Ratings6
Average rating4.2
"The twelfth installment in Stephanie Barron's fan-favorite Being a Jane Austen Mystery series. Christmas Eve, 1814: Jane Austen has been invited to spend the holiday with family and friends at The Vyne, the gorgeous ancestral home of the wealthy and politically prominent Chute family. As the year fades and friends begin to gather beneath the mistletoe for the twelve days of Christmas festivities, Jane and her circle are in a celebratory mood: Mansfield Park is selling nicely; Napoleon has been banished to Elba; British forces have seized Washington, DC; and on Christmas Eve, John Quincy Adams signs the Treaty of Ghent, which will end a war nobody in England really wanted. Jane, however, discovers holiday cheer is fleeting. One of the Yuletide revelers dies in a tragic accident, which Jane immediately views with suspicion. If the accident was in fact murder, the killer is one of Jane's fellow snow-bound guests. With clues scattered amidst cleverly crafted charades, dark secrets coming to light during parlor games, and old friendships returning to haunt the Christmas parties, whom can Jane trust to help her discover the truth and stop the killer from striking again?"--
Featured Series
10 primary books11 released booksJane Austen Mysteries is a 11-book series with 11 released primary works first released in 1996 with contributions by Stephanie Barron.
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”We were overturned, Mary,” I said as I strode into the room, ”and but for the kind offices of a complete stranger, should be frozen stiff, somewhere between the Winchester and Andover roads. If Mamma has not caught her death, it will be the wonder of the season – and we are all sorely in want of our dinners. Happy Christmas.”
I have read several installments in the Jane Austen Mysteries series by Stephanie Barron and I always know I am in safe hands when I choose one of her books to keep me company. The twelfth (as it were) volume of the series is a beautiful tribute to the traditions that make British Christmas so unique. The greenery, the Yule log, Snapdragon, the merriment of Twelfth Night. The writing is impeccable, proving Jane's point of view to perfection, faithful to the character and the era, and I loved reading about Jemima's wardrobe.
Why 4 stars? In my humble opinion, the mystery itself was a strange mixture of being predictable and far-fetched at the same time, the supporting cast was not particularly interesting and I was disappointed in how a certain subplot was developed. I adored Raphael West.
I started the novel on the 24th of December and finished it on the 5th of January, reading one chapter per day and it gave the festive days of Christmas a certain Regency flair.
A cozy book for the festive season and a journey to the past and how Christmas should be cherished and preserved.
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