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The Jane Eyre Chronicles #1
Death of a Schoolgirl
In her classic tale, Charlotte Brontë introduced readers to the strong willed and intelligent Jane Eyre. Picking up where Brontë left off, the year is now 1851, and Jane’s life has finally settled into a comfortable pattern. She and her beloved Edward Rochester have married, and have an infant son. But Jane soon finds herself in the midst of new challenges and threats to those she loves…
Jane can’t help but fret when a letter arrives from Adèle Varens—Rochester’s ward and Jane’s former pupil, currently at boarding school—warning that the girl’s life is in jeopardy. Although it means leaving her young son and invalid husband, and despite never having been to a city of any size, Jane feels strongly compelled to go to London to ensure Adèle’s safety.
But almost from the beginning, her travels don’t go as planned—she is knocked about and robbed, and no one believes that the plain, unassuming Jane could indeed be the wife of a gentleman. Even when she arrives at the school, the headmistress takes her for an errant new teacher, and berates her for her late arrival. Most shocking to Jane is the discovery that Adèle’s roommate has recently passed away under very suspicious circumstances, yet no one at the school seems concerned. Taking advantage of the misunderstanding, she decides to pose as the missing instructor—and soon uncovers several unsavory secrets, which may very well make her the killer’s next target…
Jane can’t help but fret when a letter arrives from Adèle Varens—Rochester’s ward and Jane’s former pupil, currently at boarding school—warning that the girl’s life is in jeopardy. Although it means leaving her young son and invalid husband, and despite never having been to a city of any size, Jane feels strongly compelled to go to London to ensure Adèle’s safety.
But almost from the beginning, her travels don’t go as planned—she is knocked about and robbed, and no one believes that the plain, unassuming Jane could indeed be the wife of a gentleman. Even when she arrives at the school, the headmistress takes her for an errant new teacher, and berates her for her late arrival. Most shocking to Jane is the discovery that Adèle’s roommate has recently passed away under very suspicious circumstances, yet no one at the school seems concerned. Taking advantage of the misunderstanding, she decides to pose as the missing instructor—and soon uncovers several unsavory secrets, which may very well make her the killer’s next target…
340 pages, Paperback
First published August 7, 2012
211 people are currently reading
2035 people want to read
About the author
Joanna Campbell Slan
163 books857 followersNational bestselling and award-winning author Joanna Campbell Slan was born in Jacksonville, Florida, but she grew up in a small town in Indiana. After graduating from Ball State University with a degree in journalism, she worked as a newspaper reporter, a newspaper ad salesperson, a television talk show host, a college teacher, a public relations professional, and a motivational speaker. In that capacity, she was named by Sharing Ideas Magazine as “one of the top 25 speakers in the world.”
Slan's work has appeared in five of the New York Times Bestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul books, and one of those became a television show. She is the author of nearly 80 books, nonfiction and fiction, including Death of a Schoolgirl, which won the 2013 Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence.
Joanna's personal essays have appeared in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, and one was made into a television program on the Pax Network. The college textbook Joanna wrote—Using Stories and Humor: Grab Your Audience—has been praised as an invaluable resource by Benjamin Netanyahu’s speechwriter and endorsed by Toastmasters, International.
RT Book Reviews has called Joanna “one of mystery’s rising stars.” Her first novel—Paper, Scissors, Death—was an Agatha Award finalist. It features Kiki Lowenstein, a spunky single mom who lives in St. Louis. The sixth book in that series will be released Summer 2013.
Kirkus Reviews has said, “Slan’s mysteries are most valuable for the well-developed characters and the issues they raise.” RT Book Reviews has said, “Kiki is so darn entertaining that she’ll keep readers hooked.” A series of short stories featuring Kiki are available on Kindle.
Joanna’s newest series—The Jane Eyre Chronicles—began with Death of a Schoolgirl (Berkley) and continues with the release of Death of a Dowager. The series features Charlotte Brontë’s classic heroine Jane Eyre as an amateur sleuth.
As “Lila Dare,” Joanna has penned the fourth book in the Southern Beauty Shop series—Wave Good-bye.
Joanna is married to David Slan. The Slans live on Jupiter Island, Florida.
Website: www.JoannaSlan.com
Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/JoannaCampbel...
Twitter: @JoannaSlan
Slan's work has appeared in five of the New York Times Bestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul books, and one of those became a television show. She is the author of nearly 80 books, nonfiction and fiction, including Death of a Schoolgirl, which won the 2013 Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence.
Joanna's personal essays have appeared in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, and one was made into a television program on the Pax Network. The college textbook Joanna wrote—Using Stories and Humor: Grab Your Audience—has been praised as an invaluable resource by Benjamin Netanyahu’s speechwriter and endorsed by Toastmasters, International.
RT Book Reviews has called Joanna “one of mystery’s rising stars.” Her first novel—Paper, Scissors, Death—was an Agatha Award finalist. It features Kiki Lowenstein, a spunky single mom who lives in St. Louis. The sixth book in that series will be released Summer 2013.
Kirkus Reviews has said, “Slan’s mysteries are most valuable for the well-developed characters and the issues they raise.” RT Book Reviews has said, “Kiki is so darn entertaining that she’ll keep readers hooked.” A series of short stories featuring Kiki are available on Kindle.
Joanna’s newest series—The Jane Eyre Chronicles—began with Death of a Schoolgirl (Berkley) and continues with the release of Death of a Dowager. The series features Charlotte Brontë’s classic heroine Jane Eyre as an amateur sleuth.
As “Lila Dare,” Joanna has penned the fourth book in the Southern Beauty Shop series—Wave Good-bye.
Joanna is married to David Slan. The Slans live on Jupiter Island, Florida.
Website: www.JoannaSlan.com
Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/JoannaCampbel...
Twitter: @JoannaSlan
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 227 reviews
July 3, 2024
ممتعة ومسلية ولكن بها بعض السذاجة والمعالجة السطحية ما يجعلها أنسب لليافعين.
July 20, 2012
Okay, I'm prejudiced, but I loved writing this one!
December 13, 2024
عجبني الاجواء،بس حسيت الكتاب وايد كبير والاحداث بدت تتملنني بالاخير🥲
December 24, 2024
" أن القدر يمكن أن يمنح الشخص في بعض الأحيان فرصة لفعل خير كبير مرة او مرتين في الحياة ، فرصة لإحداث الفارق ، و لكن هذه الفرصة تأتي دائما برفقة مخاطر شخصية، أو تضحية ، و في بعض الأحيان الإحراج "
" هذه هي طبيعة الصغار ، التقدم نحو العالم بدهشة غير مقيدة بالتصنع المزيف الذي يشجع عليه مجتمع البالغين "
جريمة قتل في مدرسة داخلية تنتظر جين آير التي جاءت على عجل كي تفهم مجريات الأحداث الأخيرة و سلوك وصية زوجها الصغيرة أديل ،
بالطبع أول ما يجول في ذهن البطلة أخذ صغيرتها و الخروج من هذا الجحيم، و لكنها و بحكم نشأتها في مدرسة صارمة توافق على خطة تشترك بها مع مضيفتها لوسي و أخوها بيرس دوغلاس و صديقة جين القديمة، المُدرسة في المدرسة التي تجري بها هذه الأحداث كلها، للبحث عن القاتل الذي يجوب أرجاء المدرسة...
أحداث الرواية صدمتني لأنها كانت بمثابة درس صغير لي كي أحافظ على ذاتي كما هي و خاصة في الحوار الذي يجمع جين آير بصديقتها نان ميلر و طرحها لفكرة الدعاء الإنجيلي (اغفر يا رب ، ما فعلنا و ما لم نفعل) إذ ربطت ذلك بفكرة ما تقدم من ذنب و ما تأخر الواردة في القرآن الكريم و لاحظت مدى تشابه المعنى فكلا الطرحين لامس نفوسنا بالذنب المعمول بالتعدي باللسان أو اليد و الذنب المعمول بالتخلي عن الواجب ،و واجهت نفسي هل الفكرة المراد غرسها في هذا الحوار المتقن بصورة خاصة و التصرف الذي قامت به البطلة و الذي خلق قصة الرواية كلها بصورة عامة هو التعبير عن سوء الإرادة الموازية لإرادة السوء ؟!!!!
