In Jessica Bull's delightful Miss Austen Investigates: The Hapless Milliner, young Jane Austen is dallying at a ball with handsome Tom Lefroy until things are thrown into an uproar by the discovery of a body. Jessica Bull's first novel, which captures the real Jane's wit and liveliness, is a charming historical mystery sure to appeal to mystery readers and Austen lovers alike.
Jane is shocked when she recognizes the dead woman, a milliner from whom she recently bought a hat, but doesn't think much more about it--until the dead woman's necklace winds up in the possession of Georgy, her disabled brother. Because he is nonverbal, Georgy is unable to defend himself, and the Austens are cast into an uproar when the magistrate and constable arrest him for the crime. Much to the indignation of her other brothers, Jane decides to investigate the crime herself, given that the local magistrate considers the case already closed.
Snarky, clever Jane pokes into her neighbor's closets looking for skeletons, determined to free Georgy from prison. Jane questions everyone--chambermaids, farm workers--and finds clues that include a clandestine kiss and lending library records. Though the truths she has uncovered seem to point to any number of people, Jane is sure she must be near to uncovering the murderer when she discovers surprising items being left on the dead woman's grave. Full of twists and turns, Miss Austen Investigates: The Hapless Milliner is a fantastic historical mystery with a truly engaging protagonist at its center. --Jessica Howard, freelance book reviewer