Aimed at children/middle grade readers, this book (and hopefully series) is quick paced and fun! We all know Jane Austen as an author par excellence, who has given us readers some of the best and memorable classics full of wit and astute observations about people and society of her time. In this book we find a 13 year old Jane Austen, a lively young girl who is already showing signs of her famous wit and observational skills and who is up for solving mysteries as well! A cute, fun read with characters & setting that hint towards the more famous ones found in her popular novels and a good way to encourage young readers to learn more about Jane Austen and the times she lived in.

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Lion Hudson Ltd/Lion Fiction and the author Julia Golding for the e-Arc of the book.

The publication date for the book is 23rd April 2021.

I find this to be such a cool concept. I absolutely would have loved to read this when I was younger before I was ready to take on Jane Austen’s books. My grandmother was a big Jane Austen fan so my interest started well before I read any of her books and I imagine other young readers would receive similar delight from this tale. I also really enjoyed the Nancy Drew vibes I got from the mystery, it was so fun and well done.

The characters were great and really brought the class system of the time to light. It was fascinating how Jane’s kind of in-between status not really being as elevated as her hosts but still a guest gave her some freedoms as well as limitations. I also thought the book did a solid job including some of the complicated history of India and England’s relationship into the book. It felt both age and time period appropriate and hopefully will spark young readers to want to learn more.

Thirteen year old Jane Austen is the feisty young detective at the centre of this story featuring mystery and ghostly goings-on at Southmoor Abbey.

Sent away to act as companion to Lady Cromwell, Jane soon finds herself bored and wandering the grounds of Southmoor Abbey. Here she meets a diverse cast of characters and starts to uncover the secrets carefully hidden beneath the surface.

Whilst there are clearly references to Austen’s novels there’s no need to be familiar with her work to enjoy this story.

With a great opening line and fast-moving plot Jane Austen Investigates is perfect for readers 9+ who enjoy historical mysteries.

Avery enjoyable mystery although i did expect Jane Austen to be an adult so would have expected this to be aimed at teens

This is a cute story for young readers introducing them to Jane Austen's personality and the stories she read and parodied in her juvenilia. The story doesn't have a lot of worth in terms of Austen scholarship, it's entirely made up and I would have enjoyed it more if it were about an original character but for tweens and young teens who may have seen a movie or two, this is fine. The story is presented as being written up in Jane's notebooks. She also writes humorous little bits and pieces and charming letters to Cassandra, complete with hidden code. I liked seeing the writer developing her talents and recognizing that novels are fun to read but are not realistic. I don't like how the people she meets end up as characters, albeit mixed up, in her published novels. I believe she had more imagination than that. Stonemoor Abbey stands in for Netley Abbey, a place Jane may have visited and used as inspiration for [book:Northanger Abbey|50398]. While Stonemoor is similar, in 1789, it's still a family seat. I caught a few minor historical errors and I questioned why, if we know Jane loves cats, does young Jane have a large mongrel DOG in this story? The cat in the story is her adversary.

Jane is portrayed as lively and curious. Her whole family has a reputation for being eccentric. Jane knows she's the least loved of her mother's children and just plain Jane. Jane is too outspoken and too quick witted to be of much use as a companion but her mother is determined to further the family's standing so off Jane goes. She's young and naïve at times but also very sharp. She's kind, caring and earns loyalty from the servants for it. Jane solves the mystery in a very grand, juvenile fashion. I liked her voice a lot but she sounds young for 13. She has to be 13 because Cassandra is 16, the most romantic age. I guess she hasn't met Tom Fowle yet because she falls in love with every charming boy she meets. It's a good thing she didn't go to Stonemoor Abbey. Mrs. Austen is often portrayed like Mrs. Bennet, especially by Jane herself but here the only real resemblance is sending her daughter to visit rich people at all costs. Mrs. Austen is a snippy and tough. She cares more about appearances than her daughters' happiness. Jane won't make a good companion and she knows it but she's determined to see this through no matter what. Henry already failed and Cassandra MUST NOT BE SEEN with a broken arm so it's up to Jane. No one asks Jane what she wants. Of course not asking Jane is historically accurate but in this instance, she's made to feel relatable for modern tweens. Jane is both unhappy about having to be a companion and excited for a new adventure. Jane's dog Grandison steals the story. He's a large dog of indeterminate lineage and very much independent. (Meaning he's not well trained). Jane loves her dog immensely and he repays that love with loyalty albeit it only sometimes! Sometimes he's very naughty because he doesn't seem to have any manners. I quite like him.

