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Jane Austen Mysteries #6
Jane and the Prisoner of Wool House
In her sixth engrossing outing, Jane Austen employs her delicious wit and family ties to the Royal Navy in a case of murder on the high seas. Somewhere in the picturesque British port of Southampton, among a crew of colorful, eccentric, and fiercely individual souls, a killer has come ashore. And only Jane can fathom the depths of his ruthless mind....
Jane and the Prisoner of Wool House
“I will assert that sailors are endowed with greater worth than any set of men in England.”
So muses Jane Austen as she stands in the buffeting wind of Southampton’s quay beside her brother Frank on a raw February morning. Frank, a post captain in the Royal Navy, is without a ship to command, and his best prospect is the Stella Maris , a fast frigate captained by his old friend Tom Seagrave.
“Lucky” Tom — so dubbed for his habit of besting enemy ships — is presently in disgrace, charged with violating the Articles of War. Tom’s first lieutenant, Eustace Chessyre, has accused Seagrave of murder in the death of a French captain after the surrender of his ship.
Though Lucky Tom denies the charge, his dagger was found in the dead man’s chest. Now Seagrave faces court-martial and execution for a crime he swears he did not commit.
Frank, deeply grieved, is certain his friend will hang. But Jane reasons that either Seagrave or Chessyre is lying — and that she and Frank have a duty to discover the truth.
The search for the captain’s honor carries them into the troubled heart of Seagrave’s family, through some of the seaport’s worst sinkholes, and at long last to Wool House, the barred brick structure that serves as gaol for French prisoners of war.
Risking contagion or worse, Jane agrees to nurse the murdered French captain’s imprisoned crew — and elicits a debonair surgeon’s account of the Stella Maris ’s battle that appears to clear Tom Seagrave of all guilt.
When Eustace Chessyre is found murdered, the entire affair takes on the appearance of an insidious plot against Seagrave, who is charged with the crime. Could any of his naval colleagues wish him dead? In an era of turbulent intrigue and contested amour, could it be a case of cherchez la femme ... or a veiled political foe at work? And what of the sealed orders under which Seagrave embarked that fateful night in the Stella Maris? Death knocks again at Jane’s own door before the final knots in the killer’s net are completely untangled.
Always surprising, Jane and the Prisoner of Wool House is an intelligent and intriguing mystery that introduces Jane and her readers to “the naval set” — and charts a true course through the amateur sleuth’s most troubled waters yet.
Jane and the Prisoner of Wool House
“I will assert that sailors are endowed with greater worth than any set of men in England.”
So muses Jane Austen as she stands in the buffeting wind of Southampton’s quay beside her brother Frank on a raw February morning. Frank, a post captain in the Royal Navy, is without a ship to command, and his best prospect is the Stella Maris , a fast frigate captained by his old friend Tom Seagrave.
“Lucky” Tom — so dubbed for his habit of besting enemy ships — is presently in disgrace, charged with violating the Articles of War. Tom’s first lieutenant, Eustace Chessyre, has accused Seagrave of murder in the death of a French captain after the surrender of his ship.
Though Lucky Tom denies the charge, his dagger was found in the dead man’s chest. Now Seagrave faces court-martial and execution for a crime he swears he did not commit.
Frank, deeply grieved, is certain his friend will hang. But Jane reasons that either Seagrave or Chessyre is lying — and that she and Frank have a duty to discover the truth.
The search for the captain’s honor carries them into the troubled heart of Seagrave’s family, through some of the seaport’s worst sinkholes, and at long last to Wool House, the barred brick structure that serves as gaol for French prisoners of war.
Risking contagion or worse, Jane agrees to nurse the murdered French captain’s imprisoned crew — and elicits a debonair surgeon’s account of the Stella Maris ’s battle that appears to clear Tom Seagrave of all guilt.
When Eustace Chessyre is found murdered, the entire affair takes on the appearance of an insidious plot against Seagrave, who is charged with the crime. Could any of his naval colleagues wish him dead? In an era of turbulent intrigue and contested amour, could it be a case of cherchez la femme ... or a veiled political foe at work? And what of the sealed orders under which Seagrave embarked that fateful night in the Stella Maris? Death knocks again at Jane’s own door before the final knots in the killer’s net are completely untangled.
Always surprising, Jane and the Prisoner of Wool House is an intelligent and intriguing mystery that introduces Jane and her readers to “the naval set” — and charts a true course through the amateur sleuth’s most troubled waters yet.
347 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
138 people are currently reading
1704 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Barron
37 books884 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Stephanie Barron was born Francine Stephanie Barron in Binghamton, NY in 1963, the last of six girls. Her father was a retired general in the Air Force, her mother a beautiful woman who loved to dance. The family spent their summers on Cape Cod, where two of the Barron girls now live with their families; Francine's passion for Nantucket and the New England shoreline dates from her earliest memories. She grew up in Washington, D.C., and attended Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School, a two hundred year-old Catholic school for girls that shares a wall with Georgetown University. Her father died of a heart attack during her freshman year.
In 1981, she started college at Princeton – one of the most formative experiences of her life. There she fenced for the club varsity team and learned to write news stories for The Daily Princetonian – a hobby that led to two part-time jobs as a journalist for The Miami Herald and The San Jose Mercury News. Francine majored in European History, studying Napoleonic France, and won an Arthur W. Mellon Foundation Fellowship in the Humanities in her senior year. But the course she remembers most vividly from her time at Princeton is "The Literature of Fact," taught by John McPhee, the Pulitzer Prize winning author and staff writer for The New Yorker. John influenced Francine's writing more than even she knows and certainly more than she is able to say. If there were an altar erected to the man in Colorado, she'd place offerings there daily. He's her personal god of craft.
