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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
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
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was a fun and quick read! I love me a good, strong, kick-ass woman. Especially when the times do not normally allow for that type of behavior. This was my 1st book by Vanessa Kelly but it will not be my last, I am adding all of her books to my TBR!
#MurderinHighbury
#NetGalley
#MurderinHighbury
#NetGalley
funny
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:
No
Fun, but the mystery is ultimately not very satisfying or interesting.
A very (very) slow-moving, cozy mystery based on Emma. I think I would advise folks to re-read the book before this to get a bit more out of it (or watch one of the dozens of film adaptations). There is a lot of speculating, quite a bit of repetitiveness, and is slow (did I mention it was really slow?). But I could see this being an episode of some Austen-esque murder mystery, though they would need to pick up the pace a bit (because. It is. So slow).
4.5/5⭐️
If you've read Emma (or if you haven't) you NEED to read this book! It kept SO well to the original source material that I got lost in the story and the characters. It felt seamless. The author definitely knows Emma, Mr. Knightley, Mr. Woodhouse, and all the other fabulous characters from Austen's Emma.
As if Kelly's incredible accuracy wasn't enough--on top of that, this story was the perfect blend of humor, mystery, and fun.
I always love a good whodunnit--and Murder in Highbury did not disappoint.
Who would want Mrs. Elton dead? Well, that's what Emma is resolved to find out. Much to Mr. Knightley's dismay. She uses her charm, wit, and smarts to solve this village mystery.
I had no idea who the villain was until very close to the end. So, it wasn't at all predictable.
I very much hope to read more from this author. And if that includes more Emma Knightley solving mysteries--sign me up!
Thank you to Kensington Books for the beautiful advanced copy!
If you've read Emma (or if you haven't) you NEED to read this book! It kept SO well to the original source material that I got lost in the story and the characters. It felt seamless. The author definitely knows Emma, Mr. Knightley, Mr. Woodhouse, and all the other fabulous characters from Austen's Emma.
As if Kelly's incredible accuracy wasn't enough--on top of that, this story was the perfect blend of humor, mystery, and fun.
I always love a good whodunnit--and Murder in Highbury did not disappoint.
Who would want Mrs. Elton dead? Well, that's what Emma is resolved to find out. Much to Mr. Knightley's dismay. She uses her charm, wit, and smarts to solve this village mystery.
I had no idea who the villain was until very close to the end. So, it wasn't at all predictable.
I very much hope to read more from this author. And if that includes more Emma Knightley solving mysteries--sign me up!
Thank you to Kensington Books for the beautiful advanced copy!
Didn't love this. The characters didn't feel like Jane Austen's characters. There were a lot of scenes that didn't add anything to the mystery and were repetitive. Kelly also had a lot of favorite words and I didn't love that Miss Bates was constantly referred to as the spinster. Also, Jane Austen would never use the word masculine this frequently.
That being said, I didn't love the ending but I did think the mystery made sense and I liked how the characters interacted with each other, especially Emma's and Jane's friendship. I enjoyed seeing Emma characters again, but expectations are high when using Austen characters, especially when the characters feel off and the narrative isn't tight.
That being said, I didn't love the ending but I did think the mystery made sense and I liked how the characters interacted with each other, especially Emma's and Jane's friendship. I enjoyed seeing Emma characters again, but expectations are high when using Austen characters, especially when the characters feel off and the narrative isn't tight.
*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*
Excuse me? Is this the sleeper hit (for me) of 2024? I do believe it is!!
Utterly charming and hilarious in equal parts, MURDER IN HIGHBURY is the perfect choice for fans of the classic Jane Austen novel and cozy mysteries. Kelly did a magnificent job of capturing the quirky and universally adored characters of Emma, making them not only approachable for the modern audience (for those of us who struggle with 'classic literature') but still reminiscent for the others that wouldn't change a single hair on Emma's nosy, intrusive, and chaotic little head.
