Jane and the Madness of Lord Byron

Starred review from August 23, 2010
In Barron's superb 10th Jane Austen mystery (after 2006's Jane and the Barque of Frailty), the death of a beloved relative prompts the author of Pride and Prejudice and her brother Henry to journey to Brighton in the spring of 1813 in the hope of raising their spirits. En route, Jane and Henry rescue a girl of about 15, Catherine Twining, whom they find with wrists bound with what looks like a gentleman's cravat in a chaise outside an inn. Within days, Catherine turns up dead in Lord Byron's bed at the King's Arms in Brighton, though the poet claims innocence. Gossipy detail concerning Byron and Lady Caroline Lamb seasons the plot, whose pace never feels rushed despite the short time frame. Barron's ability to capture Austen's tone ("one tires of nothing so quickly as benevolence") helps make this series one of the more literary and enjoyable of the pseudo-Austen oeuvre.

June 15, 2010

Jane Austen hopes the bracing Brighton sea air will lift her brother Henry's spirits after the death of his wife. But quite a different fate awaits them.

How's this for an unexpected development? While pausing to change teams, Jane Austen discovers young Catherine Twining bound and gagged in a traveling chaise. Only the bustle of the inn yard prevents a scene between the Austens and the kidnapper, infamous George Gordon, Lord Byron, the devilishly handsome poet whose escapades have led Lady Caroline Lamb, one of his many lovers, to label him "mad, bad and dangerous to know." Jane befriends Catherine after they return her to her father, a dour, unpleasant retired general who insists that she marry an aging cleric. Her kindness involves both Austens in a scandalous murder when Catherine's body is found in Byron's bed. A chance meeting with an old acquaintance, Desdemona, the Countess of Swithin, whose close friend is another of Byron's lovers, gives Jane entree to the famous Brighton home of the Prince Regent, a man whose title shields him from the consequences of his excesses. Though most of Brighton think Byron guilty, he has two alibis provided by a friend and Caro Lamb, whose insane passion for him knows no bounds. Jane, who thinks there's more to the story, uses all her talents to get at the truth.

A delightfully literate pastiche—another winner in the acclaimed series (Jane and the Barque of Frailty, 2006, etc.).

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June 15, 2010

Barron's tenth series entry (after Jane and the Barque of Frailty) pits the beloved English author and amateur sleuth Jane Austen against Lord Byron, the charismatic romantic poet famously described as "mad, bad, and dangerous to know." In the wake of a devastating personal loss, Jane and her brother Henry travel to Brighton, hoping the lively seaside town will offer a cheerful distraction. En route to their destination, however, they come across a disturbing sight--a young woman bound and gagged in a coach linked to the infamous Lord Byron. Jane's vacation takes an even more sinister turn when the same woman is found dead in Byron's bedchamber. With the tormented poet denying any wrongdoing and a suspect list growing larger each day, Jane's anticipated visit to the bathing houses will just have to wait. VERDICT Clever and witty, with an appealing mix of mystery and Regency-era historical fiction, Barron has created another solid entry in the popular series. Newcomers should be able to jump right in with little confusion, although this entertaining cozy will have many seeking out earlier titles. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 6/1/10; ebook ISBN 978-0-553-90780-3; for another Jane Austen mystery, see Lynn Shepherd's Murder at Mansfield Park, below.--Ed.]--Makiia Lucier, Moscow, ID

Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2010
In her tenth Jane Austen Mystery, Barron introduces her novelist heroine to the poet Lord Byron, who is famously regarded as being mad, bad, and dangerous to know. Not surprisingly, then, when a beautiful young woman, who has rejected the poets unwanted advances, is murdered, the Romantic rakehell is the chief suspect. Ah, but could he have, in truth, perpetrated the foul deed? Fans of the series will not be a bit surprised to learn that Jane is determined to find out. As always, Barron does an excellent job of capturing Austens first-person voice, and she gives lavish attention, as well, to period detail. Perhaps too lavish in this case, since the book is slow paced, and there is often more attention to atmosphere than to mystery. Barrons many fans will not be particularly bothered by this fact, however, and will be delighted to learnin an appended Q & A with the authorthat an eleventh installment in the series is already underway.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)