I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
A book for all jane austen fans. It's funny in an inescapable austen way, the characters are likeable and funny and there's a punny tone everywhere in the novel well worth reading it for.

Sometimes I just need a change of pace from my usual thrillers and serious reads, and this book was perfect. Jane Austen Investigates - The Abbey Mystery by Julia Golding is such a fun read!
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This novel features a young Jane Austen as she investigates a mystery while visiting Southmoor Abbey. Our little protagonist is exactly what you would imagine a young Jane Austen to be like! I love her!
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There are so many Austen quotes that I adore in this:
∆ "Jane was hoping for "famous" but infamy sounded exciting."
∆ "No, I'm just an Austen - which means I'm much more outrageous than you can possibly imagine."
∆ "She might be just a rector's daughter, but she could outwit the spoiled son of the house and his ruffian."
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Ok, I'm done. I really hope this turns into a series because I want to read all of them. Thank you @ for this Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a simply fabulous take on Jane Austen!

It is wonderful seeing the esteemed author become a strong protagonist in her own right. In this caper, she is sent off to be a lady’s maid and she manages to uncover a bit of a mystery, involving a ghost. She doesn’t believe in said ghost but, under orders from her brother, sees fit to investigate. While she does, she under covers some dark secrets.

Hilarious at points but simply wonderful. I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope that Ms Austen will be back to investigate again in the future.

This Middle Grade book begins with a fictional editor’s note stating that it is based on recently discovered notebooks written by a teenage Jane Austen detailing investigations she was involved in. In what I assume is the first of a series, thirteen-year-old Jane is sent to be a companion to Lady Cromwell at Southmoor Abbey for a week leading up to a big party the Cromwells are hosting for their son’s coming-of-age. Unlike Catherine Morland, Austen’s character in "Northanger Abbey", young Jane does not believe in ghosts, so she is eager to learn the truth behind the rumours that a ghostly monk can sometimes be seen roaming the ruins of the chapel once attached to the Abbey. Jane is already investigating when a fire is started in the library and horses are stolen make her even more determined to find the culprit.

Golding captures something of the cynicism towards traditions and the social order that characterizes the writing of Jane Austen in the observations of her young protagonist. Jane is adventurous and incorrigibly curious, but she does bow down to the rules of the period in public while mentally criticizing the limitations put on her as a young woman, and one for lower standing at that. As a character, Jane reminded me strongly of Alan Bradley’s Flavia de Luce, except that Jane is obsessed with writing rather than with poisons.

The mystery, which is really three intertwined mysteries, is suitably complex and the stakes are high: people are being wrongfully accused and in danger of losing their livelihoods, perhaps even their lives. The reveal is dramatic and surprising, and the pace of the book is pleasantly swift. In short, it is delightful, and entirely satisfying even for an adult mystery reader. It may also be a nice way to get younger readers interested in reading Austen’s books by introducing them to the period and the types of characters she wrote about.

For fans of Enola Holmes or The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie comes this literary-inspired mystery starring none other than a young Jane Austen. I have mixed feelings about Jane as a young detective, but some of her budding wit and powers of observation as a writer are portrayed in the story. The mystery was interesting and the hint of scandal was delicious. Interesting character development for several of the young heros and heroines in this story. A solid read.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. .

What if a young Jane Austen was a smart young lady who.liked to investigate mysteries? That is the premise for this book and it works so well. Jane has to visit Southmoor Abbey as a companion to Lady Cromwell and while there her brother challenges her to investigate the legend 0f the ghostly monk. What follows is a well written, enjoyable tale of her adventures at the abbey as she makes new friends and investigates several mysteries.
You don't have to know anything about Jane Austen or have read her books to enjoy this story but it may inspire young readers to investigate her works,.
This is exactly the sort of book I loved as a young adult and would recommend it to young readers today.
Many thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the advance read copy

A delightful middle-grade mistery where a very young Jane Austen (she has just begun writing the Juvenilia) is sent to be a companion for Lady Cromwell, the wife of Sir Charles Cromwell, whose estate includes an old Abbey that many believe to be haunted by a ghost. Jane takes the place of Cassandra who has a broken arm due to an accident with a cart. Jane takes with her her "lapdog" - that is, actually, a "disgraceful encounter between one of the squire's beagles and what might have been a passing Dalmatian", as her brother Henry claims; and makes friend with Luke - the stable boy who assembles steam engines - with young Mr. Fitzwilliam - an ambitious but fair law student - and Deepti, the astonishing and skillful daughter of the Indian chef of Sir Charles.
Jane will try to solve some mysteries such as an arson, a horse theft, a disputed legacy and the mysterious presence of the ghost of the Mad Monk amidst the ruins of the old Abbey.
In her room, Jane writes to Cassandra or plays with words, training herself as any budding writer, with some enjoyable efforts that recall to mind the Juvenilia.
I believe this series in which Jane Austen Investigates will be a great success, and I can't wait to read the next volumes.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Lion Fiction for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

My Goodreads review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3770937693

An enjoyable middle grade mystery. There were definitely some anachronisms, and I'm also not sure the intended audience will fully appreciate the Jane Austen allusions, since most will not have been introduced to her books yet. Still, it is a fun read for young mystery lovers.

