Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor: Being the First Jane Austen Mystery - Hardcover

Little did Miss Austen know how far from dull would be her visit to the snowy Hertfordshire estate of her young and beautiful friend, Isobel, the newly married Countess of Scargrave. Fleeing from a broken engagement, Jane has scarcely arrived at Scargrave when the Earl--a gentleman of mature years--is felled by a mysterious ailment that is far too agonizing--and fatal--to be credited to his fondness for claret and pudding. And the bereaved widow soon finds that her husband's death is only the beginning of her misfortunes as she becomes the recipient of a sinister and threatening missive that accuses her and her late husband's heir of being lovers--and murderers. When Isobel begs her friend Jane for help, Jane finds herself embroiled in an investigation that hinges on the motives of a great many people ensconced at Scargrave Manor.

A missing locket, a monogrammed handkerchief, an ancestral ghost, and the deadly fruit of a tropical tree are among the markers of a trail that will lead all the way to the House of Lords and Newgate Prison--and marks the sleuthing debut of a mystery series filled with the exquisite wit and powers of perception that could only belong to one woman. Copyright 1996 by Stephanie Barron.