Murder in Highbury by Vanessa Kelly

Murder in Highbury
by Vanessa Kelly

ISBN-13: 9781496745972
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Kensington Publishing
Released: Oct. 22, 2024

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Less than one year into her marriage to respected magistrate George Knightley, the former Miss Emma Woodhouse gracefully balances 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 then Emma and Harriet Martin discover a hideous shock at the local church: the corpse of Mrs. Augusta Elton, the vicar’s wife, on the altar steps, an expensive necklace stripped from her neck.

As a chilling murder mystery blooms and chaos descends upon the tranquil village of Highbury, and suspicions suddenly fall on Miss Bates. Armed with wit, unwavering determination, and extensive social connections, Emma decides to investigate to protect the innocent and expose the ruthless culprit hiding in plain sight.


My Review:
Murder in Highbury is a mystery set in 1815 in England. The author took the characters from Jane Austen's "Emma" and changed them a bit. For example, Emma's very outspoken in criticizing men in authority to their faces rather than using the more subtle set-down of a well-bred lady. She poked through someone's desk looking for clues while asking Harriet to stand lookout. Austen's Emma was oblivious to subtle relational interplays happening around her and jumped to conclusions, but in this mystery, Emma noticed when things were subtly off. Also, Miss Bates didn't just ramble on but was a fainting, hysterical lady-in-distress when people asked her questions about the day of the murder. Mrs. Bates might be hard of hearing and slept a lot but she's very engaged with what's going on. While foundational aspects of the original characters were still present, they all felt modified to suit the story the author wanted to tell.

I guessed whodunit early on and was astounded that no one but Emma (at the very end) even considered a most obvious suspect (who had motive, access to the murder scene, and the ability to do the murder). While it's clear that the author did some research into the time period, the social relationships often felt too modern. The coroner and constable both wanted to investigate and arrest people at will, sometimes assuming Mr. Knightly role as magistrate behind his back even though they knew this would offend him. This just didn't seem realistic as the social hierarchy was still pretty rigid at that time. However, it did drag out the mystery because Mr. Knightly was busy trying to minimalize the damage done by two bumbling men bucking his authority rather than everyone working together in their assigned roles. I guess it was the excuse for why Emma had to investigate instead.

All that said, it was an enjoyable enough take on Emma as a sleuth. There were no sex scenes. There were only a few uses of bad language.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.