" هذه هي طبيعة الصغار ، التقدم نحو العالم بدهشة غير مقيدة بالتصنع المزيف الذي يشجع عليه مجتمع البالغين "
جريمة قتل في مدرسة داخلية تنتظر جين آير التي جاءت على عجل كي تفهم مجريات الأحداث الأخيرة و سلوك وصية زوجها الصغيرة أديل ،
بالطبع أول ما يجول في ذهن البطلة أخذ صغيرتها و الخروج من هذا الجحيم، و لكنها و بحكم نشأتها في مدرسة صارمة توافق على خطة تشترك بها مع مضيفتها لوسي و أخوها بيرس دوغلاس و صديقة جين القديمة، المُدرسة في المدرسة التي تجري بها هذه الأحداث كلها، للبحث عن القاتل الذي يجوب أرجاء المدرسة...
أحداث الرواية صدمتني لأنها كانت بمثابة درس صغير لي كي أحافظ على ذاتي كما هي و خاصة في الحوار الذي يجمع جين آير بصديقتها نان ميلر و طرحها لفكرة الدعاء الإنجيلي (اغفر يا رب ، ما فعلنا و ما لم نفعل) إذ ربطت ذلك بفكرة ما تقدم من ذنب و ما تأخر الواردة في القرآن الكريم و لاحظت مدى تشابه المعنى فكلا الطرحين لامس نفوسنا بالذنب المعمول بالتعدي باللسان أو اليد و الذنب المعمول بالتخلي عن الواجب ،و واجهت نفسي هل الفكرة المراد غرسها في هذا الحوار المتقن بصورة خاصة و التصرف الذي قامت به البطلة و الذي خلق قصة الرواية كلها بصورة عامة هو التعبير عن سوء الإرادة الموازية لإرادة السوء ؟!!!!
January 25, 2014
As a general rule I have a soft spot for the literary pastiche, particularly of nineteenth-century novels. When they're done well—Joan Aiken's sequels to Jane Austen come to mind—they not only serve to stimulate memories of why I find the originals so delightful, but to renew my delight in them and in their characters in unexpected and novel ways.
I can't declare that Slan's Death of a Schoolgirl, a sequel to Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre, is an altogether unsuccessful pastiche. The highly-readable first few chapters are a convincing approximation of Brontë's style that propel newly-married Jane Rochester toward her promised new career as an amateur detective at a brisk and satisfying pace. When Jane stumbles upon a murder at the finishing school where Mr. Rochester's ward, Adele, has been lodged, however, the book's Jane becomes a different creature from its inspiration. Brontë's Jane Eyre is poised, staunch in the face of adversity, emotional yet determined, and possesses a loquacity born of her vast appetite for reading. Slan's Jane Rochester is a gin-tippling gossip who performs actual spit-takes, allows herself to be mowed over by lesser tyrants than she encountered in her abusive girlhood, is wishy-washy to the point of endangering Adele by not whisking her back home, and who abandons her command of the English language by recording for posterity such sentences as "Oof!"
Her hallucinatory visions of a long-dead Helen from Lowood make me suspect she might do well to step away from that gin bottle, too.
If Jane Rochester were an apt detective, I might forgive some of the shortcomings in the facsimile. She's no great shakes in that department either, however. Reader, a gentle hint: if your Jane Rochester recognizes early in a book that the cane marks on the backs of several schoolgirls might be the decisive lead in a murder investigation, perhaps she might—you know—actually ask one of the girls about them before, oh, thirty pages before the book's end.
What's left is Brontë Lite. It's more readable and fun than P. D. James' dreadful Death Comes to Pemberley, in which Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy snooze their way through a Regency-era murder. It's more authentic in reproducing the prose of its inspiration than is Ronald Frame's Havisham, by a long shot. Taken as a lark, it's silly good fun. But the one thing that Charlotte Brontë's Jane never, ever was, is silly.
I can't declare that Slan's Death of a Schoolgirl, a sequel to Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre, is an altogether unsuccessful pastiche. The highly-readable first few chapters are a convincing approximation of Brontë's style that propel newly-married Jane Rochester toward her promised new career as an amateur detective at a brisk and satisfying pace. When Jane stumbles upon a murder at the finishing school where Mr. Rochester's ward, Adele, has been lodged, however, the book's Jane becomes a different creature from its inspiration. Brontë's Jane Eyre is poised, staunch in the face of adversity, emotional yet determined, and possesses a loquacity born of her vast appetite for reading. Slan's Jane Rochester is a gin-tippling gossip who performs actual spit-takes, allows herself to be mowed over by lesser tyrants than she encountered in her abusive girlhood, is wishy-washy to the point of endangering Adele by not whisking her back home, and who abandons her command of the English language by recording for posterity such sentences as "Oof!"
Her hallucinatory visions of a long-dead Helen from Lowood make me suspect she might do well to step away from that gin bottle, too.
If Jane Rochester were an apt detective, I might forgive some of the shortcomings in the facsimile. She's no great shakes in that department either, however. Reader, a gentle hint: if your Jane Rochester recognizes early in a book that the cane marks on the backs of several schoolgirls might be the decisive lead in a murder investigation, perhaps she might—you know—actually ask one of the girls about them before, oh, thirty pages before the book's end.
What's left is Brontë Lite. It's more readable and fun than P. D. James' dreadful Death Comes to Pemberley, in which Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy snooze their way through a Regency-era murder. It's more authentic in reproducing the prose of its inspiration than is Ronald Frame's Havisham, by a long shot. Taken as a lark, it's silly good fun. But the one thing that Charlotte Brontë's Jane never, ever was, is silly.
October 26, 2012
I'd like to say I loved the book, because I love Jane Eyre and Edward Rochester, I didn't love it though. It was a good quick read, but after a bit I just felt let down. I would have liked it more had it been about some mystery set at home where Jane and Edward and Mrs. Fairfax could all be present.
The mystery was very drawn out, not coming to an end until nearly the last few pages. It seems impossible that only a couple days passed in the book, because it felt like an eternity. It was a quick read, but it somehow managed to seem as though the end would never come. Jane repeated the same lines over and over in various ways. At times it was as though they were trying to run out the clock.
Jane and Edward's love story really touched my heart in Jane Eyre, but here I found it rather nauseating. All was well before Jane left for London, but after, all that flowery goo-goo stuff just got on me nerves. Ugh!
The mystery itself was OK. Selina the murdered schoolgirl was obviously straight from hell. I guess since they were killing a teenager they had to make her horrid.
Selina was 16, but because she was big like a fully grown woman Jane felt she didn't deserve the title of child, yet there was another girl at the school just a few months or so younger who was still a child in her eyes. The other girl was small and delicate, so she gets to be a child. I thought it was age that determined things like that? I found that outlook really troublesome because people think like that now. If Selina had been more Adele' size, then she is a child, but since she weighs nearly as much as Edward, she is no child according to Jane. I also thought having the teacher spit in Selina's face while in her coffin was in poor taste. I wasn't against Selina being killed due to the reasons why she was killed, but I still didn't like how it was all written.
I also didn't very much like how the writer continously harped on and on about how ugly Ms. Thurston was or how nothing Ms. Miller was and how pretty Rose was. Jane quite often got on my nerves with her superior attitude inside her head. She would make little comments to herself with somewhat of a smirk about how she was really the wife of a squire and shouldn't be treated like the "little" people any longer, after all, she was now a fine lady and such. Ugh.
The mystery was very drawn out, not coming to an end until nearly the last few pages. It seems impossible that only a couple days passed in the book, because it felt like an eternity. It was a quick read, but it somehow managed to seem as though the end would never come. Jane repeated the same lines over and over in various ways. At times it was as though they were trying to run out the clock.
Jane and Edward's love story really touched my heart in Jane Eyre, but here I found it rather nauseating. All was well before Jane left for London, but after, all that flowery goo-goo stuff just got on me nerves. Ugh!
The mystery itself was OK. Selina the murdered schoolgirl was obviously straight from hell. I guess since they were killing a teenager they had to make her horrid.
Selina was 16, but because she was big like a fully grown woman Jane felt she didn't deserve the title of child, yet there was another girl at the school just a few months or so younger who was still a child in her eyes. The other girl was small and delicate, so she gets to be a child. I thought it was age that determined things like that? I found that outlook really troublesome because people think like that now. If Selina had been more Adele' size, then she is a child, but since she weighs nearly as much as Edward, she is no child according to Jane. I also thought having the teacher spit in Selina's face while in her coffin was in poor taste. I wasn't against Selina being killed due to the reasons why she was killed, but I still didn't like how it was all written.
I also didn't very much like how the writer continously harped on and on about how ugly Ms. Thurston was or how nothing Ms. Miller was and how pretty Rose was. Jane quite often got on my nerves with her superior attitude inside her head. She would make little comments to herself with somewhat of a smirk about how she was really the wife of a squire and shouldn't be treated like the "little" people any longer, after all, she was now a fine lady and such. Ugh.
