An Emma Knightley Mystery: Book 1
Publication Date: October 22, 2024
First in a captivating new series, Jane Austen’s Emma Knightley entertains a different role in Highbury—going from clever matchmaker to Regency England’s shrewdest sleuth.
Less than one year into her marriage to respected magistrate George Knightley, Emma has grown unusually content in her newfound partnership and refreshed sense of independence. The height of summer sees the former Miss Woodhouse gracefully balancing the meticulous management of her elegant family estate and a flurry of social engagements, with few worries apart from her beloved father’s health . . .
But cheery circumstances change in an instant when Emma and Harriet Martin, now the wife of one of Mr. Knightley’s tenant farmers, discover a hideous shock at the local church. The corpse of Mrs. Augusta Elton, the vicar’s wife, has been discarded on the altar steps—the ornate necklace she often wore stripped from her neck . . .
As a chilling murder mystery blooms and chaos descends upon the tranquil village of Highbury, the question isn’t simply who committed the crime, but who wasn’t secretly wishing for the unpleasant woman’s demise. When suspicions suddenly fall on a harmless local, Emma—armed with wit, unwavering determination, and extensive social connections—realizes she must discreetly navigate an investigation of her own to protect the innocent and expose the ruthless culprit hiding in plain sight.
The unthinkable has happened in Highbury! Mrs. Elton has been murdered, and it was Emma Knightley and Harriet Martin who discover the body—and in the church of all places.
Author Vanessa Kelly has penned an absolutely splendid Regency whodunnit in Murder in Highbury. Emma Knightley plays the role of sleuth and investigator, much to the displeasure of her magistrate husband, George.
From its opening salvo, when Emma and Harriet discover the body, the story takes off, told strictly from Emma’s viewpoint but utilizing characters from Jane Austen’s masterpiece, Emma. When the coroner, Dr. Hughes, and Constable Sharpe prove themselves less than efficient and discerning, Emma feels it is her responsibility to discover poor Mrs. Elton’s murderer herself and bring them to justice.
Mr. Elton, stalwart even in his own grief, insists on doing his part to be helpful and regularly brings new clues to light. Various pieces of evidence point to a variety of possible culprits, including, of all people, Miss Bates! The accusation of Miss Bates has Mr. Woodhouse in an uproar, but could he become a target of the wayward murderer as well?
But who in Highbury could hold such a grudge? And to add to the deepening murder mystery, the chicken thief is striking again. Could Mrs. Elton’s murderer and the chicken thief be one and the same? Magistrate George Knightly certainly has his hands full trying to find out while also trying to contain his wife’s eager investigations, even though the majority of clues are a result of conversations held over tea. This is Highbury, after all.
Murder in Highbury is a delightful read in every regard. The characters remain true to those in Jane Austen’s Emma but with a fresh, new plot fraught with mystery, clues, and suspects right up until the splendidly surprising end. Kelly does a masterful job blending the original characters with a new plot that also holds true to the times and nature of Highbury itself. The delightful little asides from Emma to which the reader is privy are fun and relatable.
Treat yourself by stepping back into Highbury to join Mr. and Mrs. Knightly, along with other famous residents, as they work together with charm and gentility to solve the Murder in Highbury.
Vanessa Kelly is a bestselling author of historical mystery and historical romance. She has won multiple awards, including the prestigious Maggie Medallion for best historical romance. She is a USA Today, Barnes & Noble, BookScan, and Amazon bestseller several times over. To date, her books have been published in eleven languages. After receiving her MA in English literature from Rutgers University, Vanessa spent several years in the Ph. D program at the University of Toronto, studying women authors of the 18th Century. She worked as a researcher for many years, and currently resides in Ottawa, Canada, with her husband.