Francine spent three years at Stanford pursuing a doctorate in history; she failed to write her dissertation (on the Brazilian Bar Association under authoritarianism; can you blame her?) and left with a Masters. She applied to the CIA, spent a year temping in Northern Virginia while the FBI asked inconvenient questions of everyone she had ever known, passed a polygraph test on her twenty-sixth birthday, and was immediately thrown into the Career Trainee program: Boot Camp for the Agency's Best and Brightest. Four years as an intelligence analyst at the CIA were profoundly fulfilling, the highlights being Francine's work on the Counterterrorism Center's investigation into the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988, and sleeping on a horsehair mattress in a Spectre-era casino in the middle of Bratislava. Another peak moment was her chance to debrief ex-President George Bush in Houston in 1993. But what she remembers most about the place are the extraordinary intelligence and dedication of most of the staff – many of them women – many of whom cannot be named.
She wrote her first book in 1992 and left the Agency a year later. Fifteen books have followed, along with sundry children, dogs, and houses. When she's not writing, she likes to ski, garden, needlepoint, and buy art. Her phone number is definitely unlisted.
Stephanie Barron was born Francine Stephanie Barron in Binghamton, NY in 1963, the last of six girls. Her father was a retired general in the Air Force, her mother a beautiful woman who loved to dance. The family spent their summers on Cape Cod, where two of the Barron girls now live with their families; Francine's passion for Nantucket and the New England shoreline dates from her earliest memories. She grew up in Washington, D.C., and attended Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School, a two hundred year-old Catholic school for girls that shares a wall with Georgetown University. Her father died of a heart attack during her freshman year.
In 1981, she started college at Princeton – one of the most formative experiences of her life. There she fenced for the club varsity team and learned to write news stories for The Daily Princetonian – a hobby that led to two part-time jobs as a journalist for The Miami Herald and The San Jose Mercury News. Francine majored in European History, studying Napoleonic France, and won an Arthur W. Mellon Foundation Fellowship in the Humanities in her senior year. But the course she remembers most vividly from her time at Princeton is "The Literature of Fact," taught by John McPhee, the Pulitzer Prize winning author and staff writer for The New Yorker. John influenced Francine's writing more than even she knows and certainly more than she is able to say. If there were an altar erected to the man in Colorado, she'd place offerings there daily. He's her personal god of craft.
Francine spent three years at Stanford pursuing a doctorate in history; she failed to write her dissertation (on the Brazilian Bar Association under authoritarianism; can you blame her?) and left with a Masters. She applied to the CIA, spent a year temping in Northern Virginia while the FBI asked inconvenient questions of everyone she had ever known, passed a polygraph test on her twenty-sixth birthday, and was immediately thrown into the Career Trainee program: Boot Camp for the Agency's Best and Brightest. Four years as an intelligence analyst at the CIA were profoundly fulfilling, the highlights being Francine's work on the Counterterrorism Center's investigation into the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988, and sleeping on a horsehair mattress in a Spectre-era casino in the middle of Bratislava. Another peak moment was her chance to debrief ex-President George Bush in Houston in 1993. But what she remembers most about the place are the extraordinary intelligence and dedication of most of the staff – many of them women – many of whom cannot be named.
She wrote her first book in 1992 and left the Agency a year later. Fifteen books have followed, along with sundry children, dogs, and houses. When she's not writing, she likes to ski, garden, needlepoint, and buy art. Her phone number is definitely unlisted.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 149 reviews
January 9, 2019
In the winter of 1807, we find Jane Austen in the seaport of Southampton living in hired lodgings while her brother Francis Austen’s new residence is made ready for them at Castle Square. The Austen women (Jane, sister Cassandra, their widowed mother and a dear family friend Martha Lloyd), will all be residing together under her brothers kind graces. He is at present a landlocked Royal Navy post captain anxiously awaiting his next assignment, and his first child.
News has reached Frank of a possible new ship, but the circumstances of its availability are a two edged sword. Its previous captain is a personal friend, Thomas Seagrave, who has been charged with violating the Articles of War by murdering an unarmed French captain during a siege. The prime witness to the assault is Seagrave’s first-lieutenant, Eustace Chessyre, an older officer who has been passed by many times for promotion. The case against Seagrave is “compelling in the extreme” and if he is court-martialed, he will hang. Frank would lose a fine friend, but gain in the assignment of his ship the frigate HMS Stella Marisand, and the possibility of fame and fortune.
Both Frank and Jane feel Seagrave is innocent and set out to discover the true killer. A prisoner from the seized ship held at the Wool House goal in Southampton may have the evidence to save his life. Jane’s skill at observation and deduction could save Seagrave from the gallows.
Barron supplies us with another enthralling case in the Jane Austen mystery series written from the famous authoresses perspective from her diaries that she has edited. It is all fiction mind you, but so convincing in its tone and historical detail that it reads like a true rediscovered journal in Austen’s own hand. In the previous novels Jane’s brothers Henry and Edward have assisted her ably in her detection of murder, but I must admit to being swayed with a “fine naval fervor.” Reveling in the time spent with her brother, post captain Francis “Fly” Austen and his Royal Navy world, I searched through my library for my C.S. Forester and Patrick O’Brian novels so I could continue the theme.
Even though the narrative got waylaid a few times in slow moving details, minor characters like self-absorbed Mrs. Seagrave and matter-of-fact Dr. Hill were interesting and finely drawn. Happily, wet blanket sister Cassandra was away in Kent staying at brother Edward’s estate Godmersham, so Mrs. Austen more than made up for any lack of Austen womanly opinions. She spends much of the story in her sickbed bordering on valetudinarian territory only breached by Austen’s own over-anxious parent Mr. Woodhouse from her novel Emma. I am awestruck by the prospect of five women cohabiting at Castle Square together in peace and harmony. Captain Austen must have been very relieved in April 1807 when he received his next ship, the HMS St. Albans, a third-rate ship of the line. He was back in the game, and out of the house!
Laurel Ann, Austenprose
News has reached Frank of a possible new ship, but the circumstances of its availability are a two edged sword. Its previous captain is a personal friend, Thomas Seagrave, who has been charged with violating the Articles of War by murdering an unarmed French captain during a siege. The prime witness to the assault is Seagrave’s first-lieutenant, Eustace Chessyre, an older officer who has been passed by many times for promotion. The case against Seagrave is “compelling in the extreme” and if he is court-martialed, he will hang. Frank would lose a fine friend, but gain in the assignment of his ship the frigate HMS Stella Marisand, and the possibility of fame and fortune.