September 3, 2017
If Jane Eyre is one of your closest and dearest friends in all of English literature, you will probably be disappointed with this novel. After spending much mental energy in imaginary verbal sparring matches with the author of this book (I protested, "Jane Eyre would never do anything like THAT! Or say anything so shallow! Or be obsessed with a diamond necklace and take it with her on her travels!"), I finally realized that THIS Jane was a complete stranger to me and decided to continue reading to find out the solution to the mystery. I do adore a good "whodunit" novel, but this isn't one. The plot is quite slow, which would be a pleasure if it were accompanied by some great character development or gorgeous writing, but the characters are two-dimensional and the writing style is quite different from Charlotte Brontë's. When I finally learned the solution of the mystery in the final pages of the book, I found the details to be disturbing and nauseating.
September 20, 2012
First Line: Reader, I am delivered of a son.
That first line will make any lover of Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre smile. The Rochesters live in Ferndean with their six-month-old son Ned, and their servants. It's been a life of seclusion, and Rochester is still recuperating from the injuries he sustained when Thornfield burned to the ground.
Rochester's ward, Adèle Varens is ten years old and in a boarding school in London. Jane is worried about her because what few letters they've received from the girl have sounded strange and have imparted very little information-- a decided change from Adèle's normal behavior.
On the day when Rochester's doctor comes for a visit, they receive a letter from Adèle. It's another short, bland missive, but in a faint scribble on the page, Jane sees the words Au secours! (help) repeated three times. At first the Rochesters believe that the overly dramatic little girl is merely making a bid for attention, but when Jane finds a small note that looks very much like a threat included with the letter, the decision is made that Jane will go to London to make sure that everything is all right. Rochester is under doctor's orders to remain at home and will follow her in a few days.
The journey to London is a nightmare made even worse when Jane is beaten and robbed at one of the stops. Barely pausing at the home of Rochester's friend (where she'll be staying), Jane rushes to the school in time to see a body being taken away in the pouring rain. One of the schoolgirls is dead. What is first believed to be death by natural causes soon turns into a murder investigation, and since Adèle was partnered with the dead girl and vocal about not liking her, the Bow Street Runners are very interested in speaking to her.
The school is one teacher short, and a plan is formulated to have Jane temporarily pose as a teacher to insure that not only Adèle but all the girls are safe while the search is on for the murderer. This decision will put Jane's life in danger as well.
When I first learned of this book, I thought about all the novels based on Jane Austen's characters and thought, "It's about time Jane Eyre got her turn!" I'm not one for re-reading books, but there's always an exception to any rule. Jane Eyre is my exception to the No Re-Reading Rule.
Joanna Campbell Slan writes in a style so very reminiscent of Brontë's classic, but never is she a slave to the original. The style of the writing pulled me in immediately, but the story itself is what made me devour the pages. I was so engrossed and reading so quickly that it's a miracle that my eyeballs didn't catch fire. Little brave, intelligent, observant Jane is a perfect sleuth, and with the dead girl being so universally disliked by everyone at the school, all the clues Jane gathers don't seem to shorten the list of suspects.
The author introduces several new characters that add a great deal to the book, and I was also happy to discover that the police officer in charge of the investigation wasn't a slow-witted, belligerent oaf. A secondary plot line involving Jane's mugging kept me intrigued throughout; I almost couldn't keep myself from peeking ahead to see if I'd solved that particular mystery correctly.
Have you ever read a book in which you couldn't guess the identity of the killer, then when the person is revealed you want to slap yourself silly? That's me with Death of a Schoolgirl. I didn't know whodunit it until the most obvious clue of all was given... and then I realized that the author had placed clues throughout the book that I just hadn't seen. I love it when that happens!
If you're getting the impression that I loved this book, you are one hundred per cent correct. I only had one small item that momentarily threw me offstride (a question about the timeline and the potato famine in Ireland), but I shook that off immediately and kept on devouring the book. If you are a Jane Eyre lover, chances are excellent that you will love this book, too. (Get a copy now!) If you've never read the classic novel, I think that you will still enjoy this book as the marvelous historical mystery that it is.
I only have one question: When will I be able to get my hands on the next book in the Jane Eyre Chronicles???
That first line will make any lover of Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre smile. The Rochesters live in Ferndean with their six-month-old son Ned, and their servants. It's been a life of seclusion, and Rochester is still recuperating from the injuries he sustained when Thornfield burned to the ground.
Rochester's ward, Adèle Varens is ten years old and in a boarding school in London. Jane is worried about her because what few letters they've received from the girl have sounded strange and have imparted very little information-- a decided change from Adèle's normal behavior.
On the day when Rochester's doctor comes for a visit, they receive a letter from Adèle. It's another short, bland missive, but in a faint scribble on the page, Jane sees the words Au secours! (help) repeated three times. At first the Rochesters believe that the overly dramatic little girl is merely making a bid for attention, but when Jane finds a small note that looks very much like a threat included with the letter, the decision is made that Jane will go to London to make sure that everything is all right. Rochester is under doctor's orders to remain at home and will follow her in a few days.
The journey to London is a nightmare made even worse when Jane is beaten and robbed at one of the stops. Barely pausing at the home of Rochester's friend (where she'll be staying), Jane rushes to the school in time to see a body being taken away in the pouring rain. One of the schoolgirls is dead. What is first believed to be death by natural causes soon turns into a murder investigation, and since Adèle was partnered with the dead girl and vocal about not liking her, the Bow Street Runners are very interested in speaking to her.
The school is one teacher short, and a plan is formulated to have Jane temporarily pose as a teacher to insure that not only Adèle but all the girls are safe while the search is on for the murderer. This decision will put Jane's life in danger as well.
When I first learned of this book, I thought about all the novels based on Jane Austen's characters and thought, "It's about time Jane Eyre got her turn!" I'm not one for re-reading books, but there's always an exception to any rule. Jane Eyre is my exception to the No Re-Reading Rule.
Joanna Campbell Slan writes in a style so very reminiscent of Brontë's classic, but never is she a slave to the original. The style of the writing pulled me in immediately, but the story itself is what made me devour the pages. I was so engrossed and reading so quickly that it's a miracle that my eyeballs didn't catch fire. Little brave, intelligent, observant Jane is a perfect sleuth, and with the dead girl being so universally disliked by everyone at the school, all the clues Jane gathers don't seem to shorten the list of suspects.
The author introduces several new characters that add a great deal to the book, and I was also happy to discover that the police officer in charge of the investigation wasn't a slow-witted, belligerent oaf. A secondary plot line involving Jane's mugging kept me intrigued throughout; I almost couldn't keep myself from peeking ahead to see if I'd solved that particular mystery correctly.
Have you ever read a book in which you couldn't guess the identity of the killer, then when the person is revealed you want to slap yourself silly? That's me with Death of a Schoolgirl. I didn't know whodunit it until the most obvious clue of all was given... and then I realized that the author had placed clues throughout the book that I just hadn't seen. I love it when that happens!
If you're getting the impression that I loved this book, you are one hundred per cent correct. I only had one small item that momentarily threw me offstride (a question about the timeline and the potato famine in Ireland), but I shook that off immediately and kept on devouring the book. If you are a Jane Eyre lover, chances are excellent that you will love this book, too. (Get a copy now!) If you've never read the classic novel, I think that you will still enjoy this book as the marvelous historical mystery that it is.
I only have one question: When will I be able to get my hands on the next book in the Jane Eyre Chronicles???
March 19, 2017
Jane Eyre and Joanna Campbell Slan—A Match Made in Heaven
What reader of Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre has not admired its heroine’s pluck, intelligence and bravery in the face of the criminal abuse, misdeeds and irresponsibility of the wealthy class? And who hasn’t wondered what fate and adventures awaited the newly united couple, young Jane and her gallant but disabled Edward Fairfax Rochester?
Joanna Campbell Slan,has written a sequel which is apt, natural and skillful, enabling one almost tp imagine it was written by Bronte herself. And who else could write it with such authority? The author admits that, having grown up in an abusive situation, this favorite book saved her life. Possibilities for Jane’s future adventures in the promised series are endless.
With humility, misgivings and great courage, Jane must leave her newly delivered son and heir and her beloved, convalescing Edward to protect Adele, his ward and her former charge as governess at the ill-fated Thornfield, whose life is endangered after a suspicious death at a posh yet abusive London girls’ school. Now we may revisit the colorful yet still feudal world of 19th-century England with Jane and watch her mature into a bold and resourceful sleuth. This sparkling new novel is highly recommended as a fast and absorbing read for all ages.
