Jane Austen, the 19-year-old amateur detective, finds herself embroiled in a murder investigation when a woman's body is discovered during a ball. When her brother George is arrested for the murder, Jane is determined to prove his innocence and find the real culprit.
The first 30% of the book was enjoyable and promising, but my interest waned once I realized that Jane is naive and not very intelligent. I knew she was only a teenager, but as the main character of a murder mystery novel, I expected her detective skills to investigate things properly and not just accuse each suspect in turn rather than thinking about the clues. She just publicly accuses anyone she suspects without evidence. Nevertheless, Jane's determination ultimately leads her to the killer.
While the book starts strong, the pace can be a little slow at times, and the numerous side characters can be a bit overwhelming to keep track of. However, the letters from Jane to her sister, Cassandra, help tie everything together.
The book has a secondary plot involving Jane's romance with Tom Lefroy. I quite liked the romance and the thoughts about marriage consideration, but it doesn't add significantly to the story. Although I was not fond of Jane, I liked some side characters, such as her first cousin, Eliza, and Jane's brothers, Henry and James. Their scenes were enjoyable and bring out some fun in the story.
Overall, Miss Austen Investigates was a decent murder mystery novel. The book felt a bit too long towards the end, but the final revelations were exciting! I might even consider reading the next installment because I'm curious to see what happens next and, hopefully, to see Jane’s character develop with the series.
3 ★
Thank you @putrifariza @times.reads for the review copy 😊
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