Despite the obvious use of the word "mysterious" in the title, I didn't realize The Mysterious Death of Miss Jane Austen would be a rollicking mystery, but, indeed, it was. On my reading list for years, I finally read Mysterious Death this past week and enjoyed it tremendously.
Lindsay Ashford's historical novel is based on the friendship of Jane Austen and Anne Sharp, governess to Jane's niece, Fanny. In the opening pages, the reader learns that what follows are a memoirs, of sort, written following the death of Jane as Anne struggles to understand how her friend died so suddenly. This quest is the mystery at the heart of mysterious death and it unfolds superbly. Honestly, I didn't much care for the character of Anne, although I recognize that is likely because Ashford has positioned her so successfully as a 19th century governess: her world is small, her perspective is narrow, her options are few, her choices are a product of these constraints.
Ultimately, The Mysterious Death of Miss Jane Austen is reminiscent of the best of Agatha Christie, with a slowly burning mystery, a substantive plot, and great historical details.
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