—Peter H. Green, Author of Crimes of Design
What reader of Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre has not admired its heroine’s pluck, intelligence and bravery in the face of the criminal abuse, misdeeds and irresponsibility of the wealthy class? And who hasn’t wondered what fate and adventures awaited the newly united couple, young Jane and her gallant but disabled Edward Fairfax Rochester?
Joanna Campbell Slan,has written a sequel which is apt, natural and skillful, enabling one almost tp imagine it was written by Bronte herself. And who else could write it with such authority? The author admits that, having grown up in an abusive situation, this favorite book saved her life. Possibilities for Jane’s future adventures in the promised series are endless.
With humility, misgivings and great courage, Jane must leave her newly delivered son and heir and her beloved, convalescing Edward to protect Adele, his ward and her former charge as governess at the ill-fated Thornfield, whose life is endangered after a suspicious death at a posh yet abusive London girls’ school. Now we may revisit the colorful yet still feudal world of 19th-century England with Jane and watch her mature into a bold and resourceful sleuth. This sparkling new novel is highly recommended as a fast and absorbing read for all ages.
—Peter H. Green, Author of Crimes of Design
December 10, 2025
ثلاث نجمات مستحقات والرابعة للنهاية الجميلة ، البطلةكانت معلمة وقبلها عاشت يتيمه وأصبحت سيدة منزل ذكية ، كانت الفتاة التي تدرسها والسبب في زواجها والوصي عليها زوجها في مدرسة خاصة ووصلها خبر بأنها تعيش مشكله كبيرة فخاضت الأهوال وعاشت الخوف والقلق والمغامرات بالتعاون مع صديقتها وأخيها ورجل الشرطة وتوصلت الى قاتل الطالبة .
هناك اسرار وغموض ومجادلات وبعض الأمور التي يعانين منها الطالبات في المدارس الداخلية .
الحب القوي بين بطلة الرواية وبين تلك الفتاة هو ما جعلها تغامر لتنقذها منذ سمعت عنها أنها في خطر .
هناك اسرار وغموض ومجادلات وبعض الأمور التي يعانين منها الطالبات في المدارس الداخلية .
الحب القوي بين بطلة الرواية وبين تلك الفتاة هو ما جعلها تغامر لتنقذها منذ سمعت عنها أنها في خطر .
April 27, 2017
This was a new author for me to read. I was really into this book. The plot kept me thoroughly engaged and interested. It moved along at a nice pace and the chapters were the perfect length for me. (I hate long chapters!)
I've never actually read Jane Eyre. So, I'd like to hear from someone who has read it if the character of JE in this novel stays true to the original JE.
I've never actually read Jane Eyre. So, I'd like to hear from someone who has read it if the character of JE in this novel stays true to the original JE.
June 7, 2025
It has been a WHILE since I read anything because of college, which was a bummer, and this is my first read in the summer break!
The book was a good read, but it was kinda average as a thriller/ murder mystery. Still enjoyed reading it though.
The twist about the identity of the killer was kinda predictable, kinda not? in a way, if you focused a bit, I think you won't have a hard time knowing the killer or at least suspecting who he/she is.
The book was a good read, but it was kinda average as a thriller/ murder mystery. Still enjoyed reading it though.
The twist about the identity of the killer was kinda predictable, kinda not? in a way, if you focused a bit, I think you won't have a hard time knowing the killer or at least suspecting who he/she is.
June 25, 2025
بداية الرواية كانت مملة جداً، وكانت مليئة بالتفاصيل التي لم تُضف الكثير للأحداث. عدد صفحات الكتاب كبير، وهذا لا يتناسب مع محتواه. كان من الأفضل أن تكون الرواية مختصرة، حتى لا يُصاب القارئ بالملل أثناء القراءة
August 30, 2025
صراحة لم أتوقع أن تعجبني الرواية بهذا القدر هذه هي المرة الأولى التي أقرأ فيها للكاتبة ومع ذلك الأحداث شدتني وجعلتني أواصل القراءة دون أن أشعر بالوقت
تجربة جميلة وخفيفة فعلًا🥰 أخرجتني من فتور طويل
تجربة جميلة وخفيفة فعلًا🥰 أخرجتني من فتور طويل
July 31, 2012
I am so happy I was not disappointed by this book!! I loved the story and the fact that the author took great pains to capture Charlotte Brontë's writing style, making this book feel like a continuation of Jane's "autobiographies" as she continues to tell the story of her life. Having read a couple of books with the set-up of Jane writing a "what-happened-next" story, I believe Joanna Campbell Slan has done the best job in approximating Charlotte Brontë's flowery prose and capturing the sensible, intelligent voice of Jane.
I think it is important to comment especially on the characterization of Jane and Rochester and how well their married life is captured- Jane is recreated almost perfectly, with all of her confidence and compassion, and she deals with the events calmly with "resources never suspected". I liked how the author has matured Jane as well, since she is married and a mother, with more responsibilities. Mr. Rochester has matured too, accepting his disabilities and willing to follow doctor's orders carefully to restore his eyesight. Even if it means letting Jane travel to London without him. I think the tenor of their married life in this book is perfect, and as loving and romantic as the original novel.
The story was a great character-driven mystery, with a wide choice of possible suspects, and subtle clues that were very hard to pick up on. I was really kept in the dark until the very end, where even when the matter seemed resolved, there was another twist. Adele was turned into some great comic relief, and I loved how forthright she was, despite everyone disparaging her French nature. This novel also incorporates some history and social discussions pertinent to Jane and Rochester's status and the time period the novel is set in. It is a subtle shift in tone from the original novel where the focus is on Jane's development and her struggles, to this new story that creates a Jane, who, having found herself, can now help others. There are wider responsibilities that Jane and Rochester face as a part of society and also landowners and Jane also has to face the ugly rumors circulated by the Ingrams about Rochester and their relationship. (I can't wait until Rochester hears about it!) All this adds more dimension to the story - setting up more themes to be explored in later installments of the Jane Eyre Chronicles. (Next one is reportedly called Death of a Dowager... Dowager Lady Ingram??? <-- pure speculation on my part!)
There is plenty of explanation and back story for readers who haven't read the original novel, or who have not read it in awhile, so it is easy to sit back and enjoy this layered and well-executed historical mystery. And fans of the original novel will appreciate the intelligence and care the author has taken to maintain the spirit of Jane.
I think it is important to comment especially on the characterization of Jane and Rochester and how well their married life is captured- Jane is recreated almost perfectly, with all of her confidence and compassion, and she deals with the events calmly with "resources never suspected". I liked how the author has matured Jane as well, since she is married and a mother, with more responsibilities. Mr. Rochester has matured too, accepting his disabilities and willing to follow doctor's orders carefully to restore his eyesight. Even if it means letting Jane travel to London without him. I think the tenor of their married life in this book is perfect, and as loving and romantic as the original novel.
The story was a great character-driven mystery, with a wide choice of possible suspects, and subtle clues that were very hard to pick up on. I was really kept in the dark until the very end, where even when the matter seemed resolved, there was another twist. Adele was turned into some great comic relief, and I loved how forthright she was, despite everyone disparaging her French nature. This novel also incorporates some history and social discussions pertinent to Jane and Rochester's status and the time period the novel is set in. It is a subtle shift in tone from the original novel where the focus is on Jane's development and her struggles, to this new story that creates a Jane, who, having found herself, can now help others. There are wider responsibilities that Jane and Rochester face as a part of society and also landowners and Jane also has to face the ugly rumors circulated by the Ingrams about Rochester and their relationship. (I can't wait until Rochester hears about it!) All this adds more dimension to the story - setting up more themes to be explored in later installments of the Jane Eyre Chronicles. (Next one is reportedly called Death of a Dowager... Dowager Lady Ingram??? <-- pure speculation on my part!)
There is plenty of explanation and back story for readers who haven't read the original novel, or who have not read it in awhile, so it is easy to sit back and enjoy this layered and well-executed historical mystery. And fans of the original novel will appreciate the intelligence and care the author has taken to maintain the spirit of Jane.
October 3, 2012
A manuscript by "Jane Eyre" has been found, and Slan is "translating" it into novel(s) for our modern delight. The trouble is, she isn't as good at mimicking the voice of the original, so she recaps a TON of Jane Eyre itself, which is a good way of undercutting her own assertion that the novel we actually have is only the first volume in what had been planned as a multi-volume set--for if that had been the first volume, why tell half of it over again in volume 2? In addition, Slan doesn't logically account for the role of Charlotte Bronte in writing the autobiography of someone Slan says is "real." I didn't like the illogic in the setup.
