Kent, 1797.

Jane Austen arrives at her brother Neddy’s house. His wife Elizabeth is due to give birth to their fourth child.

Neddy was brought up in the comforts of Mr. and Mrs Knight’s estate. Mr. Knight was a cousin of Mr. Austen, and as the couple couldn’t have children of their own, they adopted Neddy.

Mrs Knight is now a widow, and when she passes, Neddy will inherit the family fortune. However, it appears that Mrs Knight has a new protégé, a Spanish princess called Eleanor. Eleanor is estranged from her noble family, and she was shipwrecked and found wandering along the shore.

Elizabeth doesn’t believe a word of this story, and she asks Jane to investigate what’s going on.

Who is Princess Eleanor? Is she really a princess? What is her story?

This is the second book in the Jane Austen series, but you can read it as a standalone novel. I enjoyed the first book and was excited to pick up this one. I wasn’t disappointed!

I must admit that I didn’t know much about Jane Austen’s life and upbringing, and this book has certainly educated me on that subject. I am a big fan of her novels, and I loved all the references to her works.

Jane was somewhat naive (she was only 21), but I wish she wouldn’t eavesdrop and leap to fantastical conclusions!

This book is perfect for all fans of cosy and/or historical fiction.

Many thanks to Michael Joseph for approving my NetGalley request to read and review this title.

I loved the first book, so couldn’t wait to read this one, In this book, Jane travels to her brother Neddy’s house in Kent to help him and his heavily pregnant wife - but soon finds herself investigating a supposed foreign princess who threatens her brother’s inheritance. At the same time she must contend with her sister in law who is determined to find her a husband.

What I love about this series is how cleverly Jessica weaves fact with fiction - her love and knowledge of all things Austen and the period shines through. And we get to see snippets of books that any Austen fan will recognise.

But she also creates the most fabulous, and feisty, character in Jane. She isn’t always the best sleuth, a little hapless at times, reminiscent of some of her heroines - but she isn’t afraid to challenge societal expectations.
But it is not all jolly japes as we also see a bit of a darker side to the era - as well as a reminder of the way women were expected to conform.

Overall it all adds up to another fun and supremely clever read. I look forward to seeing what Jane gets up to next.

I have been waiting to read this second book in the Miss Austen Investigates series since last year when, at the end of the first novel, I read its first chapter promising more intriguing adventures for my favourite author and I wasn’t disappointed.

A Fortune Most Fatal starts with the young author on her way to visit her brother Edward “Neddy” Knight Austen. Jane’s brother, Edward, had attracted the affection of the family’s wealthy relatives, the Knights, who, being childless, adopted him when he was about sixteen years old, making him the sole heir of their estate. In A Fortune Most Fatal, Jane is going to stay with her brother to help his wife before the birth of their fourth child. Usually, it’s her sister Cassandra who is called in these times of need, but she is grieving the death of her fiancé so the responsibility has fallen on Jane. And, it’s not that everyone would have preferred Cassandra that bothers Jane or that her sister-in-law, Elizabeth, is determined to find her a husband (if only Jane would behave in the proper manner of a lady), but it’s the presence of a mysterious young woman that may threaten Neddy’s inheritance from the Knights that keeps Jane’s mind occupied.

A young woman has been found on the beach near Godmersham Park. She claims to be a Spanish princess who’s been kidnapped and the recently widowed Mrs. Knights has taken her under her protection, preventing anyone from getting close to her, including her own son. Jane is determined to find out the truth, but as her investigation uncovers dark secrets, she wonders not only if the young woman is a fraud or if she is a victim, but who, among those close to her, she can trust.

I loved this second book even more than the first one. Set in 1797, Jane is working on her latest manuscript, The Sisters, which will later become her first published novel, Sense & Sensibility. She is worried about her sister Cassandra who she left in deep grief over the death of her fiancé, while Jane herself is still thinking about Tom Lefroy, the man she loves, but that she can’t marry. Jane is smart, witty, and quite curious, always full of questions and opinions that sometimes annoy those around her, but won’t stop her from getting to the truth.

