proceedings. The Housekeeper is questioned and reveals that Tess had been dismissed on the same day as her death. Feigning heart trouble, or is it purposeful swooning, the proceedings for the day are stopped to assist the housekeeper. As the inquest disperses, Sir James invites Jane for nucheon to discuss her opinions on the case and an old friend unexpectantly arrives.
'At that moment, the rustling in the passage increased and the parlour door was thrust open. I turned, gazed, and rose immediately from my chair. A spare, tall figure, exquisitely dressed in the garb of a gentleman, was caught in a shaft of sunlight. He lifted his hat from his silver hair and bowed low over my hand
“It is a pleasure to see you again, Miss Austen. We have not met this age.”
Nor had we. But I must confess that the gentleman had lately been much in my thoughts.
“Lord Harold,” I replied a trifle unsteadily. “The honour is entirely mine.” Page 86
What a grand entrance for the Gentleman Rogue! Bathed in sunlight like a God? LOL! What? No twinkling stars in his eyes and blinding white teeth?
Jane and the Stillroom Maid is the fifth Jane Austen mystery, and for those unfamiliar with this series, the narrative is from a fictional diary written by Jane Austen and discovered in 1992 in a Georgian manor house near Baltimore. Inspired by actual events in Jane Austen’s life, historical fact and cultural detail, each of the novels has Jane Austen using her keen observational skills of human nature as a sleuth in a murder mystery.
This narrative is set in Pemberley country, that palatial country estate of Mr. Darcy, the hero of Austen’s famous novel Pride and Prejudice. Well, we don’t really know where in the county of Derbyshire the fictional Pemberley estate is, but we do have some clues from Austen that it was near Bakewell, where Jane and her family are staying in his story. It has long been suspected that Jane Austen modeled Pemberley after the famous Chatsworth House, the seat of the Duke of Devonshire and the Cavendish family since 1549. It lies only three and a half miles from Bakewell. The fact that Lord Harold is a guest at Chatsworth and takes Jane there as his guest to be served ratafia, route cakes and rumors of indiscretions, that may of lead to murder, is a delicious coincidence. It is delightful to imagine that Jane Austen could have toured the Peak District in the summer of 1806 and visited Chatsworth and modeled her Pemberley after it.
Each of the chapters is prefaced by a recipe from the Stillroom Book of the victim Tess Arnold. Stillroom maids were a combination of herbalist, apothecary and food preserver on large estates. Because of their skill at curatives and elixirs, stillroom maids were often accused of being witches, even in Jane’s time during the early 1800’s. Some of the recipes are disturbing to modern sensibilities: adding brains of four cock sparrows or mourning doves into a fruit tart to give someone courage, ew! But the recipes added to the charm of the era and brought home how far we have evolved with modern medicine and education.
The mystery was intriguing, but I think I figured out whodunit too soon. It did not spoil one moment of my enjoyment. Barron excels at historical detail, early 19th-century language and fabulous characterization. Her portrayal of Jane Austen is so natural and engaging that I lose myself in the character and forget that this is just fiction. Jane’s friendship with Lord Harold is exciting and tragic. I want them to be a couple, but realize that his being the second son of a duke and she an impoverished gentleman’s daughter, that it cannot happen. I also enjoy finding allusions to Jane Austen’s own characters in Barron’s own and laughed-out-loud at her interpretation of Mr. Edward Cooper, Rector of Hamstall Ridware, Staffordshire, Jane’s first cousin, supercilious singing toad and Mr. Collins knock-off. His reaction when being interrupted while fishing by Jane’s announcement of a murder is hilarious:
“A corpse?” Mr. Cooper exclaimed, with a look of consternation. “Not again, Jane! However shall we explain this to my aunt?” page 31
Laurel Ann, Austenprose
January 15, 2021
My Rating: 4.5*
"There are moments in life that should justifiably live long in memory - moments of experience so deeply felt, whether pain or pleasure, that they mark the human soul even unto the grave." (quote from the book)
I am slowly working my way through this series. I had hopes of reading at least one a month, but I am lucky if I even read one a year! Don't get me wrong, I am really enjoying this series. There are just so many books out there!