Then I was thrown off by Jane putting a tag on her trunk reading "Mrs. Jane Eyre Rochester." How could she totally ignore the proper form of address for herself when her husband is still alive? Then she addresses a baron named (I've forgotten his name. I'll substitute something) "Sir Walter Elliott" as "Sir Elliott." Really! A number of letters are included in this book, and not a single one of them reads with the formality I expected after having read hundreds of personal letters by people who actually lived in this period of time. Even letters between spouses are rather formal sounding to us modern people, but Slan does not account for the wrongness of a modern form of address and closing in the letters she includes in this novel.
There are so many implausible things in this book that I lost count. Why did I continue? I'm not sure! The pacing was terrible. There were long sections that I thought were described in minute detail because they would eventually have a bearing on the mystery, but they turned out to be superfluous. That was annoying. The whole jewel robbery should have been cut. It had no bearing on the central mystery and served only as a distraction and as an anticlimax after the central mystery is solved.
Here's a section I skipped and then went back to because I really could not believe the poor editing in this bad change of pace: the author actually has Jane crawling out an upper-story window into a tree during the climax of the book, and she takes nearly two pages to describe her progress down the tree! No kidding! Why was this given so much attention? Was she being paid by the word? It is soooo not important. All that matters is that Jane gets out, gets down, and meets . . . ok, but that WOULD be a spoiler.
The mystery itself is decent. The clues are well enough hidden to satisfy most readers. The characters are mostly well drawn and the voice is close to Bronte's original, although not spot on with the jarring missteps I already noted in addition to others you can find for yourself, if you want to try this book. I shall not be reading another one of this series.
Then I was thrown off by Jane putting a tag on her trunk reading "Mrs. Jane Eyre Rochester." How could she totally ignore the proper form of address for herself when her husband is still alive? Then she addresses a baron named (I've forgotten his name. I'll substitute something) "Sir Walter Elliott" as "Sir Elliott." Really! A number of letters are included in this book, and not a single one of them reads with the formality I expected after having read hundreds of personal letters by people who actually lived in this period of time. Even letters between spouses are rather formal sounding to us modern people, but Slan does not account for the wrongness of a modern form of address and closing in the letters she includes in this novel.
There are so many implausible things in this book that I lost count. Why did I continue? I'm not sure! The pacing was terrible. There were long sections that I thought were described in minute detail because they would eventually have a bearing on the mystery, but they turned out to be superfluous. That was annoying. The whole jewel robbery should have been cut. It had no bearing on the central mystery and served only as a distraction and as an anticlimax after the central mystery is solved.
Here's a section I skipped and then went back to because I really could not believe the poor editing in this bad change of pace: the author actually has Jane crawling out an upper-story window into a tree during the climax of the book, and she takes nearly two pages to describe her progress down the tree! No kidding! Why was this given so much attention? Was she being paid by the word? It is soooo not important. All that matters is that Jane gets out, gets down, and meets . . . ok, but that WOULD be a spoiler.
The mystery itself is decent. The clues are well enough hidden to satisfy most readers. The characters are mostly well drawn and the voice is close to Bronte's original, although not spot on with the jarring missteps I already noted in addition to others you can find for yourself, if you want to try this book. I shall not be reading another one of this series.
June 12, 2021
Great book
Joanna never disappoints. I’ve read all of her other 2 series and patiently wait for more. This mystery takes you back to a different time and culture. I love how she uses words and descriptions to put the setting in correct historical time through her research. One of my favorite authors all around.
Joanna never disappoints. I’ve read all of her other 2 series and patiently wait for more. This mystery takes you back to a different time and culture. I love how she uses words and descriptions to put the setting in correct historical time through her research. One of my favorite authors all around.
July 21, 2024
جين إير والتي أتت لبيت ادوارد روتشيستر كمعلمة لابنة امرأة تولى تربيتها وهي ربيبته واسمها أديل وهي فرنسية استحوذت على قلب ادوارد وتزوجته. الأمر الذي أثار حفيظة الليدي إنجرام وآخرين مما جعلهم يطلقون شائعات مشينة بحق الإثنين. تعرض قصر ادوار للحريق مما جعله يصاب بشكل بالغ وخاصة في عينيه فنظره آخذ بالضعف.
تبدأ قصتنا مع الزوجين وانجاب ابنهما نيد ووضعه الصحي المتراجع وقلقهم على ربيبته إديل التي أرسلها اللي مدرسة داخلية في لندن ليتم تنشأتها كسيدة مجتمع راقي. فقد كانت تأتيهم رسائل مقتضبة وغير محتلنة وكأن أديل لا تقرأ رسائلهم. ومما زاد قلقهم الرسائل الاخير والتي عبرت فيها اديل عن خوفها وارفقت مع الرسالة رسالة تهديد كانت قد تلقتها.
يقرر الزوجان السفر لكن وبسبب ظروف الزوج الصحية تسافر جين لوحدها مع بعض مجوهراتها رفقة عربة البريد. في احدى محطات توقف العربة يهاجمها شخص ويسرق المجوهرات بعد صراع كاد يودي بحياتها وترك الكثير من الاصابات على جسمها وعينها. قدمت بلاغا بالامر ولكنهم استخفوا بها فمظهرها ليست ليدي بل ربما خادمة وربما تآمرت مع اللص ليسرقا مجوهرات سيدتها. لدى وصولهم الى لندن كان يستقبلها موظف من طرف ليدي لوسي وقد تولى أمر البلاغ واصطحبها الى قصر الليدي.
تستقبلها الليدي بكل حب ومحبة وتعتني بها وبجراحها. في الغد تذهب جين الى المدرسة لكن يحدث انه في الليلة السابقة عثروا على جثة طالبة ميتة في سريرها. تقلق جين وتظن انها إديل لكنها تقابل صدفة زميلة لها في التعليم ومدرستها السابقة تدعى الانسة ميلر والتي تخبرها ان الميتة هي سيلينا. وتطلب من جين ان تغادر المدرسة ولتأتي في الغد فقد اعطوا إديل منوما قويا لترتاح فهي من حاولت إيقاظ سيلينا في الصباح ووجدتها ميتة وانها ستعتني بها الى الغد ولن يصيبها مكروه. بعد ساعات تاتي الانسة ميلر تحت المطر ووجها ممتقع وتخبر جين ان هناك تحقيق ويظنون ان سيلينا قتلت وهي خائفة على الطالبات وتود لو انها تأتي وتساعدها في المدرسة وكأنها بديلة لمعلمة الألمانية والتي هربت من المدرسة.
بعد تردد وتشاور مع الليدي لوسي واخوها دوغلاس ذو الباع في التحقيقات تقرر خوض غمار اكتشاف الحقيقة والقبض على القاتل.
في المدرسة تبدأ جين تقصي الحقائق دون ان تثير الريبة لتكتشف الكثير عن سيلينا وسيرتها السيئة والعدوانية الأمر الذي يوسع دائرة المشتبهين بهم. ليصلوا الى الجاني في نهاية الرواية. ونكتشف حقيقة سيلينا. واسباب قتلها.
وفي النهاية وبعد عودتهم الى منزل الزوجية يأتي دوغلاس ويكشف لهم حقيقة لص المجوهرات وان اللص هاوٍ وانه قريب منهم. وفعلا يمسكوا اللص ويعترف بجريمته ومكان المسروقات ويعتذر. يسامحه الزوجان ويطردوه من العمل لكنهم يوفران لعائلته دخلا يعتاش به اطفاله.
تبدأ قصتنا مع الزوجين وانجاب ابنهما نيد ووضعه الصحي المتراجع وقلقهم على ربيبته إديل التي أرسلها اللي مدرسة داخلية في لندن ليتم تنشأتها كسيدة مجتمع راقي. فقد كانت تأتيهم رسائل مقتضبة وغير محتلنة وكأن أديل لا تقرأ رسائلهم. ومما زاد قلقهم الرسائل الاخير والتي عبرت فيها اديل عن خوفها وارفقت مع الرسالة رسالة تهديد كانت قد تلقتها.