Both Frank and Jane feel Seagrave is innocent and set out to discover the true killer. A prisoner from the seized ship held at the Wool House goal in Southampton may have the evidence to save his life. Jane’s skill at observation and deduction could save Seagrave from the gallows.
Barron supplies us with another enthralling case in the Jane Austen mystery series written from the famous authoresses perspective from her diaries that she has edited. It is all fiction mind you, but so convincing in its tone and historical detail that it reads like a true rediscovered journal in Austen’s own hand. In the previous novels Jane’s brothers Henry and Edward have assisted her ably in her detection of murder, but I must admit to being swayed with a “fine naval fervor.” Reveling in the time spent with her brother, post captain Francis “Fly” Austen and his Royal Navy world, I searched through my library for my C.S. Forester and Patrick O’Brian novels so I could continue the theme.
Even though the narrative got waylaid a few times in slow moving details, minor characters like self-absorbed Mrs. Seagrave and matter-of-fact Dr. Hill were interesting and finely drawn. Happily, wet blanket sister Cassandra was away in Kent staying at brother Edward’s estate Godmersham, so Mrs. Austen more than made up for any lack of Austen womanly opinions. She spends much of the story in her sickbed bordering on valetudinarian territory only breached by Austen’s own over-anxious parent Mr. Woodhouse from her novel Emma. I am awestruck by the prospect of five women cohabiting at Castle Square together in peace and harmony. Captain Austen must have been very relieved in April 1807 when he received his next ship, the HMS St. Albans, a third-rate ship of the line. He was back in the game, and out of the house!
Laurel Ann, Austenprose
June 4, 2021
"Had I suffered the misfortune to be born a man, I should have torn myself early from the affections of my family and all the comforts of home, and thrown my fate upon the mercy of the seas." (quote from the book)
So begins the next Jane Austen mystery among the 'Navy Set'. Jane's brother, Captain Frank (Fly) Austen, is awaiting a ship. Unfortunately, it is the Stella Maris whose Captain, Tom Seagrave, has been charged with murder (he denies the charge) by his first Lieutenant, Eustace Chessyre. Captain Tom Seagrave is a very good friend of Frank's and he doesn't believe he committed the crime. So with the help of Jane, they embark on their own investigation. One that gets more tangled as they go along. One that soon has them trying to determine who has committed another murder.
"...I judged that Tom Seagrave was formed for command, and decisive action, and coolness in the extremity of battle; but having viewed his countenance, I could no longer dismiss the idea of the man shooting any enemy point-blank, in cold blood." (quote from the book)
With Jane's ability to seize an opportunity to learn vital information, we are soon in the depths of Wool House, an old guild hall being used as a prison, in search of prisoners who may have had a first hand account. The descriptive verse of the conditions had my skin crawling.
"But the room was darkest at my feet, where so many men lay side by side. It was as though the shadows emanated from the sick themselves, to hover like a gathering of souls in the rafters above." (quote from the book)
I found I quite enjoyed this novel. Jane, her mother, Frank, his pregnant wife, Mary, along with Martha Lloyd are staying in temporary lodgings in Southhampton until their house on Castle Square is ready. The nuggets of truth regarding Jane's life are revealed along with the history of the location. This is a mystery that reveals some of the workings of the Royal Navy. Their rules of conduct and the various powers behind the Admiralty. But more is at play than Jane or her brother Frank ever expected.
"And then her gaze came up to meet mine with an unfathomable look; nothing of humour or pain, neither wonder nor penetration. It was as though a wax doll had turned its painted eyes upon me." (quote from the book)
Each of the books in this series have more than one possible villain or thread running through them Trying to determine who is the real culprit is always intriguing. In this one, however, I felt one of the threads was not fully concluded to my satisfaction. Maybe it will be revealed in a later book.
I highly recommend this series if you love a good mystery and Jane Austen! I do strongly suggest you start with book 1 "Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor'. I also want to say how much I love the cover of this book.
November 8, 2025
Stephanie Barron uses a great deal of historical detail in this Jane Austen mystery, especially dealing with the British Navy. For me, the naval details made the beginning of this novel a little slow. However, it's fun to imagine Jane and her brother Frank, a post captain at this time, enmeshed in solving this complex plot and saving a friend.
Whenever reading these novels, it's necessary (and relatively easy for me) to suspend disbelief as far as Jane getting involved in these scenarios and writing her own whodunit memoirs. While the writing and details all fit historically, Jane is perhaps too modern in her actions at times, but it's tempting to imagine her occasionally defying typical restrictions while still maintaining general propriety. If you're a stickler for absolute truths about Austen, this isn't the right book. If you'd like to experience the world she lived in with fictional conundrums and adventures thrown in, this is.
Whenever reading these novels, it's necessary (and relatively easy for me) to suspend disbelief as far as Jane getting involved in these scenarios and writing her own whodunit memoirs. While the writing and details all fit historically, Jane is perhaps too modern in her actions at times, but it's tempting to imagine her occasionally defying typical restrictions while still maintaining general propriety. If you're a stickler for absolute truths about Austen, this isn't the right book. If you'd like to experience the world she lived in with fictional conundrums and adventures thrown in, this is.
April 20, 2020
Love spending time with Jane, she's like comfort food, but for reading! ;]
April 22, 2023
I like Jane Austen, always have done, I’ve read all of them except Sanditon, I don’t like unfinished novels, so I won’t read that. So that leaves me with stuff like Stephanie Barron’s Jane Austen Mysteries and this of course Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which I enjoyed a lot.
Stephanie Barron is an excellent author, I love her descriptions of 19th century everyday life, and it’s very educational (in a good way).
So this latest mystery, with a lovely cover, is right up my street. It has a lot of naval interest, so by the middle I loved it. I would have given it a five but I felt that the end got a bit convoluted, a few too many loose ends and things that didn’t quite make sense. I can manage a few episodes that are out of character, it’s a novel after all, but it was a little too much still a strong 4.5
Stephanie Barron is an excellent author, I love her descriptions of 19th century everyday life, and it’s very educational (in a good way).