Brilliantly-written, entertaining, and immersive, A Fortune Most Fatal has a cast of wonderful characters and a mystery that is darker than I expected, but that left me glued to the pages and looking forward to another Jane Austen’s investigation.

I had my eye on the Miss Austen Investigates series for a while, so when I was invited on this tour, I jumped at the chance—quickly picking up the first book to read beforehand. I enjoyed the first one, but this one? Even better!

I loved following Jane as she stayed with her brother Neddy’s family, stepping in for grieving sister Cassandra to help with the children and their expecting mother. The history of Neddy’s adoption by the wealthy Mr & Mrs Knight fascinated me—I hadn’t realised such things happened in those days!

The mystery surrounding the Infanta, taken under Mrs Knight’s wing, kept me hooked. Jane’s investigations, full of misinterpreted clues and eavesdropped conversations, were a delight. Her banter with Brook Bridges, her sister-in-law’s younger brother, added charm—his character truly shone.

Eleanor was a particularly compelling figure. Without giving spoilers, Jessica Bull portrayed her struggles with nuance and authenticity—I’ve known someone like her, and it was done beautifully.

I highly recommend this witty, mysterious and thoughtful novel especially if you are an Austen or Agatha Christie fan.

A huge thank you to @instabooktours @itsthebookparty @jessicabullnovelist @michaeljbooks for kindly gifting me a proof in exchange for my honest review.

In this, the second ‘Miss Austen Investigates’ novel, a 21-yr-old Jane endeavours to discover the true identity of a mysterious young woman claiming to be a shipwrecked Spanish princess, who poses a threat to the Austen family’s financial future. As well as snippets of Janeite history, it also features smugglers, ghosts, and patronising priests, plus some very sensitively handled depictions of mental illness. And a gorgeous spaniel.

I’m a big fan of novels with carefully observed, thoughtfully drawn characters, and I also love books with a powerful sense of place and time: this delivers beautifully on all of that. In many ways, it’s about first impressions being deceptive so I don’t want to say too much about the plot or specific characters (but I will say that I loved Jane, I adored Mrs Knight, and young Mr Bridges was fabulous page-candy).

Another highlight for me was that it’s set in East Kent at Godmersham and Rowling, with cameos from Canterbury, Goodnestone and Whitstable (all of which I loved seeing in their 18th-century incarnations, since they’re old stomping grounds of mine).

It’s been a stressful few weeks and it was such a pleasure to be back with Jessica Bull’s Jane Austen during rare free moments.

It’s out tomorrow (27th March) and highly recommended!

Thanks to @netgalley and @michaeljbooks for the advanced copy.

Jessica Bull dives yet again into the mystery-solving world of Jane Austen with “Miss Austen Investigates: A Fortune Most Fatal.”

When Jane Austen’s sister Cassandra loses her fiance, Jane is tasked with attending to the upcoming birth of her brother Neddy and sister-in-law Elizabeth’s fourth child. While there, she learns Neddy’s adoptive mother, Mrs. Knight, has taken in a strange young woman with an even stranger story.

Eleanor claims to be a Spanish princess who was kidnapped by pirates at a young age, and was recently able to escape and is seeking refuge. But as Jane visits with Eleanor, she quickly learns there is more to the woman’s story. And with family concern that Mrs. Knight may choose to leave her estate to this woman instead of Neddy, Jane knows she needs to quickly figure out what is truly going on.

Bull does a great job of drawing out the world of Jane Austen, creating a delightful cast of characters, including some truly unique characters. She also creates a plot filled with twists and turns, and many misdirections that will keep the reader guessing until the very end. She also bases several characters and situations from real-life scenarios.

For those who may be triggered, there is a plot line surrounding a delicate subject matter dealing with abuse.

Fans of Austen’s novels and authors like Stephanie Barron, Julie Klassen, Sarah E. Ladd and Claudia Gray will love this story.

Five stars out of five.

Union Square & Co. provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

Welcome to Godmersham Park, 1797, where Jane has gone to stay with her brother, Neddy and his wife. Neddy needs to stay with his benefactor As heir to wealthy widow Mrs Knight’s fortune. Jane realises that Neddy is in dire need of her help. Jane is soon drawn into a mstery surrounding Eleanor. All the sub plots come together with a surprising ending.

