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A review by reading_historical_romance
Murder in Highbury by Vanessa Kelly
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Jane Austen's irrepressible Emma envisioned as a sleuth, eager to suss out the truth after a murder is discovered in Highbury? Sign me up because I am here for it!
I really enjoyed this fun cozy mystery that imagines Emma's life as newlywed Mrs. Knightley who, along with her loyal but dim friend, Harriet Smith, stumbles upon the dead body of her former nemesis and vicar's wife, Mrs. Elton. I appreciate that the author never tries to pretend to be writing anything other than what this is: a light, easy read that is really just trad-published fan fiction of the classic novel. For Austen and Emma fans, this is a lovely idea for a historical mystery. All of the beloved characters in the original novel make multiple appearances here, predictably doing as much helping as hindering the local magistrate, Mr. Knightley (of course), to solve the crime.
I thought the book was paced well and the mystery was plotted effectively, with the last half of the book being faster and more enjoyable as Emma and Knightley really hit their stride and got down to the business of uncovering the big clues. While the characterizations aren't exactly the way I have them all in my mind (my Emma would never call her Mr. Knightley "George" for example), there is enough of an effort to carry over the personalities from the source material that it worked ok anyway.
My hot take on this one is that the book would have been much better overall if Mrs. Elton wasn't the murder victim. Because Mrs. Elton is the primary source of conflict for most of the characters during a majority of the original novel, I found myself wishing that she was here in this one to stir everybody up and throw obstacles into the plotline. Emma should have had a good foil in this book, and Mrs. Elton would have been such great competion for Emma in the race to expose the real villain. I would have chosen a recognizable, but irrelevant character from Austen's work, like Mrs. Cox, Mrs. Elton's sister or brother-in-law, to be the victim, or an original character like a domestic servant or some distant cousin visiting family in Highbury.
Be that as it may, I would absolutely read another mystery featuring this detective Emma and her handsome Knightley -- perhaps starring Mr. Woodhouse as an unlikely hero.
Thank you Kensington Publishing, NetGalley, and Austenprose for the opportunity to read and review this novel. All opinions are my own.
I really enjoyed this fun cozy mystery that imagines Emma's life as newlywed Mrs. Knightley who, along with her loyal but dim friend, Harriet Smith, stumbles upon the dead body of her former nemesis and vicar's wife, Mrs. Elton. I appreciate that the author never tries to pretend to be writing anything other than what this is: a light, easy read that is really just trad-published fan fiction of the classic novel. For Austen and Emma fans, this is a lovely idea for a historical mystery. All of the beloved characters in the original novel make multiple appearances here, predictably doing as much helping as hindering the local magistrate, Mr. Knightley (of course), to solve the crime.
I thought the book was paced well and the mystery was plotted effectively, with the last half of the book being faster and more enjoyable as Emma and Knightley really hit their stride and got down to the business of uncovering the big clues. While the characterizations aren't exactly the way I have them all in my mind (my Emma would never call her Mr. Knightley "George" for example), there is enough of an effort to carry over the personalities from the source material that it worked ok anyway.
My hot take on this one is that the book would have been much better overall if Mrs. Elton wasn't the murder victim. Because Mrs. Elton is the primary source of conflict for most of the characters during a majority of the original novel, I found myself wishing that she was here in this one to stir everybody up and throw obstacles into the plotline. Emma should have had a good foil in this book, and Mrs. Elton would have been such great competion for Emma in the race to expose the real villain. I would have chosen a recognizable, but irrelevant character from Austen's work, like Mrs. Cox, Mrs. Elton's sister or brother-in-law, to be the victim, or an original character like a domestic servant or some distant cousin visiting family in Highbury.
Be that as it may, I would absolutely read another mystery featuring this detective Emma and her handsome Knightley -- perhaps starring Mr. Woodhouse as an unlikely hero.
Thank you Kensington Publishing, NetGalley, and Austenprose for the opportunity to read and review this novel. All opinions are my own.