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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Less than a year into her marriage with George Knightly, Emma and Harriet happen upon a shocking discovery in the local church. As the investigation into Mrs. Elton’s death progresses, Emma must discreetly navigate an investigation of her own to protect the innocent and expose the ruthless culprit hiding in plain sight. From matchmaker to sleuth, Emma faces new challenges amongst familiar faces.
Cozy mysteries are always fun to follow, and this brought back many of my favorite characters from classic Austen literature! I felt like the author did those characters justice, creating a fun story to follow with just enough red herrings. This book wasn't particularly long, but there were a few chapters that felt drawn out. Overall, I was happy to return to the world of Emma Woodhouse and those in her inner circle.
Thank you Kensington Books, Austen Prose PR, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!
Cozy mysteries are always fun to follow, and this brought back many of my favorite characters from classic Austen literature! I felt like the author did those characters justice, creating a fun story to follow with just enough red herrings. This book wasn't particularly long, but there were a few chapters that felt drawn out. Overall, I was happy to return to the world of Emma Woodhouse and those in her inner circle.
Thank you Kensington Books, Austen Prose PR, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!
medium-paced
A fun mystery, but I did not care for the actual solution. And I must complain that Emma was very clear she wasn’t going to call Mr. Knightly by his first name.
Building on familiar characters made world-building easy, but it would have been just as enjoyable with original characters.
Building on familiar characters made world-building easy, but it would have been just as enjoyable with original characters.
**I received an advanced listening copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
Emma Knightley trades in her matchmaking skills for sleuthing in this first in the series featuring Emma, Harriet, Mr. Knightley, and all the characters from Jane Austen's "Emma." Emma and Harriet stumble upon the dead body of Mrs. Elton in the church, and Emma does not like the way the investigation unfolds. She uncovers secrets and half truths in the Highbury community; more importantly, she is in a race against time as a beloved member of the community is the prime suspect.
Kelly does a remarkable job capturing the characterizations of each character from Austen's work. Emma is still stubborn, Mr. Woodhouse is still fretful of draughts, and Miss Bates is...well...Miss Bates. The reader also sees a bit more internal dialogue for Emma, as she navigates keeping house, keeping her father happy, and trying to keep her husband happy (and not continue to look for clues to the crime). Kelly also brings out Emma's intelligence and attention to detail and writes Emma as a believable sleuth in search of truth and justice. While I guessed the murderer about halfway through the story, it did not deter my enjoyment of the overall story.
Polly Lee as the voice actress well, overall. There are moments that the male characters sound identical--in some scenes, Frank Churchill sounds like George Knightley, so at times it is hard to determine who is speaking or if one of these characters happened to enter the room whilst the other was present. Lee's performance of Emma is very enjoyable, especially when Emma is trying to hide her exasperation over Mr. Woodhouse or Harriet.
Fans of Jane Austen adaptations will find this enjoyable. I'm looking forward to the continuation of the series.
Emma Knightley trades in her matchmaking skills for sleuthing in this first in the series featuring Emma, Harriet, Mr. Knightley, and all the characters from Jane Austen's "Emma." Emma and Harriet stumble upon the dead body of Mrs. Elton in the church, and Emma does not like the way the investigation unfolds. She uncovers secrets and half truths in the Highbury community; more importantly, she is in a race against time as a beloved member of the community is the prime suspect.
Kelly does a remarkable job capturing the characterizations of each character from Austen's work. Emma is still stubborn, Mr. Woodhouse is still fretful of draughts, and Miss Bates is...well...Miss Bates. The reader also sees a bit more internal dialogue for Emma, as she navigates keeping house, keeping her father happy, and trying to keep her husband happy (and not continue to look for clues to the crime). Kelly also brings out Emma's intelligence and attention to detail and writes Emma as a believable sleuth in search of truth and justice. While I guessed the murderer about halfway through the story, it did not deter my enjoyment of the overall story.
Polly Lee as the voice actress well, overall. There are moments that the male characters sound identical--in some scenes, Frank Churchill sounds like George Knightley, so at times it is hard to determine who is speaking or if one of these characters happened to enter the room whilst the other was present. Lee's performance of Emma is very enjoyable, especially when Emma is trying to hide her exasperation over Mr. Woodhouse or Harriet.
Fans of Jane Austen adaptations will find this enjoyable. I'm looking forward to the continuation of the series.
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a fun adaption that captured the original voice of Emma pretty well! The mystery isn't the best thing ever, but it was still really entertaining and enjoyable to see all these characters again!
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Of course I was interested in a continuation of "Emma" by Austen...and this murder mystery was just the ticket. Emma and George Knightley are thrown right in the middle of a whodunnit in Highbury, and character development of the Eltons, the Bates, Mr. Woodhouse, Frank, Jane and others are all a part of the story. Certainly this would appeal to all Jane Austen fans, but also to those interested in Regency period stories, or just a good cozy mystery. I found the events and styling true to the time period, which is refreshing since so many these days adopt a more modern flair which can be unrealistic.
The narration was formally British and took a bit to get used to, but overall suited the story and did not detract from it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington for this ARL. All opinions are mine.
The narration was formally British and took a bit to get used to, but overall suited the story and did not detract from it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington for this ARL. All opinions are mine.
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thoroughly enjoyed this. Emma reminded me of a slightly more spunky Jane Austen character. Her father was both exasperating and loveable. I did figure out who the murderer was about half way through but didn't know how Emma would solve it. Hope this is going to be a series. Would definately read more. The narrator, Polly Lee, did a fun job with the voices. I think her portrayal brought out more of the humor. I did have to speed up the listening time to 1.25 as I felt it sounded extremely slow at normal speed.
Book felt like a modern murder mystery with a historical setting. While it might be of interest to someone who is an Emma fan, this reader had never been and never will be a Jane Austen fan.
Thank you to Kensington for the free advanced reader.
Thank you to Kensington for the free advanced reader.
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
If you’re a fan of Jane Austen’s work, especially her novel, Emma, this book is for you. Murder at Highbury features many of the characters from Jane Austen’s Emma, including Emma herself, now Mrs. George Knightley; George Knightley; her friend Harriet; the Reverend Mr. Elton; Emma’s father Mr. Woodhouse; and so forth. When Emma and Harriet find the murdered body of Mrs. Elton in the church, the action starts. But there’s really not a lot of action. While she has abandoned her matchmaking efforts, Emma now flexes her talents as an amateur sleuth - mostly by talking to people and being observant. And there’s lots and lots of talking. And drinking of tea. I think there really was only one significant action scene and that was very near the end when the murderer was revealed. At 400 pages, I think it could have been pared down quite a bit and been a more enjoyable reading experience.
Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Misogyny