Question E

[Jonetta]

At one point, Sebastian went from no suspects to at least five (as Hero so aptly pointed out). Which was the most persuasive for you initially: Oliphant, the vindictive ex-governor; Wyeth, the scorned Army captain; Thistlewood, the rival curiosity collector; Henry Austen, the banker; and Priss Mulligan, the nasty secondhand dealer?

[Veronica]

I didn't figure it would be Oliphant just because that would seem too obvious given his history with Sebastian. I was leaning towards Wyeth until the doctor and Toop also ended up dead. I thought it would've been interesting and dramatic if Anne learned the man she loved had killed her father.

[Charlene]

I had no idea, I found this book more confusing to read than its predecessors. Maybe my state of mind, but there you have it.

[Jonetta]

I vacillated between Priss Mulligan and Oliphant. Yes, I thought Oliphant was too obvious but these two people were just vicious. I placed Wyeth low on the list because I didn't want him to be guilty:)

However, I knew Barbados had to be a factor. That pretty much eliminated Priss but I just wanted her dealt with.

[Lauren]

None of them really stood out strongly in my mind.
It was only when the doctor was killed that I began to suspect a connection to Jamaica. It wasn't too long after that, that I realized the only one with a connection to both men was Knightly. It couldn't be Oliphant (despite the Jamaica connection) because neither victims would have turned their back to him or to his henchman, Flynn.

[Lauren]

Jonetta wrote: "I placed Wyeth low on the list because I didn't want him to be guilty:)."

I didn't want it to be him either because he seemed to be Austen's model for Captain Wentworth in Persuasion ( my favorite Austen book).