This fifth book is my favourite so far though! Jane, Cassandra and her mother are visiting various family members before settling down with her brother, Captain Francis Austen, and his wife in Southhampton. This time they are in Derbyshire the land of 'Mr. Darcy' and Chatsworth! What's not to love?
They are visiting their cousin, Mr. Cooper, his wife and eight children. When the children become sick from whooping cough, Mr. Cooper takes the Austen ladies to visit Bakewell in Derbyshire so they may see the beauty of the Peak District. There were definite shades of 'Mr. Collins' in Mr. Cooper.
"The waters of the Wye lapped at our feet; a curlew called in the crags somewhere above; and off in the distance I caught the clatter of crows. It was a distinctly mournful sound, rife with dispute and acrimony; and for an instant, a shade was thrown over the brightness of the summer day." (quote from the book)
However, Mr. Cooper is an avid angler. and it is on one outing with Mr. Cooper, and a long time friend he hasn't seen in years, Mr. Hemming, that Jane goes walking up a craggy peak. What she doesn't expect to find when she nears the top is the dead body of a young gentleman shot in the head, along with other atrocities. And so our mystery begins.
"There was trouble here in Paradise, something greater even than the grief of mourning; the anxiety behind all their looks revealed it." (quote from the book)
There are many characters and threads involved in this story that kept me engaged. With the clues slowly revealed, I still knew who the murderer was. But I so enjoyed Jane's observations and how she connected all the threads. I also enjoyed having Lord Harold return in this one to assist her.
"...he was formed in intrigue, schooled in calculation, and took the cynic's breath with his mother's milk." (quote from the book)
I do recommend this well written and well researched series.
March 24, 2022
The quality and research involved in this book means I really couldn’t give this book less than 4 stars. I don’t have an extensive knowledge of Jane Austen’s life, but I have read Lucy Worseley’s biography and much of the information in there is confirmed by this author. However for some reason I have difficulties getting into this author’s work and maintaining focus. Definitely a case of #it’s menotyou
June 5, 2023
This is an excellent series, featuring author Jane Austen as protagonist and amateur sleuth.
January 23, 2023
My 3rd Time Reading.
Oringally intended to read in 2017 before our trip to England. Actually glad now that I didn't get to it. Meant so much more now having actually been to Chatsworth. Originally purchased on the cheap at used bookstore. Print was way to small so I purchased on Audible. Narrator is excellent. I read first in series years ago. Thinking I might go back and read/listen to whole series for Austen in August 2018. It really is quite fun.
Rereading for my Jane and the Year 2020 Challenge to read entire series. Love this one because Jane goes to Chatsworth. - 2020
And now I'm hosting a Readalong on Litsy (find it with #janeandtheexcellentreadalong hashtag) as countdown to release of last book in the Series - Jane and the Winchester Schoolboy.
This one remains one of my favorites because of Chatsworth setting. Actual Stillroom Recipes/Treatments is interesting bit of trivia.
Oringally intended to read in 2017 before our trip to England. Actually glad now that I didn't get to it. Meant so much more now having actually been to Chatsworth. Originally purchased on the cheap at used bookstore. Print was way to small so I purchased on Audible. Narrator is excellent. I read first in series years ago. Thinking I might go back and read/listen to whole series for Austen in August 2018. It really is quite fun.
Rereading for my Jane and the Year 2020 Challenge to read entire series. Love this one because Jane goes to Chatsworth. - 2020
And now I'm hosting a Readalong on Litsy (find it with #janeandtheexcellentreadalong hashtag) as countdown to release of last book in the Series - Jane and the Winchester Schoolboy.
This one remains one of my favorites because of Chatsworth setting. Actual Stillroom Recipes/Treatments is interesting bit of trivia.