يقرر الزوجان السفر لكن وبسبب ظروف الزوج الصحية تسافر جين لوحدها مع بعض مجوهراتها رفقة عربة البريد. في احدى محطات توقف العربة يهاجمها شخص ويسرق المجوهرات بعد صراع كاد يودي بحياتها وترك الكثير من الاصابات على جسمها وعينها. قدمت بلاغا بالامر ولكنهم استخفوا بها فمظهرها ليست ليدي بل ربما خادمة وربما تآمرت مع اللص ليسرقا مجوهرات سيدتها. لدى وصولهم الى لندن كان يستقبلها موظف من طرف ليدي لوسي وقد تولى أمر البلاغ واصطحبها الى قصر الليدي.
تستقبلها الليدي بكل حب ومحبة وتعتني بها وبجراحها. في الغد تذهب جين الى المدرسة لكن يحدث انه في الليلة السابقة عثروا على جثة طالبة ميتة في سريرها. تقلق جين وتظن انها إديل لكنها تقابل صدفة زميلة لها في التعليم ومدرستها السابقة تدعى الانسة ميلر والتي تخبرها ان الميتة هي سيلينا. وتطلب من جين ان تغادر المدرسة ولتأتي في الغد فقد اعطوا إديل منوما قويا لترتاح فهي من حاولت إيقاظ سيلينا في الصباح ووجدتها ميتة وانها ستعتني بها الى الغد ولن يصيبها مكروه. بعد ساعات تاتي الانسة ميلر تحت المطر ووجها ممتقع وتخبر جين ان هناك تحقيق ويظنون ان سيلينا قتلت وهي خائفة على الطالبات وتود لو انها تأتي وتساعدها في المدرسة وكأنها بديلة لمعلمة الألمانية والتي هربت من المدرسة.
بعد تردد وتشاور مع الليدي لوسي واخوها دوغلاس ذو الباع في التحقيقات تقرر خوض غمار اكتشاف الحقيقة والقبض على القاتل.
في المدرسة تبدأ جين تقصي الحقائق دون ان تثير الريبة لتكتشف الكثير عن سيلينا وسيرتها السيئة والعدوانية الأمر الذي يوسع دائرة المشتبهين بهم. ليصلوا الى الجاني في نهاية الرواية. ونكتشف حقيقة سيلينا. واسباب قتلها.
وفي النهاية وبعد عودتهم الى منزل الزوجية يأتي دوغلاس ويكشف لهم حقيقة لص المجوهرات وان اللص هاوٍ وانه قريب منهم. وفعلا يمسكوا اللص ويعترف بجريمته ومكان المسروقات ويعتذر. يسامحه الزوجان ويطردوه من العمل لكنهم يوفران لعائلته دخلا يعتاش به اطفاله.
May 24, 2025
عدد الصفحات : 552
📌 نبذة :
في العام 1851، وبعد أن استقرت حياة جين.
وتزوجت من حبيبها إدوارد، وأنجبت منه طفلاً وحيداً، سرعان ما تجد نفسها مرة أخرى وسط التهديدات والمواجهات بعد أن تلقت رسالة من "أديل تلميذتها السابقة، والتي تقيم في مدرسة داخلية، تخبرها أنها معرضة للخطر وتطلب النجدة من جين، التي تضطر أن تترك صغيرها وزوجها كي تسافر إلى لندن وتضمن سلامة أديل.
📌رأيي الشخصي :
أول قراءة لي لروايات جين آير وكانت قراءة ممتعة لكن خيبتلي ظني قليلاً كنت متحمسة لها أكثر من المتوقع، في البداية كان حماسي جداً عالي أعجبتني القصة وغموضها وتشويقها وتفاصيلها المميزة وإنها نوع جديد من الغموض والإثارة والجريمة بالنسبة لي لكن بدأ يتلاشى حماسي في منتصفها ووصلت لنهايتها وأنا فاقدة الشغف كله منها للأسف ، نقطة ضعفها برأيي كانت الحبكة والمماطلة الكثيرة بالأحداث حتى طريقة كشف الجريمة، لكن كانت تجربة جديدة ورحلتها ممتعة ومناسبة جداً لأيام الشتاء والبرد والمطر ستشعر وكأنك في داخلها كما شعرت أنا 🤍
📌 نبذة :
في العام 1851، وبعد أن استقرت حياة جين.
وتزوجت من حبيبها إدوارد، وأنجبت منه طفلاً وحيداً، سرعان ما تجد نفسها مرة أخرى وسط التهديدات والمواجهات بعد أن تلقت رسالة من "أديل تلميذتها السابقة، والتي تقيم في مدرسة داخلية، تخبرها أنها معرضة للخطر وتطلب النجدة من جين، التي تضطر أن تترك صغيرها وزوجها كي تسافر إلى لندن وتضمن سلامة أديل.
📌رأيي الشخصي :
أول قراءة لي لروايات جين آير وكانت قراءة ممتعة لكن خيبتلي ظني قليلاً كنت متحمسة لها أكثر من المتوقع، في البداية كان حماسي جداً عالي أعجبتني القصة وغموضها وتشويقها وتفاصيلها المميزة وإنها نوع جديد من الغموض والإثارة والجريمة بالنسبة لي لكن بدأ يتلاشى حماسي في منتصفها ووصلت لنهايتها وأنا فاقدة الشغف كله منها للأسف ، نقطة ضعفها برأيي كانت الحبكة والمماطلة الكثيرة بالأحداث حتى طريقة كشف الجريمة، لكن كانت تجربة جديدة ورحلتها ممتعة ومناسبة جداً لأيام الشتاء والبرد والمطر ستشعر وكأنك في داخلها كما شعرت أنا 🤍
July 16, 2025
رواية مقتل طالبة مدرسة تقدّم حبكة مشوّقة تدور في إطار جريمة غامضة داخل أروقة المدرسة، ما يثير فضول القارئ منذ الصفحات الأولى. الكاتبة نجحت في بناء جو من الترقب والريبة، وتسليط الضوء على قضايا اجتماعية حساسة كالتنمر المدرسي، وسوء استغلال السلطة، وهو ما يُحسب لها.
مع ذلك، تعاني الرواية من نقطة ضعف بارزة تتمثّل في تمطيط الأحداث بشكل مبالغ فيه، حيث تطول بعض المشاهد دون مبرر سردي، وتتكرر التفاصيل الثانوية التي لا تُضيف قيمة حقيقية للسياق العام. هذا الحشو أضعف من إيقاع الرواية، وأفقد القارئ في بعض المواضع الإحساس بالإثارة أو التقدّم في القصة، كما بدت بعض الحوارات غير واقعية أو مطوّلة فقط لملء الصفحات. لو تم اختزال هذه الأجزاء والتركيز على جوهر الحدث، لكانت الرواية أكثر تماسكًا وتشويقًا.
برأيي، رواية مقتل طالبة مدرسة تبدو مناسبة أكثر لفئة اليافعين، إذ إن أسلوبها البسيط وسير أحداثها المباشر يجعلانها قريبة من اهتمامات هذه الفئة العمرية. تحمل الرواية نوعًا من السذاجة في طرح بعض الشخصيات وتفاصيل الحبكة، وكأنها لا تزال تراهن على قارئ لم يكوّن بعد ذائقته النقدية الكاملة، لكن هذا لا يُعد عيبًا بحد ذاته. بل يمكن القول إن هذه السلاسة والبساطة تخدم القارئ الناشئ وتُعد مدخلًا جيدًا له إلى عالم الروايات البوليسية. فالرواية، رغم ضعفها في جانب العمق والتعقيد، تؤدي دورًا توعويًا وترفيهيًا بطريقة محترمة وخالية من المبالغات الفجّة.
مع ذلك، تعاني الرواية من نقطة ضعف بارزة تتمثّل في تمطيط الأحداث بشكل مبالغ فيه، حيث تطول بعض المشاهد دون مبرر سردي، وتتكرر التفاصيل الثانوية التي لا تُضيف قيمة حقيقية للسياق العام. هذا الحشو أضعف من إيقاع الرواية، وأفقد القارئ في بعض المواضع الإحساس بالإثارة أو التقدّم في القصة، كما بدت بعض الحوارات غير واقعية أو مطوّلة فقط لملء الصفحات. لو تم اختزال هذه الأجزاء والتركيز على جوهر الحدث، لكانت الرواية أكثر تماسكًا وتشويقًا.
