Jane and Cassandra have gone to Cheltenham to take the waters and hopefully find some relief for Jane in her illness. In the boarding house where they stay is an unlikely crowd of people - among them a murderer. I found the storyline a bit slow, except I loved everything about Jane and her on-going storyline although it is sad to see her ill and heading to death. ( )

This is an excellent story accompanied by a mystery for the wise Jane Austen to solve. I have read a few of these books, but not all and am curious to see if there will be more to come or not. The set up for Jane and her sister travelling to Cheltenham for the 'waters' is partially Jane's health. It is 1816 and readers know that is nearing the end of her life. The boarding house they stay at has several interesting characters that make for good fodder for the accidental poisonings and eventual murder in the book. A volcanic eruption the fall before in the Pacific Ocean did cause some climate catastrophe at the time The early summer of the book is rainy and cool and very much in line with how this year without a summer was described. ( )

I've been missing this series, and wondering where it would go next, given that Jane is getting older and is famously short-lived. This particular book continues her crime-solving adventures. It features the usual mix of wonderful and wonderfully off-putting characters, and a satisfying mystery.


Advanced Readers' Copy provided by Edelweiss. ( )

It has been a while since I have read one of Stephanie Barron’s Regency mysteries featuring the intrepid Jane Austen as primary sleuth. What have I been waiting for? After reading Jane And The Year Without A Summer I have now successfully added many more books to my towering TBR pile. This mystery is excellent. The book finds Jane in her final years of life. Not a spoiler — anyone can read her biography. Feeling unwell, she and her sister Cassandra journey to the spa town of Cheltenham to take the waters. Upon taking rooms at a boarding house, Jane is privy to all kinds of inside knowledge about her fellow lodgers. With her keen observations, along with the help of a former acquaintance, Jane finds out whodunit. Barron really does capture Austen. The book is told in Jane’s first person voice and contains many of the phrases and references that Austen-philes will recognize. The culture of the watering hole of the day, with its visits to the theater, pump rooms, and assembly room is spot on. I felt like I was on the streets and in the sitting rooms of early 1880s England. The mystery kept me guessing until the end. It was a real treat to read a book that combines excellent storytelling with a credible portrayal of a beloved author. The book is a bit poignant for fans of Barron and Austen — it is evident that Jane’s adventures in crime-solving may soon come to an end. But with all the books I have yet to read, I know that I have many more pleasurable hours ahead of me.

Barron does Jane Austen justice — any one who loves Austen and the many variations of her works will enjoy Jane And The Year Without A Summer. I loved it and heartily recommend it!

Highly Recommended.

Audience: adults.

(Thanks to the publisher for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.) ( )