January 7, 2018
Being a fan of Regency-era mysteries, as well as Kate Reading's narration, I decided to try the first available audiobook in the series. Turned out a smart move! Not being a Jane-ite, I suppose I'm spared the inevitable comparison with her work and life details. Biggest takeaway for me was seeing her as rather an extrovert, when somehow I'd felt her as more reclusive? As far as book itself is concerned, my only real issue was that I had trouble keeping straight who was who among the upper class characters at times.
September 15, 2019
2.5 stars rounded up to 3
I read this book in the French version; entertaining enough, but nothing to remember for long.
I read this book in the French version; entertaining enough, but nothing to remember for long.
January 17, 2018
Che piacevolissima sorpresa scoprire Jane Austen in questa veste di "investigatrice" che a mio avviso calza perfettamente con il carattere della scrittrice.
Questa vicenda si svolge nell'estate del 1806, l'anno successivo alla morte del reverendo Austen, durante una visita nel Derbyshire, luogo ormai conosciuto e amato dalle fedeli lettrici di Jane Austen.
Ho amato tutti i personaggi di questo romanzo.
In primo luogo la Jane Austen di Stephanie Barron che in qualunque luogo visiti, incappa un un cadavere. Una disdicevole abitudine, come prontamente sottolinea la madre. Personaggio davvero interessante che considera Lord Harold Trowbridge, quinto Duca di Wilborough, una cattiva compagnia per Jane, ma che non esita a lasciarli per un colloquio tête-à-tête, ricordandomi Mrs Bennet.
Mia grande pecca è stata l'aver scoperto, a lettura inoltrata, precedenti romanzi della serie dove la figura di Lord Harold era presente, come si evince dalla lettura di questo libro.
Personaggio davvero interessante, che mi fa ben sperare anche per la lettura dei libri precedenti, che sicuramente vedrò di recuperare.
Dipinti con maestria anche la famiglia duchi del Devonshire con cui Jane ha contatti grazie a Lord Harold e all'omicidio sul quale indaga con la discrezione dovuta alla sua posizione.
Particolare nota va fatta al personaggio di Reverendo Edward Cooper, cugino di Jane, al quale si dice che la scrittrice abbia preso spunto per il suo mr Collins. Davvero singolare in questa ricostruzione, con la sua buffa mania di cantare inni soprattutto quando si ritrova sotto tensione, ricorda benissimo il personaggio, altrettanto stravagante di Orgoglio e Pregiudizio.
Una lettura davvero piacevole ed affascinante.
Questa vicenda si svolge nell'estate del 1806, l'anno successivo alla morte del reverendo Austen, durante una visita nel Derbyshire, luogo ormai conosciuto e amato dalle fedeli lettrici di Jane Austen.
Ho amato tutti i personaggi di questo romanzo.
In primo luogo la Jane Austen di Stephanie Barron che in qualunque luogo visiti, incappa un un cadavere. Una disdicevole abitudine, come prontamente sottolinea la madre. Personaggio davvero interessante che considera Lord Harold Trowbridge, quinto Duca di Wilborough, una cattiva compagnia per Jane, ma che non esita a lasciarli per un colloquio tête-à-tête, ricordandomi Mrs Bennet.
Mia grande pecca è stata l'aver scoperto, a lettura inoltrata, precedenti romanzi della serie dove la figura di Lord Harold era presente, come si evince dalla lettura di questo libro.
Personaggio davvero interessante, che mi fa ben sperare anche per la lettura dei libri precedenti, che sicuramente vedrò di recuperare.
Dipinti con maestria anche la famiglia duchi del Devonshire con cui Jane ha contatti grazie a Lord Harold e all'omicidio sul quale indaga con la discrezione dovuta alla sua posizione.
Particolare nota va fatta al personaggio di Reverendo Edward Cooper, cugino di Jane, al quale si dice che la scrittrice abbia preso spunto per il suo mr Collins. Davvero singolare in questa ricostruzione, con la sua buffa mania di cantare inni soprattutto quando si ritrova sotto tensione, ricorda benissimo il personaggio, altrettanto stravagante di Orgoglio e Pregiudizio.
Una lettura davvero piacevole ed affascinante.