Before she was writing the amazing stories she did, Jane Austen....solved mysteries! This was a fun mystery book and an interesting take on the adventures of Jane Austen. She’s 13, feisty, and ready to solve a mystery! It’s a great read for middle grade readers or anyone who likes a different interpretation of Jane Austen. Theres a great theme of friendship in the story and the weaving of historical mannerisms and customs was great.

*Thanks Netgalley and Lion Hudson Ltd for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest revie.

I loved it so much. This is my second book from Julia Golding and I'm becoming a fan of her writing style. This story is about a 13 years old Jane Austen who due to an accident she finds herself being sent instead of her sister Cassandra to be the companion of Lady Cromwell. During her visit, Jane made new friends and is involved in a mysterious adventure, then an investigation that she is the only one that could solve.

If you like Enola Holmes, Sally Lockhart or you just love Jane Austen, you will love this wonderful imaginative story. I had such a good time while reading it. I recommend it for everyone. This book is about frienship beyond classes and races but also we are witnesses to the injustice that reigned during that period of time. I have to say that I hated Sir Charles and his wife.
Also, some names of the characters are actually inspired by characters of Jane Austen's real books.

I really enjoyed this book by Julia Golding that made me wish to be able to discover her other books.

"The Abbey Mystery" is a delightful mystery set in 1789 in England with a 13-year-old Jane Austen as the amateur detective. I would've loved her as a kid, and I thoroughly enjoyed the story as an adult, too. The historical details about manners and customs were deftly woven into the story and did not slow down the pacing but did explain why certain things happened the way they did. Jane used modern wording and was a realistic 13-year-old girl, so younger readers will feel at home with her. She's spunky, determined, loyal, and has a sense of humor.

The mystery was clue-based, and whodunit was guessable from the clues. Jane had good ideas about where to look and what questions to ask. She made good friends that helped her to accomplish her goal of proving that a more powerful (than her) person was at fault rather than the young man who was blamed. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd highly recommend this enjoyable historical mystery.

This is one of those middle grade novels that is very much written for children, and possibly won't work as well for adults: I didn't get terribly much out of it, but it is the kind of thing I might give my 7yo sisters! The mystery was fun (if obvious), though the ending was very abrupt and everything seemed to get wrapped up rather too fast. I did enjoy Jane's character - even though she read quite a bit older than her supposed 13, both in her own actions and the way other people treated her (e.g. there was a moment where she mentioned that she wasn't invited to a ball because she was from a poor family... even though a 13 year old never would have been anyway, regardless of social class!) - and I liked all the references to her real-life family and her letters! However, all the side characters were fairly one-note (especially the villains, which made the mystery even more obvious).

This is charming book for youngsters. As a young girl, 55 years ago and counting, I would have really enjoyed it, and I think it is a good introduction to the era of the Jane Austin stories. The setting and the customs are well explained and offer an insight to the times. However I think that today’s young readers may expect something a little more sophisticated and current, so I’m not sure how well the book will be received. Although the story kept a good pace the ending was too abrupt and did not do the rest of the book justice, far too rushed. I do hope young readers enjoy it.
Thank you NetGalley.

Loved this delightful mystery featuring spunky young Jane Austen as a detective and her beloved dog Grandison as sidekick. Dispatched to serve Lady Cromwell as a companion, Jane soon finds herself intrigued by the mystery of the ghostly monk at Southmoor Abbey. That’s when the fun begins! Geared to middle grade readers, JANE AUSTEN INVESTIGATES still kept this adult racing through the pages. Series, please!

5 of 5 Stars

Pub Date 23 Apr 2021
#JaneAustenInvestigates #NetGalley

Thanks to the author, Lion Hudson Ltd, and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine.

Thank you to Lion Fiction and NetGalley for providing me an opportunity to review this title.

The Abbey Mystery is a perfect mix of classic Austen style and a Nancy Drew mystery.

A young Jane Austen is portrayed as a head-strong protagonist in this detective narrative. In an environment very different to her own home and loving, happy family, Jane finds herself engulfed in an intriguing mystery whilst spending time as a companion at Southmoor Abbey, home to the wealthy Cromwell family. What ensues is a ghost hunt, a party, sassy conversations, a girl coming into herself and a mystery to solve.

This book was charming and fun to read!

First sentence: It had to be acknowledged that the life of a clergyman’s daughter in deepest rural Hampshire was disappointingly full of duties.

Premise/plot: Jane Austen, our heroine, is thirteen and spunky. In this, her first adventure, she goes to be a lady's companion to Lady Cromwell for a few weeks--as birthday celebrations are in high gear--and stumbles into her first (but presumably not last) mystery. Southmoor Abbey is rumored to be haunted; she first hears from her older brother who almost dares her to search out the ghost for herself. But it isn't a ghost--mad or not--that brings danger and excitement into her life: it is the master and mistress of the estate....

There are multiple mysteries to solve and lives do hang in the balance...though this is NOT a murder mystery.