برأيي، رواية مقتل طالبة مدرسة تبدو مناسبة أكثر لفئة اليافعين، إذ إن أسلوبها البسيط وسير أحداثها المباشر يجعلانها قريبة من اهتمامات هذه الفئة العمرية. تحمل الرواية نوعًا من السذاجة في طرح بعض الشخصيات وتفاصيل الحبكة، وكأنها لا تزال تراهن على قارئ لم يكوّن بعد ذائقته النقدية الكاملة، لكن هذا لا يُعد عيبًا بحد ذاته. بل يمكن القول إن هذه السلاسة والبساطة تخدم القارئ الناشئ وتُعد مدخلًا جيدًا له إلى عالم الروايات البوليسية. فالرواية، رغم ضعفها في جانب العمق والتعقيد، تؤدي دورًا توعويًا وترفيهيًا بطريقة محترمة وخالية من المبالغات الفجّة.
July 12, 2013
This book is a continuation of the Jane Eyre story. She is living with Edward Rochester in their home and has given birth to their first son. Their happy life is unsettled by Edward's failing eyesight, a residue of the tragedy of the fire that burnt his previous home to the ground. Jane is a little disturbed that she has not received congratulations on the birth of the baby from Edward's young ward, Adele, who is at school in London. The only letter they receive has a wooden tone but there is a small note scratched into the paper that begs for help. Jane leaves for London to check on Adele and arrives to find the body of a young girl being removed from the school. The headmistress thinks that Jane is the new German teacher because of her plain dress and she decides to stay in that disguise to make sure Adele and the other students are safe and to find out who has committed the murder and why. This was a very good book and I enjoyed revisiting with Jane, one of my favorite characters. The author has done a very nice job of blending the old and new stories and I almost forgot that this is a "modern" story. Very good!
January 29, 2025
مراجعة لرواية "مقتل طالبة مدرسة"
حينما بدأت بقراءة رواية "مقتل طالبة مدرسة"، كنت متخوفة من حجمها الكبير، لكن منذ الصفحات الأولى، شعرت بانجذاب غريب إلى أسلوب الكاتبة وسردها المميز. أعجبتني الرواية كثيرًا، ليس فقط بسبب حبكتها المحكمة وشخصياتها المرسومة بدقة، بل لأنها أخذتني في رحلة شعرت فيها وكأنني أعيش داخل صفحات رواية كلاسيكية قديمة.
نجحت الكاتبة بمهارة في بناء أجواء الرواية بطريقة تجعلك تنغمس تمامًا في الأحداث دون أن تشعر بثقل أو ملل، على الرغم من طول النص. كل صفحة كانت تضيف شيئًا جديدًا وتفتح آفاقًا مختلفة في القصة.
ما أدهشني أكثر هو قدرة الكاتب على خلق ذلك التوازن بين التشويق والغموض وبين العمق الإنساني لشخصيات الرواية. لم تكن مجرد قصة جريمة، بل كانت تجربة أدبية متكاملة مليئة بالمشاعر والتفاصيل الحية، وقد سعدت جدا بالعودة إلى مغامرات جين إير وادوارد روشيتر.
أعطي الرواية 5 نجوم بجدارة، فهي ليست فقط ممتعة ومثيرة، بل أيضاً تحمل ذلك الطابع الأدبي الكلاسيكي الذي يعيد إلى الأذهان روائع الأدب العالمي. أنصح بها كل محب للروايات التي تجمع بين الغموض والجودة الأدبية.
حينما بدأت بقراءة رواية "مقتل طالبة مدرسة"، كنت متخوفة من حجمها الكبير، لكن منذ الصفحات الأولى، شعرت بانجذاب غريب إلى أسلوب الكاتبة وسردها المميز. أعجبتني الرواية كثيرًا، ليس فقط بسبب حبكتها المحكمة وشخصياتها المرسومة بدقة، بل لأنها أخذتني في رحلة شعرت فيها وكأنني أعيش داخل صفحات رواية كلاسيكية قديمة.
نجحت الكاتبة بمهارة في بناء أجواء الرواية بطريقة تجعلك تنغمس تمامًا في الأحداث دون أن تشعر بثقل أو ملل، على الرغم من طول النص. كل صفحة كانت تضيف شيئًا جديدًا وتفتح آفاقًا مختلفة في القصة.
ما أدهشني أكثر هو قدرة الكاتب على خلق ذلك التوازن بين التشويق والغموض وبين العمق الإنساني لشخصيات الرواية. لم تكن مجرد قصة جريمة، بل كانت تجربة أدبية متكاملة مليئة بالمشاعر والتفاصيل الحية، وقد سعدت جدا بالعودة إلى مغامرات جين إير وادوارد روشيتر.
أعطي الرواية 5 نجوم بجدارة، فهي ليست فقط ممتعة ومثيرة، بل أيضاً تحمل ذلك الطابع الأدبي الكلاسيكي الذي يعيد إلى الأذهان روائع الأدب العالمي. أنصح بها كل محب للروايات التي تجمع بين الغموض والجودة الأدبية.
July 27, 2019
Enjoyed meeting Jane Eyre again as a wife, mother and novice sleuth. Jane becomes involved in helping solve the murder mystery of a schoolgirl who attended the same school as Mr Rochester's ward.
July 21, 2014
Nyuh.
January 19, 2026
مقتل طالبة مدرسة للكاتبة الأمريكية جوانا كامبل سلان
ظننت قبل قراءتها أن هذه رواية جريمة معاصرة وأن المحققة أو البطلة تملك اسم جين آير مثل الرواية الشهيرة بالاسم نفسه لشارلوت برونتي، لكن اتضح لي أن الكاتبة استخدمت شخصية جين آير نفسها بعد زواجها من إدوارد روتسشتر لكي تكتب هذه الرواية! الفكرة لا بأس بها لكن المشكلة أن الرواية مكتوبة بلغة ساذجة جداً وباسلوب عصري جداً وأمريكي جداً ويكاد يكون (woke) جداً، الرواية الأصلية إنجليزية ومكتوبة بلغة ذلك العصر، أما هذه الرواية فهي بكل الأحوال لا ترقى لمستوى الرواية الأصلية لعدة أسباب.
قصة الجريمة نفسها جيدة وهي مقتل طالبة مدرسة في السادسة عشرة من عمرها في ظروف غامضة في مدرسة داخلية للفتيات، تصل جين آير إلى المدرسة لتفقد آديل وهي فتاة تقع تحت وصاية زوجها وقد ألحقها بتلك المدرسة الداخلية وكانت جين آير معلمتها في السابق، تكتشف جين أن هناك عدة أسرار ومشكلات خطيرة داخل المدرسة فتقرر أن تلتحق بالمدرسة كمعلمة مؤقتة للغة الألمانية، أحداث الرواية كلها تدور خلال بضعة أيام فقط، لكنها بسبب الإطالة والتفاصيل وإعادة الكثير من الأمور تبدو للقارئ أطول بكثير، حل اللغز كان منطقياً وجيداً وأسباب ودوافع القتل أيضاً.
المشكلة تمكن في اسلوب الكتابة الساذج والجمل الاعتيادية التي تمت اعادتها مئات المرات في الأفلام والمسلسلات، طريقة تفكير جين آير أمريكية بامتياز وحداثية جداً، هذا غير المثالية الزائدة التي تتمتع بها وهي تختلف عن شخصية جين آير الأصلية، حولتها الكاتبة إلى امرأة أميركية عصرية نسوية وهذا تضارب بقوة مع زمن الرواية.
الرواية خالية من أية مشاهد بذيئة أو عنف مفرط وهي تصلح لليافعين أو الفتيات الشابات أو المبتدئين في القراءة، ولمن يرغب في كتاب خفيف للتسلية.
ديانا دودو
ظننت قبل قراءتها أن هذه رواية جريمة معاصرة وأن المحققة أو البطلة تملك اسم جين آير مثل الرواية الشهيرة بالاسم نفسه لشارلوت برونتي، لكن اتضح لي أن الكاتبة استخدمت شخصية جين آير نفسها بعد زواجها من إدوارد روتسشتر لكي تكتب هذه الرواية! الفكرة لا بأس بها لكن المشكلة أن الرواية مكتوبة بلغة ساذجة جداً وباسلوب عصري جداً وأمريكي جداً ويكاد يكون (woke) جداً، الرواية الأصلية إنجليزية ومكتوبة بلغة ذلك العصر، أما هذه الرواية فهي بكل الأحوال لا ترقى لمستوى الرواية الأصلية لعدة أسباب.