I loved Miss Austen Investigates so I was thrilled to read more about the Austen family in the second book in the series. Jessica Bull’s Jane is a wonderful sleuth and I really enjoyed all the period detail, the setting, the characters and the story of the Infanta. But this is more than just a cosy Jane Austen mystery. Jessica Bull uses the mystery to examine some difficult and shocking treatment of women and girls in those times. The investigation engenders a lot of our sympathy and there are some emotive themes with the portrayal of Agnes, which not only provides a great twist but is sensitively handled. Plus lovely to see Jane’s flirtation days are not totally over … Absolutely loved this book and can’t wait for the next!

Jane has travelled to her brother Neddy's to help with the birth of his latest child. Neddy's adoptive mother is currently hosting a suspicious visitor who his wife thinks is a threat to their inheritance. Jane promises to solve the mystery and indeed she does.

I adored the end of the this book when we finally have all the information and watch the conclusion take place but I struggled to like the Jane that appears in the start of the book. She jumps to every conclusion possible and comes across as rather unlikeable at times. That is of course until she has enough information to solve the puzzle.

While the start of the book is a little slow the story is an interesting one, and its an excellent exploration of women's lives in the period. The letters that Jane writes to her sister Cassandra are my favourite part of the book, they have the very feel of Jane Austen's writing. I'm looking forward to the next one in the series and seeing what happens next.

Her sister Cassandra is taking the death of her fiancé very badly and it falls to Jane to travel to Kent to see her brother Neddy and his wife Elizabeth, who is due to give birth in a couple of months. When she arrives, Elizabeth is very disturbed that Neddy's adoptive mother, Mrs Knight, has taken in a stranger who is purporting to be a Spanish Princess. Elizabeth is worried that the interloper will take the inheritance promised to Neddy and appeals to Jane to find out what is happening.
Jane visits Mrs Knight and slowly gains the confidence of the strange visitor and gets an inkling of the trials that she has been through. Unfortunately Jane also jumps to conclusions that her brother has something to do with it all.
An enjoyable romp through Regency England and a nice read.

3.5 of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2025/03/20/review-miss-austen-investigates-a-fortune-most-fatal-miss-austen-investigates-1-by-jessica-bull/
My Five Word TL:DR Review: I Wanted to Love It

To be fair I found this very easy to read. I love reading stories from this period and couple that with the inclusion of a famous author from the past (whose books I love) then this is really a no-brainer. Of course I want this series in my life. The only thing that prevents me from absolutely loving this book and to a certain extent I had similar feelings with No.1 – is the main character. I find her a little bit frustrating but I enjoyed the first instalment enough to want to press on and I was hoping that Jane (Austen) would learn a little from her mistakes in the past. Anyway, not to get ahead.

As the story begins Jane is making her way to stay with her brother Neddy whose wife is pregnant and coming very close to her delivery date (lying in). Normally, Jane’s sister Cass would have attended (and she is indeed a favourite with her in-laws and nephews and nieces) but disaster has struck the family and Cass is weighed down with grief. On arrival at Neddy’s home however there appears to be discord. Jane’s sister in law, far from having a quiet period as she approaches the impending birth of her next child, is quite besides herself with alarm. The disquiet surrounds Neddy’s adoptive mother who has taken in a shipwrecked foreign princess who now appears to be pulling at her heartstrings and causing all sorts of trouble and headaches – particularly when it comes to the possibility of the young woman in question being an impostor trying to swindle both Neddy and the Austens out of their expected inheritance.

I won’t discuss the plot further.

What I really enjoyed about this.

Once again the writing is lovely. It’s very easy to sink into the time, the family lifestyle and the story. I really do enjoy returning to this period of time and I love the way the author manages to find new ways of showing how Jane came up with characters and plots. There are little glimpses here, there and everywhere.

I also enjoyed getting away from the Austens and meeting other people. There are strong Pride and Prejudice vibes from parts of the plot – which, again, I enjoyed picking up on.