The perfect fan-fiction inspired extension of Emma (the book), HIGHBURY picks up a year after Emma and Mr. Knightly's wedding. Fully of marital bliss and fulfilling her promise to keep her nose out of other's business, Emma finds herself right in the middle of a murder investigation. And any investigating on her part that follows is purely coincidental.
Narrator Polly Lee also did a fantastic job of capturing the large casts of character's unique voices. She delivered Emma's witty lines with perfect timing and I loved every moment of the audiobook.
This was my first of Vanessa Kelly's books, but it certainly will not be my last!
Excuse me? Is this the sleeper hit (for me) of 2024? I do believe it is!!
Utterly charming and hilarious in equal parts, MURDER IN HIGHBURY is the perfect choice for fans of the classic Jane Austen novel and cozy mysteries. Kelly did a magnificent job of capturing the quirky and universally adored characters of Emma, making them not only approachable for the modern audience (for those of us who struggle with 'classic literature') but still reminiscent for the others that wouldn't change a single hair on Emma's nosy, intrusive, and chaotic little head.
The perfect fan-fiction inspired extension of Emma (the book), HIGHBURY picks up a year after Emma and Mr. Knightly's wedding. Fully of marital bliss and fulfilling her promise to keep her nose out of other's business, Emma finds herself right in the middle of a murder investigation. And any investigating on her part that follows is purely coincidental.
Narrator Polly Lee also did a fantastic job of capturing the large casts of character's unique voices. She delivered Emma's witty lines with perfect timing and I loved every moment of the audiobook.
This was my first of Vanessa Kelly's books, but it certainly will not be my last!
Thank you to Kensington Publishing and AustenprosePR for my advance copy. My opinions are my own.
It isn't a big leap for Emma Knightley (nee Woodhouse) to go from meddlesome matchmaker to meddlesome sleuth. Emma and George Knightley have been married for less than a year when Emma and Harriet Martin stumble on the murdered body of Mrs. Elton, the vicar's wife, in the church. Now, between balancing the running of the Knightley household, social engagements, and worrying over her father's health, Emma is working hard to find the murderer and protect one of her oldest friends in the village. But it's not as easy as you would think--after all, a young lady--no matter how well-placed in society--investigating a murder is frowned upon by society.
I probably wouldn't have thought of it on my own, but Emma as a meddlesome sleuth is not hard to arrive at. After all, she's smart enough to need the mental stimulation, and she does enjoy pulling people's strings to see what happens. Having read Jane Austen's Emma already makes this book much more enjoyable, but isn't required. Though this was a fun cozy mystery, it was also a serious reminder of how misogynistic Regency England was and in what a vulnerable place a woman was, even one with the supposed protection of a man. And if you've read it but it's been a while, there are lots of reminders of the events that took place to keep you from having to dig out your old copy. I understand this is to be a series, so I'm looking forward to reading the next one!
It isn't a big leap for Emma Knightley (nee Woodhouse) to go from meddlesome matchmaker to meddlesome sleuth. Emma and George Knightley have been married for less than a year when Emma and Harriet Martin stumble on the murdered body of Mrs. Elton, the vicar's wife, in the church. Now, between balancing the running of the Knightley household, social engagements, and worrying over her father's health, Emma is working hard to find the murderer and protect one of her oldest friends in the village. But it's not as easy as you would think--after all, a young lady--no matter how well-placed in society--investigating a murder is frowned upon by society.
I probably wouldn't have thought of it on my own, but Emma as a meddlesome sleuth is not hard to arrive at. After all, she's smart enough to need the mental stimulation, and she does enjoy pulling people's strings to see what happens. Having read Jane Austen's Emma already makes this book much more enjoyable, but isn't required. Though this was a fun cozy mystery, it was also a serious reminder of how misogynistic Regency England was and in what a vulnerable place a woman was, even one with the supposed protection of a man. And if you've read it but it's been a while, there are lots of reminders of the events that took place to keep you from having to dig out your old copy. I understand this is to be a series, so I'm looking forward to reading the next one!