قصة الجريمة نفسها جيدة وهي مقتل طالبة مدرسة في السادسة عشرة من عمرها في ظروف غامضة في مدرسة داخلية للفتيات، تصل جين آير إلى المدرسة لتفقد آديل وهي فتاة تقع تحت وصاية زوجها وقد ألحقها بتلك المدرسة الداخلية وكانت جين آير معلمتها في السابق، تكتشف جين أن هناك عدة أسرار ومشكلات خطيرة داخل المدرسة فتقرر أن تلتحق بالمدرسة كمعلمة مؤقتة للغة الألمانية، أحداث الرواية كلها تدور خلال بضعة أيام فقط، لكنها بسبب الإطالة والتفاصيل وإعادة الكثير من الأمور تبدو للقارئ أطول بكثير، حل اللغز كان منطقياً وجيداً وأسباب ودوافع القتل أيضاً.
المشكلة تمكن في اسلوب الكتابة الساذج والجمل الاعتيادية التي تمت اعادتها مئات المرات في الأفلام والمسلسلات، طريقة تفكير جين آير أمريكية بامتياز وحداثية جداً، هذا غير المثالية الزائدة التي تتمتع بها وهي تختلف عن شخصية جين آير الأصلية، حولتها الكاتبة إلى امرأة أميركية عصرية نسوية وهذا تضارب بقوة مع زمن الرواية.
الرواية خالية من أية مشاهد بذيئة أو عنف مفرط وهي تصلح لليافعين أو الفتيات الشابات أو المبتدئين في القراءة، ولمن يرغب في كتاب خفيف للتسلية.
ديانا دودو
December 23, 2019
I liked it quite a bit. You might, too.
Yes, I like the original Jane Eyre. I also enjoy new novels based on older novels and characters. The Jane Austen Mysteries is a good example--well worth reading. And if you like the original novels and the idea of a modern sequel sounds okay to you--you'll probably enjoy this, too.
At its heart, this is a mystery, but it is also an homage to the original novel and needs to succeed on that level. I think it does that. The author has done a good job of recreating the main characters, especially Jane, but she has also done well with the various secondary characters. The storyline is also kept intact; they are dealing with the fire and Mr. Rochester's injuries and a new baby when the story begins. And the setting is still the conservative, class-conscious, overtly religious Britain of the original.
I didn't love everything. In fact, I questioned the characterization choices in a couple places, but I let it go to enjoy the mystery, which is well done. By the time I was halfway through, I wanted to understand who did it and why, and that curiosity is rewarded with a satisfying conclusion.
Jane Eyre purists might not be up for this, but the rest of us will find a lot to enjoy.
Yes, I like the original Jane Eyre. I also enjoy new novels based on older novels and characters. The Jane Austen Mysteries is a good example--well worth reading. And if you like the original novels and the idea of a modern sequel sounds okay to you--you'll probably enjoy this, too.
At its heart, this is a mystery, but it is also an homage to the original novel and needs to succeed on that level. I think it does that. The author has done a good job of recreating the main characters, especially Jane, but she has also done well with the various secondary characters. The storyline is also kept intact; they are dealing with the fire and Mr. Rochester's injuries and a new baby when the story begins. And the setting is still the conservative, class-conscious, overtly religious Britain of the original.
I didn't love everything. In fact, I questioned the characterization choices in a couple places, but I let it go to enjoy the mystery, which is well done. By the time I was halfway through, I wanted to understand who did it and why, and that curiosity is rewarded with a satisfying conclusion.
Jane Eyre purists might not be up for this, but the rest of us will find a lot to enjoy.
August 3, 2019
Death of a Schoolgirl picks up with Jane Eyre and Rochester married and celebrating the birth of their first child while Rochester is still recuperating from the manor fire where he seems to be losing his sight. Joanna Slan continues the development of the Bronte characters. When Adele, Rochester's ward at boarding school sends a cryptic letter to Rochester and Jane, where she seems to be in fear of her life and cryptically begs for help, it is up to Jane to go to London to see what the trouble is since Rochester is still under doctor's care. Her trip is not an easy one since she is beaten and robbed and when she gets to the school is mistaken for a new teacher as she sees a young girl being taken out of the school dead. When Jane decides to go undercover as the new teacher to solve the mystery and protect Adele, we are fed with a plethora of red-herrings, twists and turns and we don't find out the murderer until the very end. I enjoyed this book and the new and stronger Jane as she becomes a sleuth to protect their ward. I received and ARC from the author, but the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.
January 3, 2026
مستوى الكتاب جيد لكنه كان بطيء نوعًا في البداية. عجبني استكمال قصة جين اير وادواردو روتشستر وعائلتهم 🥹🤍.
بالنسبة للجريمة زعلت شوي اني ما كشفت القاتل بس ذكاء من الكاتبة أنها خلت التلميح للقاتل مرة بدري بس ذكرته بسرعة وكأنه شي هامشي عشان ما نشك.
حبيت لوسي مرة وشخصيتها الودودة وقصتها المثيرة للاهتمام.
بالنسبة للجريمة أول مرة أكون في صف القاتل 😭 أصلا حرقت لي دمي الضحية الحقيرة تمنيتها ماتت موتة تشبه بنت الطباخة، مرة سايكو ومختلة عقليًا ما فيه شي تسويه طبيعي!!
تجلد البنات عشان يدخلوا النادي الوهمي حقها، تقتل العصفور الصغير حق المعلمة وفوقها تحط الريش حقه على مخدتها واغراضها عشان تذكرها بموته، ما تطيع أحد، دفت معلمتها الخاصة في البير ورمت عليها ثعبان عشان تعرف انها تخاف منه وتركتها يومين لين ما سمعها بستاني وخرجها وبعد ما خرجت خلتها تنتحر وساعدتها في ذا الشي وتفرجت عليها!!! ايش المصير المأساوي هذا تموت وهي تشوف وجه الحقيرة ذي!! وفوق ذا كله بكل بجاحة تتفاخر بقتل المعلمة قدام أمها!!! وكانت راح تكسر التذكار الوحيد اللي عندها من بنتها. مرة انقهرت هذه مفروض ما تموت خنقًا بالمخدة مفروض تتعذب نفسيًا قبلها.
واضح اني مرة عصبت 😭😂
المهم رواية ما أحس فيها أخطاء بس حسيت اني اغلب الوقت بالذات في البداية ما كنت أقرأ وانا مستمتعة للأسف عشان كذا نقصت التقييم.
بالنسبة للجريمة زعلت شوي اني ما كشفت القاتل بس ذكاء من الكاتبة أنها خلت التلميح للقاتل مرة بدري بس ذكرته بسرعة وكأنه شي هامشي عشان ما نشك.
حبيت لوسي مرة وشخصيتها الودودة وقصتها المثيرة للاهتمام.
بالنسبة للجريمة أول مرة أكون في صف القاتل 😭 أصلا حرقت لي دمي الضحية الحقيرة تمنيتها ماتت موتة تشبه بنت الطباخة، مرة سايكو ومختلة عقليًا ما فيه شي تسويه طبيعي!!
تجلد البنات عشان يدخلوا النادي الوهمي حقها، تقتل العصفور الصغير حق المعلمة وفوقها تحط الريش حقه على مخدتها واغراضها عشان تذكرها بموته، ما تطيع أحد، دفت معلمتها الخاصة في البير ورمت عليها ثعبان عشان تعرف انها تخاف منه وتركتها يومين لين ما سمعها بستاني وخرجها وبعد ما خرجت خلتها تنتحر وساعدتها في ذا الشي وتفرجت عليها!!! ايش المصير المأساوي هذا تموت وهي تشوف وجه الحقيرة ذي!! وفوق ذا كله بكل بجاحة تتفاخر بقتل المعلمة قدام أمها!!! وكانت راح تكسر التذكار الوحيد اللي عندها من بنتها. مرة انقهرت هذه مفروض ما تموت خنقًا بالمخدة مفروض تتعذب نفسيًا قبلها.
واضح اني مرة عصبت 😭😂
المهم رواية ما أحس فيها أخطاء بس حسيت اني اغلب الوقت بالذات في البداية ما كنت أقرأ وانا مستمتعة للأسف عشان كذا نقصت التقييم.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 17, 2018
I am a Jane Eyre fan. So I was thrilled to find a book that continued her story in a believable manner. Adèle is at boarding school now, and the Rochester’s have a baby boy- Ned. But a death at the school, and a plea for help from Adèle draw Jane to leave her beloved husband and tiny son to ferret out this mystery. In hopes to find the murderer, Jane plants herself in the school as a German teacher, being every watchful at all the goings-on. I always love a mystery, so I would call this a comfy one. Although twists and turns, connections with a dear friend, and memories from her days at Lowood, all play a part to solve the murder, I was left with a desire to know more about the Rochesters and their new life. Less of the mystery, and more of them. But, this is the first of a series, so I may just get my wish!
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