So this latest mystery, with a lovely cover, is right up my street. It has a lot of naval interest, so by the middle I loved it. I would have given it a five but I felt that the end got a bit convoluted, a few too many loose ends and things that didn’t quite make sense. I can manage a few episodes that are out of character, it’s a novel after all, but it was a little too much still a strong 4.5
July 8, 2021
Mi ha attratta il punto di vista delle indagini di zia Jane e ,devo ammettere, che è molto scorrevole. Credo proprio che leggerò anche gli altri!
September 9, 2023
I‘m really enjoying getting to know a different Austen relative in each book! And I really liked how this one resolved, Barron is doing such a good job of keeping this series from becoming formulaic
November 28, 2023
Really enjoyed this installment in the series. The naval component was a nice change of pace, as was the opportunity to become acquainted with Frank Austen.
March 8, 2017
Another entertaining addition to the series. I've never been taken by a fascination with the Royal Navy in the Regency period the way I know many are, and this was probably the most interest I've ever experienced in the naval world of the period. There was one assertion made about a certain French Emperor that I felt was a bit premature for the year in which this was set, but it ultimately had no real bearing on my overall enjoyment of the lovely adventure.
February 9, 2014
Jane, her mother, her sister and their friend Martha Lloyd have removed to Southampton to live with her brother Frank's bride Mary. Frank is on shore too, hoping for the Royal Navy to grant him a fast ship. Frank's wish is about to come true - he will soon be granted command of the Stella Maris. Unfortunately, the promotion for Frank comes at the sacrifice of his friend, Captain Seagrave, who is under arrest for murder of the French captain whose ship the Stella Maris had overcome.Captain Seagrave has been accused by his Lieutenant, Eustace Chessyre, who should have stood by him. Frank knows his friend and knows that Tom Seagrave would never have violated the Articles of War by killing a surrendering captain. As the people of Portsmouth turn against Captain Seagrave, only Frank remains loyal. Jane, being possessed of a "fine naval fervour" also believes that Captain Seagrave is innocent. Jane, having the opportunity to employ herself as a nurse in the Wool House, where French prisoners of war are kept, decides to investigate the murder to find clues that will exonerate Captain Seagrave. Jane's investigation takes her from Captain Seagrave's home, to the Wool House, the docks and the slums of Portsmouth. Jane's search brings her in contact with a prisoner-of-war French surgeon who seems to have some answers, if only he will testify and only if she and Frank can keep him safe, for when Lieutenant Chessyre turns up dead, it becomes clear that someone wants the witnesses out of the way.
This being my first Jane Austen mystery I did not know what to expect. The author writes in the style of Jane Austen, alluding to the fact that the novel is an edited version of a long lost manuscript written by Jane Austen. I really liked the way Barron copied Jane Austen's style of writing and I also loved that Barron obviously did a ton of research to write the novel. However, I think she included far too many historical details, some of which she felt the need to add a footnote to further clarify. Those who are familiar with Jane Austen's life and times probably will not need the footnotes.
The story is very slow to start but once Jane began her investigation, the story captured my attention and I couldn't do anything until she had solved the mystery. There are many twists and turns in this book that I never suspected. Like Jane, I jumped to a lot of conclusions, having read too many "dreadful novels." The ending is really rushed and I felt like more explanation was needed.
I highly doubt that Jane Austen herself would have been running all over Portsmouth (often by herself!) trying to solve a murder mystery but it's fun to think that she would have if she could.
I would recommend this book to Janeites that don't take their favorite author too seriously and also fans of Georgette Heyer's mysteries and traditional Regency novels. On a scale of 1-5 I would give this a 4 or 4 1/4.
April 27, 2025
These books are even better on the re-read, IMO. And I gave this one (most of them, I think) 5 stars the first time around.
I'm not sure who the people are who give these books 4s and 3s. I fully support people liking what they like, having their own opinions, reacting to art however they react without feeling like they "should" feel different, but from my perspective these books are right down the center.
Why does it work so well for me? It starts with me loving Jane Austen (and okay, not everyone does, I suppose) and finding real echoes of her writing, her world, her language in this book and the rest. It reads naturally, but it sounds Regency, which is quite a trick. There also needs to be a well-crafted mystery--something the author excels at--and, crucially, Jane must be instrumental in solving it. No bumping into answers; no standing on the sidelines while others do all the work; no waiting for things to work out. That's no good. Here, Jane gets right in, sorting out the clues, low-key investigating while still behaving normally, and does as much as a woman could do in that era. Most women would not do all that this character does, but it's not anachronistic. It all feels perfectly plausible. Also, as an extra, she is exposed to actual physical danger, upping the stakes while still remaining true to the time period.
It's very well done.
This story is about her brother's friend, an officer in the navy, who is facing a court martial for killing a man. Neither Jane nor her brother believe he's guilty, and they have to risk a lot to find the truth. The ending is satisfying, though it's a mixture of happy and sad. I suppose a murder mystery always has to be that way, to some degree.
I recommend the whole series. I find them a real pleasure to read, always a joy to pick back up, and just wish there were about a hundred more of them.
I'm not sure who the people are who give these books 4s and 3s. I fully support people liking what they like, having their own opinions, reacting to art however they react without feeling like they "should" feel different, but from my perspective these books are right down the center.
Why does it work so well for me? It starts with me loving Jane Austen (and okay, not everyone does, I suppose) and finding real echoes of her writing, her world, her language in this book and the rest. It reads naturally, but it sounds Regency, which is quite a trick. There also needs to be a well-crafted mystery--something the author excels at--and, crucially, Jane must be instrumental in solving it. No bumping into answers; no standing on the sidelines while others do all the work; no waiting for things to work out. That's no good. Here, Jane gets right in, sorting out the clues, low-key investigating while still behaving normally, and does as much as a woman could do in that era. Most women would not do all that this character does, but it's not anachronistic. It all feels perfectly plausible. Also, as an extra, she is exposed to actual physical danger, upping the stakes while still remaining true to the time period.