March 29, 2024
This is the quintessential Jane Austen mystery. A village setting, great country house, nobles and the common people, all under suspicion for a domestic crime. Greatly prefer these to her mysteries featuring pirates and spies.
February 9, 2014
Mrs. Austen and Cassandra are still making a tour of various relatives before settling down with Frank in Southhampton. This time they are visiting cousin Edward Cooper. The Cooper family becomes afflicted with whooping cough so Edward must take his relations off on a tour of Derbyshire. Jane heads off to explore the peaks while the gentlemen fish and Mrs. A and Cassandra rest at the inn. While exploring, Jane comes across her most gruesome murder yet. She discovers the body of a young gentleman with a bullet hole to his forehead and a badly mutilated body. Cousin Edward's friend Mr. Hemming lends his assistance in bringing the body back to town. The locals believe the crime is the work of the local branch of Freemasons based on rumors and superstition of devil worship and Satanic sacrifice. When the coroner/surgeon examines the body it is found to be that of a young female named Tess Arnold who worked as a stillroom maid at the home of Mr. Charles Danforth, a grieving widower with a club foot. The locals all fear Mr. Charles Danforth is cursed or worse since his entire family has recently deceased. They believe he is the murderer and want him hanged. Jane is disturbed by the grisly murder and determined to see justice done. Lord Harold, her gentleman rogue, shows up in Derbyshire to mourn the loss of Georgiana, the Duchess of Devonshire. His niece, Desdemona is also there and desires to see Jane again. Jane heads off to the luxe Chatsworth estate and finds herself socializing with the scandalous Cavendish set. At Chatsworth Jane discovers an unhappy situation and fears that the clues may lead to the murder of the maid. With the help of the maid's stillroom book, Jane manages to solve the murder but not before more death and unhappiness visit the area.
This story is the best mystery yet. It introduces the murder and suspects right away. Just when the answer seems obvious, the story takes twists and turns. The motive and murderer were pretty obvious but the clues left me in doubt until all was revealed. I liked having an intimate glimpse of Chatsworth and the Duke's family whom I know a little about from the Keira Knightly movie The Duchess.
I was happy to have Lord Harold return to help Jane solve the investigation but I did not like that she loses her heart to him and nearly succumbs to the desire to live the life of the ton. That does not fit with the Jane that is depicted in the previous books and very unlike the real Jane.
I absolutely loved the stillroom recipes included at the end of each chapter. There was very little knowledge about medicine in those days and even the descriptions of the doctor's care are cringeworthy. An editor's afterward names the sources of stillroom medicine from Jane Austen's time and explains what happened to the Duke of Devonshire and family after the events of the novel.
This story is the best mystery yet. It introduces the murder and suspects right away. Just when the answer seems obvious, the story takes twists and turns. The motive and murderer were pretty obvious but the clues left me in doubt until all was revealed. I liked having an intimate glimpse of Chatsworth and the Duke's family whom I know a little about from the Keira Knightly movie The Duchess.
I was happy to have Lord Harold return to help Jane solve the investigation but I did not like that she loses her heart to him and nearly succumbs to the desire to live the life of the ton. That does not fit with the Jane that is depicted in the previous books and very unlike the real Jane.
I absolutely loved the stillroom recipes included at the end of each chapter. There was very little knowledge about medicine in those days and even the descriptions of the doctor's care are cringeworthy. An editor's afterward names the sources of stillroom medicine from Jane Austen's time and explains what happened to the Duke of Devonshire and family after the events of the novel.
October 12, 2018
Another wonderful Jane Austen mystery. :) I really enjoy reading this series. The mystery was interesting and I had no clue who the killer was until Jane revealed it. But, it all made sense after her explanation. I would love to see something happen between Jane and Lord Harold, but alas, I know it can't be. I can't wait to read the next one in the series and highly recommend this series to all who like Jane Austen.