Southmoor Abbey is the home of the Cromwell family and their servants. Distantly related to the Lord Protector, Oliver Cromwell, the seat has been in Lady Cromwell's family for generations. She's the usual vapid sort of woman who does nothing but embroider and chatter. She bosses around her servants like they're nothing and her love for her son is so enormous, she's spoiled the heck out of him. I think Lady Cromwell is a lot smarter than she wants people to think. I think she's shrewd and knows how to get what she wants. Sir Charles is really nasty. He loves his horses more than his family - which is understandable but he loves his horses over everything else. He WORSHIPS his horses. Sir Charles is cruel, mean and abusive to everyone except the horses. It's no wonder he doesn't get along with his son. Cromwell is charming, flirtatious and has a sense of humor. Cassandra would fall for him in an instant. Yet, there's something Jane doesn't quite trust about him. I agree, obviously, having a good idea who he parallels in Jane's published novels. I think Cromwell is spoiled and has had a too easy life. He talks to change and revolution but what would happen if he lost everything tomorrow? I suspect he wouldn't like that much, at least not losing the money anyway. I think he'd be happy if his father kept giving him money to fool around and do nothing.

Overall, I enjoyed this fun little mystery but more as a charming story about a 13-year-old girl in Georgian England than a story about Jane Austen the writer. I think young readers may feel inspired to read Northanger Abbey, the most accessible of all the big 6 novels (fast carriage=fast cars, Gothic novels= vampire novels or other popular fiction of today adults roll their eyes at.) I hope this book inspired young readers to learn more about Jane Austen, her life and times. They may be disappointed to learn this is completely fiction or they may get a kick out of seeing familiar names from that movie their mom/aunt made them watch.

This story follows the misadventures of Jane Austen's early years, slowly but surely, becoming the true Jane Austen we all know and love through her later letters and stories. Jane solves an odd mystery at an odd place full of odd characters!

A very fun and easy read. You can definitely see Austen's sass in the words and they're not too old-timey, so they're understandable for middle-grade audiences. The mystery is captivating and fun, the characters were all fun and unique!

Thanks to NetGalley for supplying this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Jane Austen is a spirited young girl, she’s sent to the Cromwell household to keep company to Lady Cromwell for a week until her son’s birthday party and ball. She is pretty bored from her obligation but soon she finds out a legend about a vengeful ghost that haunts the Abbey next the house so she decides to invastigate. Will Jane be able to stay out of troubles as was recommended from her mother? Or will she give in to her curiosity?

A little slow at the start, but then the pace accelerates, bringing out the pathos of the mystery and the consequent investigation, making the story so engaging it is hard to put it down.

I liked this young version of Jane Austen, who definitely already has her artistic and imaginative talent but here she shows especially her witti mind and her tremendous curiosity.

I’ve really enjoyed to follow her in this adventure and I hope to see her again in the future.

"Jane Austen turns detective in this spooky historical adventure by award-winning author Julia Golding!

It’s 1789 and a young Jane Austen turns detective as she seeks to solve the mysterious happenings at Southmoor Abbey. When a carriage accident forces a change of plans, 13-year-old Jane is sent to be a companion to Lady Cromwell for a week as the household prepares to celebrate the eldest son’s coming-of-age party. While there, Jane vows to solve the mystery of the ghostly monk in the Abbey grounds - for she does not believe in such stories!

But this is not the only strange occurrence for the adventurous young Jane to investigate. There are shivery night-time investigations, an Indian girl with secret talents, a library fire, two prize horses in danger, and friends to save from false accusations.

With notebook in hand and her faithful dog Grandison by her side, will Jane overcome the continuous obstacles and find out the truth?"

It's Jane Austen meets Nancy Drew and I am HERE FOR IT!

This was a fabulous book! My daughter was hooked from the first chapter. She loved that Jane Austin was a detective with her dog, Grandison as her sidekick. Shes now obsessed with the author and the rest of the books she had. Looking forward to more of this series..

I have been a mystery fan for as long as I can remember. My earliest memories are of reading Encyclopedia Brown and The Boxcar Children. In my teens I moved on to young adult mysteries by Phyllis Whitney as well as some Sherlock Holmes. Children often have difficulty finding things to read after graduating from Encyclopedia Brown or The Boxcar Children, but thankfully, Julia Golding is helping to bridge that gap (and also raising interest in the author Jane Austen--double kudos for that!). I was thrilled that I could preview her first title, The Abbey Mystery, in her new series, "Jane Austen Investigates."