My thoughts: I really loved this one. The novel opens in 1789 and stars the Austen family. If I use the word though, I don't mean it in a derogatory or condescending way... THOUGH it is a middle grade title and certainly appropriate for readers 9+ I think it holds appeal for readers of all ages. I enjoyed it as an adult. I could easily see myself enjoying it as preteen and teen. (Granted I loved HISTORICAL FICTION and reading in general.) Austen makes for a lively, spunky-quirky heroine. And THERE'S A DOG who plays a significant role in the story. In fact, would Austen have solved the mysteries WITHOUT the dog????? I'm not sure!

I think adults who have read all of Austen might enjoy this one especially.

Quotes:
“And if I see a ghost, Henry, I’ll tell it to get on to heaven–or the other place.” “I do believe you would. Prove there’s no such thing as a ghost at the Abbey and I’ll give you half a crown.” He patted his purse. Jane thought of the writing paper she could buy with such riches. “You have a deal.”

“I think Henry [XIII] guilty of crimes and cruelties too many to mention,” agreed Jane–she had strong opinions about the monarchs of the land. “I believe he was a man of no religion and little can be said in his defence.” “Oh, bravo, Miss Austen. I wish you had the task of writing the history books. I admire plain speaking.” Jane decided that Annette was all right–like Fitzwilliam, Deepti, and Luke, rather than the Cromwells.

My first advance copy and I love it!

The book has everything, adventure, humor, sibling love, and friendship. Jane Austen Investigates - The Abbey Mistery by Julia Golding tells the story of Jane Austen as a young detective. When an accident in the family forced a change of plans, young Jane, in place of her sister, was sent to Southmoor Abbey as a companion to Lady Cromwell. After being awakened in the middle of the night and seeing mysterious lights going off in the Abbey ruins, and several other strange occurences, Jane couldn't help but went to investigate.

The book is suitable for children ages 9 and above but it sure kept me on the edge of my seat from start to end.

I really enjoyed this little book, it’s a fictionalised story of the author Jane Austen and how she becomes a lady’s companion to Lady Cromwell. There she finds some strange things are happening and there is lots of talk of a ghost - the mad monk. We seen Mis Austen meet an array of characters and befriend some too as she tries to solve the mystery of the mad monk and a few others mysteries on the way too.

I really enjoyed this short novel, fictionalising Jane Austen as a deceive of sorts. I loved how you could see how the author had uses much of Austen’s novels to inspire characters but also the language used, as well as using the history of Jane Austen too and including snippets of letters between her and her sister Cassandra. I very much feel this book fits well within Austen’s Northanger Abbey.

I really enjoyed this imagining and was a fun and creative historical fiction ghost story that used knowledge about Austen and her books to create a great mystery. The only things I didn’t like was I found at points the timeline confusing and I would muddle up some of the characters names (but the last part is more on me as I do this anyway) - a character guide would be handy and maybe some added information as an appendix relating to the writing and inspirations/ true Austen information would be a great addition.

Apart from that thoroughly enjoyed reading, thank you NetGalley for my review copy!

Jane Austen grew up to become a famous author, but when she was younger she...solved mysteries!
That at least is the premise of this new middle grade reader. I love that you don't need to know anything about the Jane Austen to get into this one. There's no subtle references to her novels or inside jokes only her readers will understand. For this book, Jane Austen is just a character who happens to have a literary streak, which shows up in her ardent note-taking and her clever letters to her sister. A fun read!
Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to preview a digital version of this book.

The Abbey Mystery is a perfect mix of classic Austen style and a Nancy Drew mystery. As a huge fan of both, I was thoroughly charmed from the very first page, laughing to myself at Julia Golding’s earnest girl detective and clever turn of phrase.

It’s 1789 and thirteen year old Jane Austen is the heroine of her very own Gothic tale. As a young girl in the 18th century, Jane is of no earthly use to anyone. She’s isn’t as pretty as her older sister and has none of the rights or privileges of her brothers. Her fierce independence and love of language cause her to rebel against what is expected of her, much to her mother’s frustration, and find adventure wherever she goes.

After an “unfortunate accident”, Jane finds herself in the middle of intrigue and a mystery worthy of any of the novels she will one day go on to write. She is sent to Southmoor Abbey to act as a companion for Lady Cromwell. While she’s there, she witnesses family conflict, a ghost among the ruins and a terrible crime. With her new friends, she does all she can to solve the mystery and reveal the truth. In the process, she proves that she definitely is someone to be reckoned with.

The Abbey Mystery was inspired by Jane Austen’s actual novel, Northanger Abbey. Readers familiar with the story will be delighted by the similarities drawn out through the mystery. Links to the East India Company and a family brought over from India to serve and protect the Cromwell family adds another dimension to the story. It challenges prejudices of the time period and portrays the Indian culture in a powerful light.

Jane Austen was a woman ahead of her time, proving just how much a clever girl can achieve – whether society is ready for it or not! In The Abbey Mystery, Jane is a heroine for the next generation. Her story is the perfect introduction to the world of Jane Austen novels for new readers as well as a deliciously nostalgic journey for those who are already long-time fans. I truly hope that this book is the first of a series of wonderful mysteries.

Thank you to Lion Hudson Ltd for this fantastic book!