It's very well done.
This story is about her brother's friend, an officer in the navy, who is facing a court martial for killing a man. Neither Jane nor her brother believe he's guilty, and they have to risk a lot to find the truth. The ending is satisfying, though it's a mixture of happy and sad. I suppose a murder mystery always has to be that way, to some degree.
I recommend the whole series. I find them a real pleasure to read, always a joy to pick back up, and just wish there were about a hundred more of them.
July 16, 2011
a pretty good yarn! I learned quite a bit about English Maritime history of that period and Barron really does carry off the Jane Austen characterizations and period details and mannerisms very well. After sort of avoiding the series for quite some time, somewhat convinced of its in-authenicity, I find now I was quite wrong and have really been enjoying it, enough in fact to have picked up another one... Jane and the Stillroom Maid, although I am finding that I'd be better off reading #1 first, #2 second and so forth as the subsequent mysteries often refer back to previous escapades and adventures and sometimes their outcomes... kind of like watching a movie backwards ... but oh well! Still enjoyable!
March 13, 2018
This installment kind of bored me, to be honest. The mystery plotting was very dense, and there was just SO much detail about the ins and outs of every step, the pacing became methodical. I like to follow along in the mystery, but this just came across as boring to me. There was also a bevy of side characters and side plots - Mary's pregnancy, the other women of the naval set - that had no spark of interest. Even characters that started out as interesting like Etienne LaForge, were then explained in such painstaking detail as to render any glamour moot. I don't particularly care for the Trowbridge/Jane ship, but perhaps he IS what gives these books more life and dynamism.
April 21, 2010
Reading Stephanie Barron’s Jane Austin sleuth is always a breath of fresh air. The reader gets quality writing and quality editing, a great story, murder without graphic details, and creativity that permits you to use your imagination.
December 13, 2025
Enjoyed ..
excellent narrator and appreciated author Stephanie Barron’s footnotes of pertinent historical facts for the era that added understanding while listening. 5⭐️
excellent narrator and appreciated author Stephanie Barron’s footnotes of pertinent historical facts for the era that added understanding while listening. 5⭐️
July 1, 2024
Much better than it had any right to be, but the reader's enjoyment of it will depend on how interested they are in very well-done fanfic of Jane Austen's life as a murder mystery detective. The period language and manners were really excellent (except for the parts where Jane had somewhat unlikely adventures) and it's obvious that the author knows a LOT about Jane Austen's real life. Anachronisms are a huge bug-bear for me and really they were absolutely minimized here, only really coming up when Jane had to do something unladylike because, well, she is investigating a murder. But the author did her best to minimize and mitigate these incidents, and found ways to make Jane's excuses for doing these things seem almost reasonable.
There were quotes throughout that I recognized as Austen's, often attributed in footnotes - while still maintaining the fiction that this story isn't fiction. I enjoyed imagining that I was privy to her domestic life as, no doubt, described in her actual letters. I found it fun. But I can see that if you knew enough about Austen to really see all the knowledge the author is bringing to bear (a lot!), that you might also think that the mystery aspect is a bit ridiculous.
And yeah, I wasn't really interested in the mystery plotline. It involved the last-minute introduction of the provisions of a will to bring everything together, and I couldn't really care. I can see how it would be difficult to bring any mystery plotline to bear in the scope of Austen's actual life, so I went with it.
This is book six, and I may well go back and read the others. Apparently she is acquainted with some kind of dashing man who works in intelligence, which may well be outrageously entertaining? I can see the author wanting to give Jane the kind of adventures she didn't have in life.
Also kind of hilarious was the clear reliance that the author put on Patrick O'Brian for the naval flavor of the book. It makes sense to have some naval themes in a series like this, as two of Austen's brothers were indeed captains in the Royal Navy. But for heaven's sake, Sophie Aubrey makes a cameo!
The character of the murder suspect was heavily reliant on Jack Aubrey, even to the extent of being "Lucky Tom" (instead of "Lucky Jack"),being rumored to like the ladies, and having views on gunnery to "go right at 'em." And the naval surgeon character was, similarly, obviously modeled on Stephen Maturin. There were also intimations of a Maturin-like character working for the Admiralty. It was done with such love that I could hardly be too mad about it, though it was a bit astounding to read such things as Jack Aubrey's phrasing on views on the timings of broadsides as obviously lifted from O'Brian. Like there were at LEAST 10-15 times reading the book where I was like, "yes, she got that from O'Brian."
So, if you like O'Brian, and would enjoy spotting that stuff, I guess this might be fun for you.
I enjoyed being in this book, but never felt urgency to see what happened next. I enjoyed the domestic life scenes way more than the mystery. That's why it's three stars instead of four, but it was close. Excellent light reading though!
There were quotes throughout that I recognized as Austen's, often attributed in footnotes - while still maintaining the fiction that this story isn't fiction. I enjoyed imagining that I was privy to her domestic life as, no doubt, described in her actual letters. I found it fun. But I can see that if you knew enough about Austen to really see all the knowledge the author is bringing to bear (a lot!), that you might also think that the mystery aspect is a bit ridiculous.
And yeah, I wasn't really interested in the mystery plotline. It involved the last-minute introduction of the provisions of a will to bring everything together, and I couldn't really care. I can see how it would be difficult to bring any mystery plotline to bear in the scope of Austen's actual life, so I went with it.
This is book six, and I may well go back and read the others. Apparently she is acquainted with some kind of dashing man who works in intelligence, which may well be outrageously entertaining? I can see the author wanting to give Jane the kind of adventures she didn't have in life.
Also kind of hilarious was the clear reliance that the author put on Patrick O'Brian for the naval flavor of the book. It makes sense to have some naval themes in a series like this, as two of Austen's brothers were indeed captains in the Royal Navy. But for heaven's sake, Sophie Aubrey makes a cameo!
