Jane Austen in a Nancy Drewesque Avatar
A Former British diplomat, Golding has published 50+ books in different genres and is a self confessed Jane Austen enthusiast. Her academic interest in the literature of the period is evident in the way she recreates the setting in her novel. Besides since I love the persona of Jane Austen more than her novels, I was really keen on finding out how this detective fared in the pages of this mystery novel.
Gist:
A 13-year old Jane Austen ends up travelling to Southmoor Abbey as a companion to Lady Cromwell. But she finds herself in the middle of baffling events. Unable to resist a mystery, Jane and her trusty notebook together with her faithful dog Grandison, set off on a covert and dangerous journey to unravel the truth.
My thoughts:
- Jane Austen as a young detective is a great protagnist and Golding captures her voice well. The language is set in the past and yet the tone is refreshingly contemporary and this enhances the narrative.
- It was great to view the Abbey and its residents through Jane's eyes. There are some carefully crafted scenes that showcase her fiesty self beneath that well-mannered persona.
- The letters to Cassandra work well as a reflection of the protagnist's thoughts plus some clever wordplay ('S' and 'D' letters) that were enjoyable to read.
- Golding pulls her characters in from different walks of life: the gentry, the immigrants enveloping them in a cloak of mystery. It makes for an interesting mix for the plot to move forward and also as an accurate reflection of the time period.
- The India connection is also cleverly used here in the way she weaves in characters, perceptions, food as an intrinsic part of the story.
Overall a great read. There are so many elements here and they are fused well for an entertaining read. I loved reading it and definitely will be looking to see what Jane gets up to next.
The Abbey Mystery is published by Lion Hudson books.
