In the latest installment of Barron's mystery series featuring Jane Austen, it is May 1816, and the skies across Europe have gone dark due to a volcano eruption in the South Pacific. Meanwhile a fatigued Jane is taking some time for rest and relaxation with her sister at the Cheltenham Spa in Gloucestershire, where some guests have arrived with stresses of their own—some of them deadly.
Stephanie Barron... does a masterful job of recreating the time period ... This book feels like a portal that allows us to step back into the year 1816, where we can live and breathe with Jane and go on an adventure with her ... Once again, Barron has penned an above-average mystery, made all the more satisfying that the great Jane Austen gets to assume the role of investigator. She uses all her guile and wit to help understand the human condition, and the complexities and motives of the human mind. Jane and the Year Without a Summer is another winner!
... fascinating, impeccably researched ... The world of Regency England comes alive through the vivid historical detail underpinning this intriguing novel, while Jane and the secondary characters are both engaging and authentic. Whether first-timers or serious followers of Jane Austen, readers will thoroughly enjoy this take on the legendary author's life and sleuthing skills.
Barron’s delightful writing, her characters and the twists and turns of their relationships, and the colorful Regency setting, by themselves, are enough to carry the book ... the mysteries just get better and better. So, good reader, with gratitude to the author, enjoy this charming addition to the most excellent Jane Austen mystery series. You have done it again, Miss Barron, and we are in your debt.
