Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas

Starred review from September 1, 2014
Early in Barron’s enchanting 12th Jane Austen mystery (after 2011’s Jane and the Canterbury Tale), Jane receives a letter dated Dec. 25, 1814, from Elizabeth Chute, the wife of a prominent member of Parliament, inviting her and her family to come stay for a few days at the Vyne. Jane is pleased to leave Steventon Parsonage “to join the Christmas gaieties at one of the first houses in the neighborhood,” even if Mary, the wife of her brother James, complains that it’s a “great, old, draughty place.” On the Feast of St. Stephan, Lt. John Gage arrives at the Vyne from Ghent, bearing the signed peace treaty that has ended the War of 1812. The next day, Gage breaks his neck after falling from his horse, and the treaty disappears. Vivid characters propel the subtle plot to its surprising conclusion. The first-person narration captures Austen’s tone as revealed in her letters: candid, loving, and occasionally acerbic. Agent: Rafe Sagalyn, ICM Partners/Sagalyn.

October 15, 2014
Treason, murder and a whiff of international intrigue add spice to the Austen family holidays in the 11th book of Barron's series.What promises to be a dismal Christmas season for Jane Austen and her pinchpenny clergyman brother James brightens considerably with her invitation to The Vyne, an elegant old house with a long history. Its current owners, William and Eliza Chute, are the genial hosts of a large house party that's a welcome escape from the home of James and his hypochondriac wife. Jane, her beloved sister, Cassandra, and their mother much prefer to make merry with the other guests, including Raphael West, son of the well-known Philadelphia painter. Raphael, who's already encountered Jane and her party in a roadway accident, has no pretensions to the skills of his father. But he likes to sketch everything he sees, and his eye for detail is as keen as Jane's powers of observation, all of which come into play when a young naval lieutenant who's come to The Vyne on urgent government business dies of a broken neck nearby. Missing from his dispatch bag is a highly important document that could affect the future of Europe and America. A second death, a drawing of a naked woman on a cross, a secret passage and a small bottle are the disparate clues that Jane, with help from the dashing, enigmatic Raphael, uses to find the killer who has so tastelessly intruded upon the holiday season. The informed reader will find any number of allusions to the actual novels of Jane, who might be surprised to find how she's prospered as a detective. Barron (Jane and the Canterbury Tale, 2011, etc.) has clearly done her homework in the language and manners of Austen's time. Even though she's no match for her literary idol and her pacing is leisurely at best, her latest venture edges out competing authors of Regency whodunits.

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Starred review from October 15, 2014

Barron fittingly sets her wonderfully wry and witty 12th Jane Austen mystery (after Jane and the Canterbury Tale) during the 12 days of Christmas. It's Christmas Eve in 1814, and Jane and her family have been invited to spend the holidays at the Vyne, the gorgeous estate of the wealthy Chute family. What promises to be a lovely holiday celebration soon turns deadly when one of the guests is murdered, and Jane won't rest easy until they find the culprit. VERDICT This is an excellent period mystery for all historical fiction fans, but Jane Austen devotees will especially appreciate immersing themselves in the many biographical details about Austen that accompany the fictional murder mystery.

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2014
On Christmas Eve 1814, Jane Austen, her mother, and sister are traveling to her brother's manse, Steventon, for the holiday. En route in a snowstorm, their cart is upset by Raphael West, son of the painter Benjamin West, on his way to the Vyne, a nearby manor. On Christmas Day, the Austens are invited to join the gathering at the Vyne, a gathering hopeful that the new year will bring peace, now that Napoleon is jailed on Elba and the Treaty of Ghent signed. But all is as upset as the horse cart, when the courier with a copy of the treaty is killed. A day later, a young woman fond of the courier dies of apparent suicide. Jane and Raphael collaborate on revealing the truth, she through her diary entries and keen powers of observation and he through telling sketches revealing not only who is responsible for the deaths, but also the hypocrisy lurking under the veneer of society. Twelfth in the series, this is both a good double closed-house mystery and an engaging historical novel, with careful descriptions of Georgian Christmas customs, which involve celebrations beginning on Christmas and running through Epiphany.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)