ARC Book Review: The Mysterious Death of Miss Jane Austen

Author: Lindsay Ashford

Publication Date: August 6, 2013
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark

When Jane Austen dies at the age of just 41, Anne, governess to her brother, Edward Austen, is devastated and begins to suspect that someone might have wanted her out of the way. Now, 20 years on, she hopes that medical science might have progressed sufficiently to assess the one piece of evidence she has - a tainted lock of Jane's hair. Natural causes or murder? Even 20 years down the line, Anne is determined to get to the bottom of the mysterious death of the acclaimed Miss Austen.

When I first met Jane, her life, like mine, was an indecipherable work in progress.

“Better a tulip than a trollop!” He muttered it under his breath but loud enough for me to hear. I thought I was about to be sent packing.

Sometime during those rehearsals Jane and I ceased to be guest and governess and started to become friends.

This book will be my contribution to Austen August! I, along with many of my book loving friends, am obsessed with anything having to do with Jane Austen. I absolutely had to read this book after reading the synopsis, and I was not disappointed with its outcome. I wanted badly to hear from Miss Jane Austen herself, but this book is told from the eyes of Anne Sharp, the governess to Jane’s niece, Fanny. Anne, when prompted by surrounding circumstances, decides to uncover the mystery behind Jane’s death. She knows that there is more than everyone is being led to believe, including herself.

I am anxious to know how much of this story is fact and how much is fiction. Ashford intrigued me with her writing and the various small details about Jane so much that I want to read some real accounts on the life and times of Jane Austen. Anne, while solving what she believes to be Jane’s murder, clues readers in on many aspects about Jane’s life and her family’s life in the times before and after her death. I was in tune for every twist and turn because Jane’s life has always fascinated me, and if you feel the same way then you might enjoy picking up this book for that reason alone.

The writing style was what caught my attention the most. It is all so fluent and very romantic. Ashford captures the essence of the times through her writing. I felt like I was being shown and not simply told things. This book also breaches some pretty controversial topics at times, but I felt that Ashford handle all topics, sexual included, in a very tasteful manner.

Jane Austen fans cannot miss this book!

***A copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Sourcebooks Landmark in exchange for my honest review***