The character of the murder suspect was heavily reliant on Jack Aubrey, even to the extent of being "Lucky Tom" (instead of "Lucky Jack"),being rumored to like the ladies, and having views on gunnery to "go right at 'em." And the naval surgeon character was, similarly, obviously modeled on Stephen Maturin. There were also intimations of a Maturin-like character working for the Admiralty. It was done with such love that I could hardly be too mad about it, though it was a bit astounding to read such things as Jack Aubrey's phrasing on views on the timings of broadsides as obviously lifted from O'Brian. Like there were at LEAST 10-15 times reading the book where I was like, "yes, she got that from O'Brian."
So, if you like O'Brian, and would enjoy spotting that stuff, I guess this might be fun for you.
I enjoyed being in this book, but never felt urgency to see what happened next. I enjoyed the domestic life scenes way more than the mystery. That's why it's three stars instead of four, but it was close. Excellent light reading though!
February 21, 2023
#Pemberlittens #JaneandtheExcellentReadalong
@Crinoline_Laphroaig @BarkingMadRead
#StoryGraph: fiction historical mystery informative mysterious slow-paced
386 pages • first pub 2001
DESCRIPTION
In her sixth engrossing outing, Jane Austen employs her delicious wit and family ties to the Royal Navy in a case of murder on the high seas. Somewhere in the picturesque British port of Southampton, among a crew of colorful, eccentric, and fiercely individual souls, a killer has come ashore. And only Jane can fathom the depths of his ruthless mind....
“I will assert that sailors are endowed with greater worth than any set of men in England.”
So muses Jane Austen as she stands in the buffeting wind of Southampton’s quay beside her brother Frank on a raw February morning. Frank, a post captain in the Royal Navy, is without a ship to command, and his best prospect is the Stella Maris, a fast frigate captained by his old friend Tom Seagrave.
“Lucky” Tom — so dubbed for his habit of besting enemy ships — is presently in disgrace, charged with violating the Articles of War. Tom’s first lieutenant, Eustace Chessyre, has accused Seagrave of murder in the death of a French captain after the surrender of his ship.
Though Lucky Tom denies the charge, his dagger was found in the dead man’s chest. Now Seagrave faces court-martial and execution for a crime he swears he did not commit.
Frank, deeply grieved, is certain his friend will hang. But Jane reasons that either Seagrave or Chessyre is lying — and that she and Frank have a duty to discover the truth.
The search for the captain’s honor carries them into the troubled heart of Seagrave’s family, through some of the seaport’s worst sinkholes, and at long last to Wool House, the barred brick structure that serves as gaol for French prisoners of war.
Risking contagion or worse, Jane agrees to nurse the murdered French captain’s imprisoned crew — and elicits a debonair surgeon’s account of the Stella Maris’s battle that appears to clear Tom Seagrave of all guilt.
When Eustace Chessyre is found murdered, the entire affair takes on the appearance of an insidious plot against Seagrave, who is charged with the crime. Could any of his naval colleagues wish him dead? In an era of turbulent intrigue and contested amour, could it be a case of cherchez la femme ... or a veiled political foe at work? And what of the sealed orders under which Seagrave embarked that fateful night in the Stella Maris? Death knocks again at Jane’s own door before the final knots in the killer’s net are completely untangled.
@Crinoline_Laphroaig @BarkingMadRead
#StoryGraph: fiction historical mystery informative mysterious slow-paced
386 pages • first pub 2001
DESCRIPTION
In her sixth engrossing outing, Jane Austen employs her delicious wit and family ties to the Royal Navy in a case of murder on the high seas. Somewhere in the picturesque British port of Southampton, among a crew of colorful, eccentric, and fiercely individual souls, a killer has come ashore. And only Jane can fathom the depths of his ruthless mind....
“I will assert that sailors are endowed with greater worth than any set of men in England.”
So muses Jane Austen as she stands in the buffeting wind of Southampton’s quay beside her brother Frank on a raw February morning. Frank, a post captain in the Royal Navy, is without a ship to command, and his best prospect is the Stella Maris, a fast frigate captained by his old friend Tom Seagrave.
“Lucky” Tom — so dubbed for his habit of besting enemy ships — is presently in disgrace, charged with violating the Articles of War. Tom’s first lieutenant, Eustace Chessyre, has accused Seagrave of murder in the death of a French captain after the surrender of his ship.
Though Lucky Tom denies the charge, his dagger was found in the dead man’s chest. Now Seagrave faces court-martial and execution for a crime he swears he did not commit.
Frank, deeply grieved, is certain his friend will hang. But Jane reasons that either Seagrave or Chessyre is lying — and that she and Frank have a duty to discover the truth.
The search for the captain’s honor carries them into the troubled heart of Seagrave’s family, through some of the seaport’s worst sinkholes, and at long last to Wool House, the barred brick structure that serves as gaol for French prisoners of war.
Risking contagion or worse, Jane agrees to nurse the murdered French captain’s imprisoned crew — and elicits a debonair surgeon’s account of the Stella Maris’s battle that appears to clear Tom Seagrave of all guilt.
When Eustace Chessyre is found murdered, the entire affair takes on the appearance of an insidious plot against Seagrave, who is charged with the crime. Could any of his naval colleagues wish him dead? In an era of turbulent intrigue and contested amour, could it be a case of cherchez la femme ... or a veiled political foe at work? And what of the sealed orders under which Seagrave embarked that fateful night in the Stella Maris? Death knocks again at Jane’s own door before the final knots in the killer’s net are completely untangled.
June 18, 2019
Very much enjoyed this book. I picked it up at a Friends of the Library book sale on dollar-a-bag day, just because it mentioned Jane Austen, of whom I am a huge fan, and looked entertaining enough. I didn’t have high hopes. I feared the author would rely too heavily on the gimmicky premise and allow the writing to suffer in some way. But I was stunned by the amount of research the author must have done. I took this book along with me on vacation to the UK, where I had the pleasure of visiting the Jane Austen Centre in Bath. Every fact the tour guide presented matched details from the book. I had also worried that the author might try too hard to sound like Miss Austen and would come across stilted and pretentious, but that is not the case at all. She occasionally lifts phrases from Miss Austen’s novels, but not too frequently or in a contrived way. And the author’s own turn of phrase is masterful. The mystery itself kept me guessing and second-guessing, just as a good mystery should, and is so in keeping with Miss Austen’s youthful interest in the gothic novels of her time that the whole idea only seems fitting, rather than forced. I am thoroughly pleased with my purchase and intend to seek out the previous five (and however many come after this one) in the series with all due haste, eager to repeat the experience.