I knew I would love the book because:
It is set in England
It features a young Jane Austen
It was written by Julia Golding (check out my review of her book The Tigers in the Tower)
Mysteries are a wonderful tool for helping children begin to make observations and pay attention to detail as they read. Readers become detectives themselves as they seek to read between the lines and notice any irregularities in the story that might hint at the solution. Therefore, mysteries can play a large part in helping sharpen critical thinking skills.

In The Abbey Mystery, a young Jane Austen has been sent as a substitute companion to an aunt (due to her sister's untimely injury). Sitting idly by and pursuing lady-like endeavors is not exactly Jane's cup of tea. Thankfully there are young servants with whom she can befriend while there (very carefully, so as not to get them into trouble with their employer). Being a precocious adolescent, Jane is fueled by her spunk and curiosity to investigate the disappearance of two of her uncle's prized horses. When a man is falsely accused of the theft, Jane feels she has no choice but to discover the criminal on her own (with some help from her new friends).

Readers of middle grade all the way through adult will enjoy the glimpse into what Jane Austen's childhood may have been like (she's not exactly here to contradict). While Jane was definitely more of the "poor relation," I loved that she befriended those who were beneath her. And she did not shrink back from exposing evil even at great risk to herself. Young Jane Austen is a heroine I hope to meet again in future books from Julia Golding!

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of Jane Austen Investigates: The Abbey Mystery from NetGalley for the purpose of review. No other compensation was received.

I requested this book through Netgalley because of course I did! And then it had the misfortune of being read in the same month as another ‘Historical Middlegrade Mystery with a famous author investigating a mystery in a grand house’… (I am talking about the second Aggie Morton book). And the other book was just better.

Don’t get me wrong, this is still a really fun read! We follow a young Jane Austen as she is send to be a Lady’s companion for a week(?). She makes a bet with her brother about the presence of a ghost in the abbey and sets out to prove its absence (which seems kinda impossible to me). But then there is a fire in the library and two prize horses are stolen.

However, the actual mystery only starts 60% into the book… and the resolution was somewhat dissatisfying. It was too obvious and had too many coincidences. The way Jane conducts her investigations though is very satisfying and logical, which was lovely to read (apart from that she never checks the main suspects alibi). Jane in general is a great character and I feel Golding has captured her perfectly. She is very fun and witty and the girl one would expect her to be having read her work (though if you haven’t you won’t miss out on any inside jokes or references).

And not just Jane, but all the side characters are very well written as well. There is a wide range of above and below stairs and everything in between characters, which all have their own personalities, motivations and backgrounds. With of course the highlight being Grandison the ‘lapdog’. He is just Great!

Overall this was a really fun read that was very good at its core. Just the mystery itself wasn’t that great, but I strongly believe Golding can and will improve on that in a sequel.

"Something tells me that you will grow up to be a dangerous woman, Miss Austen."
"Oh, dangerous! That is quite the best compliment anyone has ever paid me. Thank you"

Before Jane Austen grew up to write novels, she loved to solve mysteries.

In The Abbey Mystery, young Jane is sent off to be companion to Lady Cromwell during the week of her son's coming-of-age party. With her oversized lapdog Grandison in tow and a ready made mystery to investigate - thanks to her brother Henry's tales of the ghosty monk who haunts the ruin of the old Abbey - Jane sets off on her adventure.

But there are more mysteries at The Abbey to solve than anticipated and Jane is on the case, with stable boy Luke and laundry girl Deepti her willing assistants.

Set at a cracking pace, with loveable characters, if you like plucky heroines, ghostly ruins, dastardly deeds, lapdogs of unusual size and happy endings, then this is the middle grade mystery for you.

Hopefully this is just the start of young Jane's adventures.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the ARC to review.

A very cute story, but it's a big stretch to imagine it is the real Jane Austen. In Jane's day, many of the things in this story would have been pretty impossible... Also, I'm not sure where the author got the idea that Jane was her mother's least favorite child.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance e-book. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

This was such an enjoyable book! I loved Jane’s character, and the mystery was fun to puzzle out with her. I laughed while reading Jane’s letters to her sister, and I enjoyed immersing myself in the time period of the story. If you enjoy Nancy Drew or Enola Holmes books, you will like this one!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book may not be aimed at my age group but it definitely kept me interested and coming back for more! Jane Austen her dog Grandison and a mystery? Yes please, I really hope we get more from this author because this was a great story!