March 3, 2024
I LOVE this series!!! Stephanie Barron seamlessly blends fact and fiction. She does Jane Austen proud! "Jane and the Stillroom Maid" might be favorite in this series, until the next one becomes my favorite! I can't wait to start reading , "Jane and the Prisoner of Wool House!" I think I'll start reading it tonight!
May 27, 2020
This one of the series is/was so well done. I'm not sure why, but both the A and B storylines were both so fulfilling as a reader. My words are failing me, but the interweaving and the duplicity/misdirection were so much fun to wander through with Jane.
February 16, 2021
Good grief! That took some figuring out on someone’s part, certainly not mine. Jane was able to unravel a very involved family plot with many twists, and scheming relations, who came to a sad and bad end. The singing cousin was a very good touch. I just wish poor Jane was able to reap some reward, aside from having the satisfaction of solving a mystery.
July 18, 2023
Clever story and the writing so authentic that sometimes I didn't understand it!
August 9, 2024
I enjoyed this mystery but it is my least favorite of the first 5. I had trouble keeping all the characters straight and would have appreciated a character list. Satisfying conclusion, which made sense.
July 13, 2025
It’s a great read if you love Jane Austen - this series takes historical fragments from Jane’s life and imagines a mystery around them. They are fun though it is a little sad that she doesn’t experience the romance we wish for her!
November 24, 2020
Meh. The setup was intriguing - discovery of a body, which turns out to be a murdered woman dressed as a man. The voice - I’m guessing that Barron has read through Austen’s personal correspondance more than once - is moderately convincing though it does try a little too hard at times, especially in the opening.
But it just went on. And on, without much developing, at least in my eyes. The interspersed excerpts from a stillroom book (collection of recipes and instructions for a housewife) were a welcome relief, though they felt rather like “see, I did do my research” reminders.
And yeah, that research? Barron somehow missed a major, major aspect of Regency England. It was as Protestant as possible to be. It is completely unbelievable that educated English people of the middle-to-upper class would cross themselves like ‘Papists’ (a derogatory English term for Roman Catholics). I doubt that lower-class or peasants would do so, either - they might ‘make horns’ or other apotropaic folk-gestures, but crossing oneself? Nope nope nope.
Somewhat secondarily, it’s also rather eyebrow-raising that these educated English gentry apparently believe in witches enough to openly make warding signs against them. The witch-hunts were a century ago, in a time of great unrest and fear, and even then the educated classes were arguing against the superstition.
If someone wants a hit of pseudo-Austen narrative, I guess they could go to this series. Just don’t assume that you’re getting any reliable insight into the time and place. Author also likes to have Jane hob-nobbing with notable Regency characters she probably was never in the same Assembly room with.
But it just went on. And on, without much developing, at least in my eyes. The interspersed excerpts from a stillroom book (collection of recipes and instructions for a housewife) were a welcome relief, though they felt rather like “see, I did do my research” reminders.
And yeah, that research? Barron somehow missed a major, major aspect of Regency England. It was as Protestant as possible to be. It is completely unbelievable that educated English people of the middle-to-upper class would cross themselves like ‘Papists’ (a derogatory English term for Roman Catholics). I doubt that lower-class or peasants would do so, either - they might ‘make horns’ or other apotropaic folk-gestures, but crossing oneself? Nope nope nope.
Somewhat secondarily, it’s also rather eyebrow-raising that these educated English gentry apparently believe in witches enough to openly make warding signs against them. The witch-hunts were a century ago, in a time of great unrest and fear, and even then the educated classes were arguing against the superstition.
If someone wants a hit of pseudo-Austen narrative, I guess they could go to this series. Just don’t assume that you’re getting any reliable insight into the time and place. Author also likes to have Jane hob-nobbing with notable Regency characters she probably was never in the same Assembly room with.
June 11, 2022
I continue to enjoy this series. the historical and literary notes are well-researched, and the writing is good. I noticed more of a sense of humor in the dialogue this time, which I don't remember from previous entries; I may be getting more familiar with the style of writing, or it may have been intended to balance some of the dark details of the mystery.
October 19, 2012
Hooray for a book I loved!