January 30, 2023
This was a very good mystery by author Stephanie Barron. It always takes me a chapter or so to get reacquainted with her sense of "Jane Austen's" English. No doubt there are many Austen lovers who would probably cringe over this or that turn of a phrase. Even more, there are those who know British history and the English language so well they might pick apart how Ms. Barron attempts to speak in Regency British English. I don't know either very well, so from my perspective, these novels are enjoyable.
In this particular story, Jane, her mother, her naval officer brother Frank, and his pregnant wife Mary, are in Southampton, England, while he awaits his next ship. Jane comes to learn that he has an excellent chance at becoming captain of the Stella Maris, but only because the current captain is under suspicion of murder. If convicted, he would hang. The problem is, this man is one of Frank's closest friends.
Jane looks into the situation, and before long, discovers there are a number of people who might have it in for the man. The people include everyone from people in their social circle all the way up the officer ranks. The person who offers the most help turns out to be a French prisoner in the notorious Wool House...if he survives the illneses known to run rampant in such places.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND
In this particular story, Jane, her mother, her naval officer brother Frank, and his pregnant wife Mary, are in Southampton, England, while he awaits his next ship. Jane comes to learn that he has an excellent chance at becoming captain of the Stella Maris, but only because the current captain is under suspicion of murder. If convicted, he would hang. The problem is, this man is one of Frank's closest friends.
Jane looks into the situation, and before long, discovers there are a number of people who might have it in for the man. The people include everyone from people in their social circle all the way up the officer ranks. The person who offers the most help turns out to be a French prisoner in the notorious Wool House...if he survives the illneses known to run rampant in such places.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND
December 6, 2023
Quite a good entry in the Jane Austen as sleuth series. Jane is living in Southampton with her mother, her brother Frank, and his pregnant wife Mary. Frank, a post captain (and in real life will some day become Admiral of the Fleet), is waiting to be assigned to another ship. There is the possibility of one, but it was captained by his friend Tom Seagrave, who has been accused of murdering the captain of a French ship after it had surrendered to him. If he is found guilty, he will hang. Frank has long been friends with Tom, and with Jane's help, tries to discredit the man who accused him. The accuser is found dead, Tom's wife is becoming an opium addict, and their two boys (both under the age of ten) are trying to run off and join the navy (it was not uncommon to have boys that young on a ship). Tom's wife was disowned by her family when they married 15 years ago and now that her father has just died, it's unclear whether and what she will inherit. Add to the mix a group of French prisoners, a massive fire on a prison ship, and a spy who has escaped from Bonaparte's clutches, plus some really good red herrings, and you have a solid mystery.
June 19, 2018
Although I thought I was getting tired of this series when I started this book and had to set it aside for a while, I did manage to get back into it later and enjoyed it.
I'm not sure what was turning me off in the beginning, perhaps it was the court martial thing. There are some places Jane simply cannot be, so I shouldn't have worried about tiresome courtroom scenes. And also the prospect of hanging a possibly innocent man was putting me off a bit. But I finally got over it and whizzed through the rest of the story.
Jane's brother Frank wants to help his good friend Tom Seagrave who has been accused of what amounts to a war crime: killing a French captain after he surrendered. If Seagrave did not do this, why would his own first lieutenant claim so? The only other witnesses, the French crew, are being held (and slowly dying off) at Wool House when Jane is asked to help nurse them. Will her French be up to the challenge? And if Frank manages to help his friend get off, it will scuttle his own chances to command a ship. Will Seagrave trust him?
I'm not sure what was turning me off in the beginning, perhaps it was the court martial thing. There are some places Jane simply cannot be, so I shouldn't have worried about tiresome courtroom scenes. And also the prospect of hanging a possibly innocent man was putting me off a bit. But I finally got over it and whizzed through the rest of the story.
Jane's brother Frank wants to help his good friend Tom Seagrave who has been accused of what amounts to a war crime: killing a French captain after he surrendered. If Seagrave did not do this, why would his own first lieutenant claim so? The only other witnesses, the French crew, are being held (and slowly dying off) at Wool House when Jane is asked to help nurse them. Will her French be up to the challenge? And if Frank manages to help his friend get off, it will scuttle his own chances to command a ship. Will Seagrave trust him?
February 11, 2023
My new favorite phrase is jiggery- pokery. 😄 Did vaguely remember the culpriton rereading. While my favorite characters Lord Harold, Eliza and Henry weren't in this one I did enjoy seeing Jane interact with her Naval brother Captain Frank Austen. (Who in real life eventually became Admiralm)
Playing catch-up on Counting down to October Release of last in the Series Jane and the Winchester Schoolboy.
#JaneandtheExcellentReadalong
In which we learn that Jane believes it's 🕔 somewhere:
“I believe, my dear, that we should fortify ourselves with a glass of wine.” “But it is barely ten o’clock in the morning, Jane!” “And the sun is not yet over the yardarm.” I smiled up at him. “Consider, Frank, that if you were in the Indies now—or rounding the Horn …”🍷
Listened the last few days while working in the garden. 🎧📖👩🏻🌾
Great adventure and I never guessed the culprit. 😮
#JaneAndTheYear2020
Playing catch-up on Counting down to October Release of last in the Series Jane and the Winchester Schoolboy.