But, as much as I am enjoying these and finding them good to get on with at the same time I find Jane frustrating. In book one she jumped to some terrible conclusions and ran around a little like a headless chicken. I was hoping that she might be a bit more prudent here given her past experience but she still flits about and takes the high road more often than not. I just want to like her more and whilst sometimes she can be really caring or really witty, she can also be rather annoying.

Anyway, I would definitely pick up more in the series and I’m keen to see where Jane’s story goes next, but I really hope she can become a bit more circumspect.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

A fortune most fatal -

This sees the return of Jane Austin investigating family mysteries. It is definitely in the cosy crime genre with Jane seeking justice.

It is a clever "whodunnit" and great for fans of Richard Osman.

Another enjoyable book in the series from Jessica Bull. Anne finds herself in the middle of a number of secrets, trying to work out the truth. Love how we are discovering more about the Austen family. and I’m hoping there is a book three!

Jane Austen is back to solve more mysteries.

As a big lover of Jane Austen I do enjoy these books. Full of delightful wit and references to JA's work and life.

In this book we follow Jane as she comes to visit Neddy, her wealthy brother. Hoping time away will be good for her writing and her broken heart, she is troubled to find peace is not waiting for her.

Jane's sister-in-law schemes to get her married and an apparent 'princess' is taken in by Neddy's adoptive mother, becoming a risk to the financial future of the whole Austen family. Though the truth is even more bleak.

Jane has learnt a bit from her many mistakes in book one but I do still find her character slightly annoying, some of her choice and accusations are wild. That is my only criticism. Otherwise, this novel was intriguing, heart-felt and inclusive. I enjoyed it.

This became a well constructed story although there were times when I wondered if it would ever get there. There was a lot of personal reflection and background explanation that in my opinion could have been curtailed. However it ended up being a very satisfying story. I loved the depiction of Jane, picking up on her dry sense of humour and outspoken forthrightness alongside her vulnerability. It brought to life her background and as importantly explored the nature and treatment of mental health problems long before they were deemed to be genuine medical or psychological concerns. A suitable novel to be read on the occasion of Jane’s 250th anniversary.

I very much enjoyed the first Miss Austen Investigates and was looking forward to reading A Fortune Most Fatal. Jessica Bull once again shows a great knowledge of the time period and the people and place's in Jane's life and provides Jane with some suitably witty lines. It is a fun read, while also adding in some darker elements of the social constraints and treatment of women during Jane's lifetime. It wasn't as much as a mystery as the first outing, but still has some twists and turns and secrets to uncover. I think this would be a great read for book groups as there is plenty to dissect and discuss.

Whilst I enjoyed the first book in the series this, the second in the series, was totally delightful. I was completely immersed from start to finish. Set in Kent in 1797 where Jane Austen, now 21 years old, has been sent to stay with her brother Edward ‘Neddy’ and his wife Elizabeth at Rowling Manor, to aid the latter during her confinement. Neddy left the Austen family at age 14 to live with the wealthy Knight family and now considers them his parents. As their only child he is due to inherit the Godmersham Park estate in due course.

Briefly, Elizabeth is not having an easy confinement which is exacerbated by her concern that Neddy’s future fortune is at stake. Widow Mrs. Knight has taken into her home a rather strange young woman who purports to be Eleanor, a Spanish princess. Elizabeth is convinced that she’s a charlatan who has her eye her husband‘s future inheritance. She tasks Jane with helping her convince Mrs Knight that the young woman isn’t who she says she is. However, Jane soon realises that Mrs. Knight is aware that Eleanor isn’t a Princess just someone needing help and Jane wants to help too. Meanwhile, Jane has overheard a distressing conversation that leads her to believe that her brother is a bit of a rake!

It was clear from the last book that Jane isn’t quite the detective she believes herself to be. Her imagination can often take over from the facts leading her down all sorts of torturous paths. I love the fact that there is so much based on the Austen family’s real life, the little snippets of detail about her books, that as yet were unpublished, were wonderful. Beautifully crafted I defy any Austen lover not to enjoy this, in fact anyone who loves a wonderful cosy mystery will hopefully be as mesmerised as I was. Yes I loved it. December this year will see the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth and this is a fitting memorial to an incredible woman.