The concept sounds a little funny... Jane Austen as a accidental detective, but it worked. She was obviously a witty and bright woman so the thought of her curiosities being peaked to the point of investigation didn't seem so far fetched to me.
The author must be a Jane Austen historian because many of the characters/dates/locations are accurate accounts of Austen's life - what Stephanie Barron does is takes unaccounted time lapses of her life and fills them in with mysteries. There are even interesting author's notes about Jane's (I can call her that, right? ;)) real life along the way. She does a bit of "Finding Neverland" take on it as well - you find many a supposed inspiration for Pride and Prejudice.
The mystery was enthralling - I was in suspense the whole time. There were hints all along, which I picked up on, but never enough to put all the pieces together. There were twists and turns, complicated plot lines, humor (appropriately Austen's sardonic style), and random things that I found even educational (ex. info on Free Masonry, stillroom maids, Whigs and Torreys, highwaymen). I love Jane Austen romances, but this was a fresh breath of air... written in her style but with mystery and intrigue? Sold.
There are several in this series and now I intend to read them all!
The concept sounds a little funny... Jane Austen as a accidental detective, but it worked. She was obviously a witty and bright woman so the thought of her curiosities being peaked to the point of investigation didn't seem so far fetched to me.
The author must be a Jane Austen historian because many of the characters/dates/locations are accurate accounts of Austen's life - what Stephanie Barron does is takes unaccounted time lapses of her life and fills them in with mysteries. There are even interesting author's notes about Jane's (I can call her that, right? ;)) real life along the way. She does a bit of "Finding Neverland" take on it as well - you find many a supposed inspiration for Pride and Prejudice.
The mystery was enthralling - I was in suspense the whole time. There were hints all along, which I picked up on, but never enough to put all the pieces together. There were twists and turns, complicated plot lines, humor (appropriately Austen's sardonic style), and random things that I found even educational (ex. info on Free Masonry, stillroom maids, Whigs and Torreys, highwaymen). I love Jane Austen romances, but this was a fresh breath of air... written in her style but with mystery and intrigue? Sold.
There are several in this series and now I intend to read them all!
March 31, 2023
I find this series, written in the first-person voice of Jane Austen, to be quite an improvement on many novels written in the current trashy vernacular. The language that Barron uses is of an elevated kind and although the subject matter is a grisly murder, Barron doesn’t devolve into pure sensationalism as Jane navigates through her own private investigation of matters. Barron has worked through a timeline of Austen’s life - events and places - that she weaves into each story. For example in this book, Jane, her sister Cassandra, and their mother have left Bath after their father’s death and are meandering their way to the home of Jane’s brother, Francis, where they will have to settle, which is true to Austen’s life. But Barron allows Jane to take a side trip to Derbyshire (think of Mr. Darcy) where she comes across the mutilated body of a young man. (Don��t you hate it when that happens?). She’s been taken there by her cousin, an irritating self-righteous curate (think of Mr. Collins). When the murdered young man turns out to be a woman in men’s clothing, the plot starts to take on some weight and needs a person of Jane’s penetration and clarity of thought to sort through all of the confusion.
July 15, 2011
A couple of years ago, I really jumped into this series. I do not consider myself a mystery reader, but I really enjoyed these books. Perhaps it is because the main character is Jane Austen, and I have been known to enjoy an Austen book or two.
Jane, her mother, sister, and cousin are on a trip to Derbysire (which is beautiful country, I must add). On an afternoon of visiting the countryside, Jane discovers a dead, and mutilated body. It turns out that while on first appearing like a man, the truth is shared that it is the Stillroom maid from a local estate.
Naturally, Jane , with the help of Lord Harold, begin to uncover clues as to the murder of this less than admirable woman. There a web of falsehoods and lies, they discover the truth and save the person that appears to be taking the blame.
I must admit, I had a hard time getting into this book. So if you have liked the others, but find this one slow going in the beginning: stick with it.
