Scan barcode
theavidreaderandbibliophile's review
3.0
Pride, Prejudice, and Peril by Katie Oliver is the debut of A Jane Austen Tea Society Mysteries. Dr. Phaedra Brighton is a quirky college professor at Somerset University. Phaedra teaches English Literature and is a Jane Austen scholar. She dresses in Regency attire (including reticule, slippers, and parasol) to teach. Phaedra has been hired as a historical consultant for Who Wants to Marry Mr. Darcy (a cross between The Bachelor and Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice). The show is being filmed at Marling where her friend, Charlene and her new husband, Bill Collier now reside. Bill Collier is not a nice man (putting it mildly). During a heavy rainstorm, the cast and crew take refuge in Marling. One of the bachelorette’s is wearing Charlene’s Georgian necklace when the power goes out. The necklace is stolen, and Bill is livid. The storm becomes increasing severe and then a large tree crashes into the manor. While Charlene checks on her ill mum, Phaedra agrees to assess the damage caused by the tree and look in on Bill who had decided to take a bath during the lightening storm. Phaedra finds Bill dead in the bathtub. It is obvious that he did not die of natural causes. Detective Morelli is assigned the case and he is being urged to close it quickly. The evidence quickly piles up against Charlene. Phaedra sets out to find the true culprit. The guilty party is not happy with Phaedra’s meddling and attempts to get her out of the way. Phaedra with help from her Jane Austen Tea Society friends work through the list of suspects. Can Phaedra unravel the clues before the killer strikes again? There are numerous references to Jane Austen novels throughout the story. I can tell the author knows Jane Austen and her works. The story contains good writing, but the pacing is a little slow. I admit that I am not a fan of Phaedra. I like that she loves to read and is a respected scholar. I thought it was clever that she dresses in Regency clothing for her lectures. Her personality, though, is only okay. I found her to be judgmental. Her upbringing is apparent from her attitude and how out of touch she is about certain things. The mystery provides us with several suspects since Bill Collier was not a likeable man (a real toady). There are good clues to help readers solve the crime before the reveal. I found Phaedra’s style of questioning to be lacking. Phaedra can be brusque, and she lacks subtlety. Phaedra’s mother is just like Mrs. Bennett. She is always trying to marry off her daughters. There is interesting Regency trivia in the book. I learned some interesting facts. A few changes to Phaedra would not go amiss. Phaedra likes to act superior to others, makes hasty judgements, and I did not like how she withheld evidence from friends and police (to the detriment of the case). I am hoping the author will allow Phaedra to see some of the negative aspects of her characters and make necessary changes. I am hoping her questioning style will improve with time. Pride, Prejudice, and Peril is a Janeite delight with dead drug executive, a clever canine, a precious pug, a matchmaking mother, a dedicated detective, a framed friend, and a prying professor.
pmichj's review
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
littlelifeofbooks's review
4.0
This book transports you into the world of Jane Austen, just in time for high tea with Mr. Darcy. But instead of someone passing a watercress and cucumber tea sandwich, someone’s about to pass away.
whitneyautumn's review
DNF…writing style was not for me. I think I would enjoy this story more in a movie format. Like a Netflix original or something.
moshalala's review
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
sarahareinhard's review
4.0
Well done, I say — Austen and mystery and intrigue. Stopped before it got tiresome and now I want to dress up for a Jane Austen fest.
rants_n_reads's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
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? Yes
4.0
heroineinabook's review
4.0
One of my Erika's, who is also a librarian, an Austen fan, and my weekly date for trashy reality TV shows so when she asked if I had read this new release as of yet, I said no but immediately set on getting it.
The concept of Austen and reality TV really hits the mark with me as it covers two of my favorite subjects.
In the beginning, I was irritated with Phaedra with her billowing Regency gowns and ballet slippers. It was a bit too on the nose for me. Phaedra's argument is that by wearing Regency clothes as she teaches gives an "Immersive experience," which seems kind of fun, the irritation began when it seemed that she wore Regency gear all the damned time. It's in the 21stC and yes, while there may be those who wish it were back in the 1810s, you would be hard pressed to find someone who actually honestly wants to live in pre-electricity, air con, and contemporary indoor plumbing days. Oliver it seems gave up the idea of having Phaedra always in Regency mode when she started introducing Phaedra wearing contemporary clothes, driving a Mini, and having a laptop and cellphone. Thank god.
The mystery was solid and there were a few twists and turns that Oliver took you down that was interesting. Nothing too obvious or out of sync with the character, which was good. The settings seemed genuine and believable and nothing seemed to be too stretch of the immagination.
I did adore several things about the book:
Name checks of Pride and Prejudice characters sprinkled throughout the like Phaedra's cat Wickham and her best friend's maiden name is Lucas
Oliver set Phaedra up with not one but two potential love leads. Neither seem to strike particularly smarmy such as Wickham and both seem to be as haughty as Darcy so it'll be interesting to see where this goes
The one massive hiccup is that the use of the "Jane Austen Tea Shop" group was sparse and Phaedra didn't really need them to suss out the murder so to name it as such and attempt it as such was a bit of a misnomer.
tl;dr Overall the book was a fast read and was sturdy in its compensation. Nothing too obvious seemed to be off and the ends of mystery tied up a bit nicely. The writing was competent. Austen fans who happen to be cozy mystery fans will love this and the series is worth exploring.
The concept of Austen and reality TV really hits the mark with me as it covers two of my favorite subjects.
In the beginning, I was irritated with Phaedra with her billowing Regency gowns and ballet slippers. It was a bit too on the nose for me. Phaedra's argument is that by wearing Regency clothes as she teaches gives an "Immersive experience," which seems kind of fun, the irritation began when it seemed that she wore Regency gear all the damned time. It's in the 21stC and yes, while there may be those who wish it were back in the 1810s, you would be hard pressed to find someone who actually honestly wants to live in pre-electricity, air con, and contemporary indoor plumbing days. Oliver it seems gave up the idea of having Phaedra always in Regency mode when she started introducing Phaedra wearing contemporary clothes, driving a Mini, and having a laptop and cellphone. Thank god.
The mystery was solid and there were a few twists and turns that Oliver took you down that was interesting. Nothing too obvious or out of sync with the character, which was good. The settings seemed genuine and believable and nothing seemed to be too stretch of the immagination.
I did adore several things about the book:
Name checks of Pride and Prejudice characters sprinkled throughout the like Phaedra's cat Wickham and her best friend's maiden name is Lucas
Oliver set Phaedra up with not one but two potential love leads. Neither seem to strike particularly smarmy such as Wickham and both seem to be as haughty as Darcy so it'll be interesting to see where this goes
The one massive hiccup is that the use of the "Jane Austen Tea Shop" group was sparse and Phaedra didn't really need them to suss out the murder so to name it as such and attempt it as such was a bit of a misnomer.
tl;dr Overall the book was a fast read and was sturdy in its compensation. Nothing too obvious seemed to be off and the ends of mystery tied up a bit nicely. The writing was competent. Austen fans who happen to be cozy mystery fans will love this and the series is worth exploring.
dylancampbell's review
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
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
2.0
josiemontana16's review
4.0
not predictable but also not super surprising. i love the main character tho obvi. enjoyed the drama and how well the plot lines overlapped.