This is the kind of read to sink into and get lost in until the very last page. And that's exactly what I did.

Jane's entire family is known to be adventurous and a bit unconventional. Despite this, they are well respected, and her older sister is requested to serve as companionship for the Lady of a wealthy family until their son has his coming-of-age party. But when Jane's sister is injured, she has to jump in. Her older brother spruces things up even more, when he makes a bet with her about the existence of a ghost at the Abby. Excited to start that investigation and win the bet, Jane's stay at the home begins. It brings all sorts of unexpected twists, most of which have nothing to do with the ghost in the slightest. But each one leaves her in dangerous situations and discovering secrets she should know nothing about.

When I started reading this, I was a little unsure how it would proceed. It is set in the later 1700's and stays as solid in that time frame as possible. Which means the dialogue and such also slides into this category. The terminology and word choice made me wonder if this one might steer out of the intended middle grade direction. But this fear was completely unnecessary. This book is very well done, the characters are fun to accompany, and the plot made it impossible to set down. Still, I do see this one more geared to the tween audience.

Jane is portrayed as a curious, risk-happy, slightly spunky, and yet, very aware of her duties as a young lady, kind of girl. And she's clever. Add her love for her 'lap-dog', and it's very hard not to like her. She makes mistakes but is quick to admit it and jump right back in. Plus, her moral compass is very well set, where it counts...even if this isn't acceptable to society's rules. She's the kind of girl, one wishes they could run around with and join in on her adventures.

While the historic time frame is very well portrayed and slips in masterfully without boring descriptions, it's the well-woven mystery, which really draws in. There are more than a few characters, but each has a personality of their own. They have their own troubles, and even those which are 'honorable' might not be perfectly so. This makes for a wide selection of 'who-dun-its', and the true instigators are hard to find until the end. But there are also several sub-plots running along the side, which make it hard not to fever for some of the other characters and hope they work out their problems as well. Plus, there are a few life lessons tossed into the mix.

I can highly recommend this one to mystery lovers, who enjoy a well-done jaunt into the past. While Jane Austen fans will enjoy it, by no means is it only for them (I, personally, have never been a Jane Austen fan and enjoyed every page). I really hope this is the beginning to a series because it promises to be a good one.

I really enjoyed the book. The mystery was well executed. And the Main characters were very good. I liked the Main character, her sassiness and her ability to get in trouble.

The Jane Austen Investigates: The Abbey Mystery by Julia Golding is a YA historical novel. The action follows thirteen year old Jane in the late eighteenth century.
Our heroine is well drawn. She is a delightful mixture of curious, clumsy and clever. It is in her nature to seek out the answers to mysteries. It is this curiosity that has a tendency to land her into trouble.
We witness the power that the landed gentry wield. They put their faith in wealth and power over honesty and poverty. Young Jane sees beyond the wealth, or lack of it, to the heart within.
There are injustices that need to be righted. Jane Austen calls on her powers of amateur sleuthing.
I found The Abbey Mystery totally captivating. Julia Golding had created a perfect young Jane Austen. She actually reminded me very much of Elizabeth Bennett from Pride And Prejudice. As I read the novel I glimpsed names and events that would feature in Jane Austen’s novels.
Julia Golding has very cleverly constructed a novel very much in keeping with Jane Austen’s style of writing. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole novel and am looking forward to more in the series.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

As a result of my various committee appointments and commitments I am unable to disclose my personal thoughts on this title at this time. Please see my star rating for a general overview of how I felt about this title. Additionally, you may check my GoodReads for additional information on what thoughts I’m able to share publicly. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this and any other titles you are in charge of.

I LOVED this book! What an ingenious take on the early life of the famous author Jane Austen. Golding portrays 13-year-old Jane as plain and practical while simultaneously vibrant and sparky. I especially enjoyed the events and scenes in this book that seem to seem to inspire her adult writing - Austen fans will be sure to smile.

The story was supported by a wonderfully conveyed cast of characters....and did I spy some familiar names...?! It was also funny, Jane's actions and comebacks were classic and honoured the witty tone of her own books and letters and made for an enjoyable and convincing portrayal. As a huge fan of both Jane Austen and 9-12 fiction, I felt that this was a fantastic combination and complemented both beautifully.

Fast paced and engaging, I was hooked from page one. A great introduction to Austen for younger readers and a brilliant period detective story.

Really looking forward to more!