Jane, her mother, sister, and cousin are on a trip to Derbysire (which is beautiful country, I must add). On an afternoon of visiting the countryside, Jane discovers a dead, and mutilated body. It turns out that while on first appearing like a man, the truth is shared that it is the Stillroom maid from a local estate.
Naturally, Jane , with the help of Lord Harold, begin to uncover clues as to the murder of this less than admirable woman. There a web of falsehoods and lies, they discover the truth and save the person that appears to be taking the blame.
I must admit, I had a hard time getting into this book. So if you have liked the others, but find this one slow going in the beginning: stick with it.
July 30, 2019
I think this book is a return to form after the last one, which was a bit of a disappointment. This book had a much more engaging cast of characters, who this time seemed like actual fleshed-out people instead of cardboard cutouts, and a compelling, suspenseful mystery. I didn't find out the murderer until Jane revealed his identity and the solution made a lot of sense to me in hindsight. I especially liked the inclusion of the epigraphs, and the way in which they paralleled Jane's progressive towards the truth. I will definitely be reading the next book in the series.
Added on 2019 re-read: Having totally forgotten the solution to the mystery, I enjoyed the book just as much as on my first read. This book is a quick read, but really fun and engaging, with plenty of suspense to keep my interest until the solution of the mystery.
Added on 2019 re-read: Having totally forgotten the solution to the mystery, I enjoyed the book just as much as on my first read. This book is a quick read, but really fun and engaging, with plenty of suspense to keep my interest until the solution of the mystery.
November 18, 2016
A rather heartbreaking addition to the JA Mysteries series, on multiple levels. This was nevertheless another wonderful read- taking the reader to Derbyshire and engaging in complex domestic drama. It will be particularly appealing to those with an interest in the life of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, because though set shortly after her death, there are extensive scenes featuring the family members that survived her.
September 27, 2013
This Jane Austen mystery is a good cozy with a satisfying ending. Also has recipes for interesting "old-time home medicines" sprinkled throughout - including how to conceive a boy and how to get rid of freckles :)
February 20, 2009
Pretty good book. It was kind of hard to get into.
August 11, 2021
This fifth mystery Jane Austen has to solve is a wide-open bloodbath in the crags of Derbyshire, unlike the locked-room variations of her first, third, and fourth mysteries. Spoilers ahead, so beware!
I loved this novel. I think it was one of the very best of the series.
I loved this novel. I think it was one of the very best of the series.
March 7, 2018
This is a fun one, though a bit dark, almost Gothic with the imposing stone edifice of Penfolds Major, the treacherous peaks, the "anatomization" of corpses. It is also, I think, the most political of the series so far, with Jane finding herself with the family of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, as they mourn her death.
The mystery itself was nicely convoluted, and if you enjoyed nineteenth century medical creepiness, this is definitely the installment for you. I did not correctly guess the murderer, though I did guess the motive. The blending of the great (the Marquess, the Earl) and the low (the surgeon, the maid) in social discourse and in potential culpability made for a varied reading experience.
I found the side characters and their potential romances very compelling in this one - Lady Harriet, the Danforth brothers - it just stuck out to me as having a particular pathos. I'm not invested in Jane/Lord Harold, so I found the exposition on that relationship here trying, but it didn't dominate the whole story. Overall, I enjoyed this one actively. It's hard to "recommend" or not "recommend" a book in a series, either you're reading through the series or you're not, but this one is not a slog, I'll say that!
The mystery itself was nicely convoluted, and if you enjoyed nineteenth century medical creepiness, this is definitely the installment for you. I did not correctly guess the murderer, though I did guess the motive. The blending of the great (the Marquess, the Earl) and the low (the surgeon, the maid) in social discourse and in potential culpability made for a varied reading experience.
I found the side characters and their potential romances very compelling in this one - Lady Harriet, the Danforth brothers - it just stuck out to me as having a particular pathos. I'm not invested in Jane/Lord Harold, so I found the exposition on that relationship here trying, but it didn't dominate the whole story. Overall, I enjoyed this one actively. It's hard to "recommend" or not "recommend" a book in a series, either you're reading through the series or you're not, but this one is not a slog, I'll say that!