In the 250th anniversary year since Jane Austen’s birth, I knew I had to get my hands on this second book from Jessica Bull that sees Jane as an amateur sleuth. I adored the first book and have been waiting for this one - I wasn’t disappointed!

“Who are you, Miss Austen, but a young lady of little experience and no consequence?”

Welcome to Kent, 1797. Following many years apart, Jane Austen is set to spend the summer with her estranged brother, Neddy. As heir to wealthy widow Mrs Knight’s fortune, it is imperative that Neddy stays in his benefactor’s good graces. The financial security of Jane’s entire family depend on him.

But upon arrival at Godmersham Park, Jane quickly realises Neddy is in dire need of her help. For a mysterious young woman currently resides with Mrs Knight – a stranger who threatens to swindle the inheritance for herself.

Jane must uncover who this imposter is, to protect the fortunes – and fate – of her family. But when her investigation takes a dark and dangerous turn, can she solve the mystery – and save herself?

This book is just exceptional, so packed full of details, Jessica really knows Jane Austen and this time we go to Godmersham Park, home to her brother Neddy. Neddy was adopted when Jane was three years old and she now travels to care for his wife Elizabeth as she prepares to give birth at their house in Kent. Neddy is heir to the Knight fortune worth eight thousand a year.
Jane is writing The Sisters, which will become Sense and Sensibility and she is determined to both write and puzzle out just what is going on with Mrs Knight and her new guest.

I really loved this story, Jane is not a very good sleuth really, as we discovered in the first book, but she has a very kind heart and simply wants to uncover the truth. There are plenty of twists and turns and lots of little nods to Austen’s work.

‘your words have a way of piercing one’s soul.’

I loved the link to Princess Caraboo (see the Ladykillers podcast for more on this) and the authors own link to one of the characters. This is written with love, wit and is a joy to read. I adore this version of Jane Austen and look forward to her next adventure!

A Fortune Most Fatal is the second book in Jessica Bull's wonderful Miss Austen Investigates series, which as you can imagine is a delightful series of cozy mysteries which are solved by Jane, usually while she is dealing with several issues involving various family members. In this book Jane is visiting her brother Neddy who was adopted by a wealth family. the Knights, when he was just a boy. His wife is about to give birth and Jane is sent to help with the household and other children at their home, Godmersham Park. What should have been a pleasant visit is marred by fears that Neddy's inheritance and thus his family's security is under threat from a mysterious young woman claiming to be a Spanish princess that the widowed Mrs Knight seems to have taken under her wing. Of course Jane is determined to ferret out the truth behind her story and so chaos ensues with some interesting results.
This book is has a clever mystery at the core but with some darkness that I was not expecting. It is sensitively handled and I appreciated that the author used humour, most notably in the numerous attempts to set Jane up with a suitor, to cut through some of the heavier material. The character of Jane as written by Jessica Bull is clever and witty as you would expect but also quite an innocent in the ways of the world, as would be common for a woman of her class in that time period, and the author uses this to her advantage. It says a lot for an author's ability to develop a character that I found myself quite fond of the fraudulent princess by the end of the book. The pace of the book is gentle and unhurried but I was still engaged enough to keep turning pages.
A worthy successor to Miss Austen Investigates , one that many readers will enjoy and I hope that the series continues to go from strength to strength.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the author, all opinions are my own.

A fortune most fatal by Jessica Bull for publication on 27 March 2025

I loved the first in this series and the second delighted me even more.

Jane Austen goes to stay with her sister in law Elizabeth who is about to give birth. Whilst there Jane gets entangled in the mysterious house guest staying with Neddy's mother. A houseguest who looks like a fraud out to con Neddy's mother out of her fortune and usurp Neddy in his mother's affections.

Jane manages to read too much into part comversations with hilarious results. Put together her sister in law's attempts to marry Jane off and an unputdownable funny story emerges.

A fantastic read and roll on number 3.

Thanks to Netgalley for a pre publication copy.