%20(1).png)
Review: MURDER AT ENSCOMBE PARK by Vanessa Kelly
ABOUT THE BOOK
When Jane Austen’s Regency-era heroine Emma Knightley visits her pregnant friend Jane and her husband Frank Churchill at their Yorkshire estate, a proper country house party soon becomes the site of a ghastly murder . . .
Emma, her husband George, and her father and his new wife have journeyed to Enscombe Park, the grand estate where Jane and Frank live with his uncle, who adopted Frank as a boy. Upon their arrival, they are concerned to find Jane wan from her condition, Frank bruised from a mysterious accident, and Mr. Churchill in an ill temper, as well as surprised by additional houseguests including Miss Caroline Bingley and a distant cousin from the West Indies.
Emma worries this might all be too much for Jane, but it is Mr. Churchill who is decidedly out-of-sorts, possibly due to his heart medication. When Frank’s uncle is found dead in the library, it appears he’s fallen victim to heart seizure. But Emma—despite George’s admonitions to stay out of it—begins to wonder if he may have been poisoned.
Experience has taught Emma that her matchmaking instincts may not always be spot-on, but her sleuthing skills are as sharp as ever. As a recently altered will and secret debts come to light, suspicion falls on Frank Churchill of all people. Now it’s up to Emma to save her friend’s husband from the gallows . . .
REVIEW by Christina Boyd
A visit to Enscombe Park brings together familiar faces from both Emma and Pride and Prejudice and makes for an excessively diverting Austen-esque reunion. Yet, beneath the decorum of a country house party, something is amiss, and when a death occurs under suspicious circumstances, Emma Knightley finds herself with a mystery to unravel. I loved accompanying Emma and George as they navigated the peculiarities of society, family, and an unexpected crime in MURDER AT ENSCOMBE PARK.
Emma mentally raised her eyebrows. Frank’s apparent dislike of his distant relation seemed irrational, especially since Mr. Nolan appeared to be the perfect gentleman. Perhaps Frank didn’t like the competition from such a charming man, having grown too used to always being the most popular person in any social setting. —Chapter 3.
Emma proves herself a determined investigator, undeterred by George’s occasional objections or the many distractions of their fellow guests. From her father’s preoccupation with his health to his new wife’s (the former Miss Hettie Bates) inexhaustible conversation, Enscombe offers no shortage of entertaining personalities. Caroline Bingley, Mr. and Mrs. Hurst, and various Churchill relations add further charm and intrigue to the proceedings. Behind the polite conversations and carefully maintained appearances, however, lie secrets that Emma is determined to bring to light.
As far as Emma was concerned, Frank wasn’t in the proper state to do very much. Which meant that as usual, she and George must step into the breach.‘Yes, you are not worry about anything Jane,’ Emma briskly said. ‘We’ll get everything sorted. I know exactly what to do.’ —Chapter 8.
Beyond the mystery, I particularly enjoyed the exploration of Frank and Jane’s marriage, especially given the rather complicated impression Frank leaves in “Emma” and the secrecy that once surrounded their attachment. Questions of family loyalty, inheritance, and the consequences of a newly revised will muddle the investigation. With its colorful cast of familiar characters, clever sleuthing, and delicious Regency-era scandal, MURDER AT ENSCOMBE PARK was a thoroughly satisfying addition to the series. (Advanced copy via NetGalley.)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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. Vanessa also wrote USA Today bestselling contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels with her husband, under the pen name of V.K. Sykes.
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. Connect with Vanessa via her website and social media.
Comments