April 12, 2024
Il libro scorre via più velocemente dei precedenti, ma perdurano i miei dubbi su questa autrice.
Premettiamo che io non digerisco i falsi storici. E’ più forte di me. Non ce la faccio. Quindi questo romanzo fin dalla prima pagina della prefazione non può entusiasmarmi perché parte dall’assunto (mai comprovato) che nell’agosto del 1806 Jane Austen si sia recata per una settimana nel Derbyshire durante il suo soggiorno di otto settimane dal cugino.
La cosa assurda è che l’autrice porta questo romanzo (sbandierato come diario perduto di Jane Austen) come prova di questa ipotesi!
Comprendo che è tutto un teatrino, ma mi fa comunque il contropelo, perché non tutti lo comprendono e ci sarà qualcuno che sosterrà queste ipotesi come vere perché scritte in questo libro.
Il romanzo è da leggersi anche come un elogio alla massoneria, che ho trovato molto fuori luogo per l’argomento trattato, nonché molto fastidioso (al riguardo suggerisco la lettura de La valle della paura di Sir Conan Doyle).
Complessivamente il libro, nonostante le gravi lacune, scorre via abbastanza velocemente.
Per la recensione completa visita il mio blog:
https://dilettanicastro.blogspot.com/...
Premettiamo che io non digerisco i falsi storici. E’ più forte di me. Non ce la faccio. Quindi questo romanzo fin dalla prima pagina della prefazione non può entusiasmarmi perché parte dall’assunto (mai comprovato) che nell’agosto del 1806 Jane Austen si sia recata per una settimana nel Derbyshire durante il suo soggiorno di otto settimane dal cugino.
La cosa assurda è che l’autrice porta questo romanzo (sbandierato come diario perduto di Jane Austen) come prova di questa ipotesi!
Comprendo che è tutto un teatrino, ma mi fa comunque il contropelo, perché non tutti lo comprendono e ci sarà qualcuno che sosterrà queste ipotesi come vere perché scritte in questo libro.
Il romanzo è da leggersi anche come un elogio alla massoneria, che ho trovato molto fuori luogo per l’argomento trattato, nonché molto fastidioso (al riguardo suggerisco la lettura de La valle della paura di Sir Conan Doyle).
Complessivamente il libro, nonostante le gravi lacune, scorre via abbastanza velocemente.
Per la recensione completa visita il mio blog:
https://dilettanicastro.blogspot.com/...
August 24, 2017
Era proprio necessaria la presenza di Mr Cooper? Personaggio indegnamente ispirato a Mr Collins, ma che di lui e della sua esuberante personalità non ha assolutamente nulla. Per timore poi, che ci potessero essere dubbi sul legame fra i due, questo poveretto deve necessariamente ripetere il mantra, in cui inneggia al suo "stimato benefattore" ogni due frasi che pronuncia e fra un innno e l'altro che canta.
Jane Austen poi è priva di quella particolare ironia che traspare dai suoi romanzi, le uniche frasi degne di nota sono quelle scopiazzate da Orgoglio e Pregiudizio.
Presa tale decisione, il secondo giorno di luglio ci eravamo scrollate di dosso la polvere di Bath, colme del felice sentimento della Fuga, e avevamo dedicato tutte le nostre energie a un'estate di ozio.
E proprio fra uno sbadiglio e l'altro, sono riuscita a portare a termine l'impresa, nonostante il giallo fosse interessante.
Jane Austen poi è priva di quella particolare ironia che traspare dai suoi romanzi, le uniche frasi degne di nota sono quelle scopiazzate da Orgoglio e Pregiudizio.
Presa tale decisione, il secondo giorno di luglio ci eravamo scrollate di dosso la polvere di Bath, colme del felice sentimento della Fuga, e avevamo dedicato tutte le nostre energie a un'estate di ozio.
E proprio fra uno sbadiglio e l'altro, sono riuscita a portare a termine l'impresa, nonostante il giallo fosse interessante.
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