#JaneandtheExcellentReadalong
In which we learn that Jane believes it's 🕔 somewhere:
“I believe, my dear, that we should fortify ourselves with a glass of wine.” “But it is barely ten o’clock in the morning, Jane!” “And the sun is not yet over the yardarm.” I smiled up at him. “Consider, Frank, that if you were in the Indies now—or rounding the Horn …”🍷
Listened the last few days while working in the garden. 🎧📖👩🏻🌾
Great adventure and I never guessed the culprit. 😮
#JaneAndTheYear2020
September 28, 2020
This is a solid mystery with a vaguely nautical setting. Jane is at Portsmouth with her brother Captain Frank (Fly) of the Royal Navy and his expectant wife Mary, and the case revolves around a friend of Frank's who has been court martialed. Having recently read a book in Naomi Novik's Temeraire series, I was familiar with Naval concerns of rank, ships of the line, seaman rating, etc. The mystery took some interesting twists, I enjoyed Jane as protagonist, and the other characters were well-developed. I think my main complaint was the inspiration and rapid solution of the book - I'd rather see a little more elaboration in the tying up of things at the end. Overall, though, a solid 4.5 stars read.
May 23, 2020
Did you know there are rules to waging war? I did even a whole course in it in university. It is called humanitarian law (what is in a name). And that is what this detective is about.
Jane (the writer) has a brother who is in the navy and who is rumoured to be appointed captain to a frigate. Her current captain has to appear before a court-marshal because he is accused of having slain a French captain after that man had lowered his colours.
A nice murder mystery in the naval community in a port town during the Napoleonic wars. Although the sleuth is Jane Austen the writer - why???- the writing style has nothing of her witty style More Hornblower than Darcy.
Jane (the writer) has a brother who is in the navy and who is rumoured to be appointed captain to a frigate. Her current captain has to appear before a court-marshal because he is accused of having slain a French captain after that man had lowered his colours.
A nice murder mystery in the naval community in a port town during the Napoleonic wars. Although the sleuth is Jane Austen the writer - why???- the writing style has nothing of her witty style More Hornblower than Darcy.
January 3, 2021
These novels that have Jane Austen solving mysteries are a frothy delight. Replete with details and footnotes the reader learns about Austen, and the time period in the context of a mystery story. Jane is very much the protagonist, and perhaps ahistorically equipped with significant agency and capabilities for a woman of that time. This book has Jane in Southhampton staying with her brother Frank a naval officer. The mystery surrounds the death of a French naval commander and the ensuing court-martial of Frank's friend Tom Seagrave. Mostly fun with dollops of information about the British navy, Austen's life and the time period.
September 18, 2021
Another great entry in the Jane Austen Mystery series!
Stephanie Barron fills her Jane Austen novels with lots of historical details, quality writing, and well developed characters. Her stories sometimes feel a tad slow in places as she paints a picture of an event or setting, but the reader learns so much.
The stories are well thought out and entertaining, full of wit and interesting period mannerisms. Thanks to the exceptional research we learn all about the real Jane Austen and her true life connections.
Above all, these are great mystery stories, engaging, and full of interesting twists. I am becoming a huge fan of Jane and of Stephanie Barron!
Stephanie Barron fills her Jane Austen novels with lots of historical details, quality writing, and well developed characters. Her stories sometimes feel a tad slow in places as she paints a picture of an event or setting, but the reader learns so much.
The stories are well thought out and entertaining, full of wit and interesting period mannerisms. Thanks to the exceptional research we learn all about the real Jane Austen and her true life connections.
Above all, these are great mystery stories, engaging, and full of interesting twists. I am becoming a huge fan of Jane and of Stephanie Barron!
August 22, 2022
Jane's droll view of human nature is on perfect display in this book, and her brother Frank is her foil (with his naval sense of honour). The plot moved at a curious pace, however. For many chapters, we are meeting people and hearing about relationships that turn out to have little to do with the resolution of the mystery. When we do get to the end, I am not convinced. It was apparent that not all the killing was done by the same hand, or for the same reason, but the main conniver does not seem realistic to me.
January 11, 2023
this felt like a bit of a departure from a series about a real historical figure solving mysteries, to a fictional character solving mysteries in a historical setting. there was an action-adventure scene with explosions, which wasn't to my taste at all. I like reading this series for the historical details, and the most interesting one (to me) this time around was paying "urchins" to run in front of your cart with a lantern ("lanthorn"). but it felt like there was less focus on those kind of details and more on introducing many characters and interpersonal drama.
July 5, 2024
'Jane e il prigioniero di Wool House' è il sesto romanzo scritto da Stephanie Barron sulle indagini di Jane Austen. In tutto i romanzi usciti fino a questo momento sono 15 (e tali probabilmente resteranno dal momento che l’ultimo, del 2023, ha il titolo 'Jane and the Final Mystery') ma in italiano sono stati tradotti solo i primi 8.
Pur rimanendo tutte le mie ritrosie su questa serie legate da una parte al fatto che non amo i romanzi inventati su personaggi realmente esistiti e dall’altra allo stile (dovrebbe essere un diario ma l’autrice lo redige come un romanzo), devo dire che questa avventura è stata più interessante delle precedenti.
L’intreccio della storia è interessante, i personaggi sono ben delineati e le dinamiche della marina militare sono sicuramente studiate molto minuziosamente.
Il giallo è ben costruito, anche se alcuni colpi di scena erano forse prevedibili.
Complessivamente è un romanzo molto meno lento dei precedenti e che regala spunti assai interessanti sia su Southampton sia sulla vita di Jane Austen e della sua famiglia (specialmente su Frank, la moglie Mary e l'amica fraterna di Jane, Martha Lloyd).
Affascinante il ruolo del prigioniero di Wool House.
Consigliato a chi ama profondamente Jane Austen.
Per la recensione completa visita il mio blog:
https://dilettanicastro.blogspot.com/...
Pur rimanendo tutte le mie ritrosie su questa serie legate da una parte al fatto che non amo i romanzi inventati su personaggi realmente esistiti e dall’altra allo stile (dovrebbe essere un diario ma l’autrice lo redige come un romanzo), devo dire che questa avventura è stata più interessante delle precedenti.
L’intreccio della storia è interessante, i personaggi sono ben delineati e le dinamiche della marina militare sono sicuramente studiate molto minuziosamente.
Il giallo è ben costruito, anche se alcuni colpi di scena erano forse prevedibili.
Complessivamente è un romanzo molto meno lento dei precedenti e che regala spunti assai interessanti sia su Southampton sia sulla vita di Jane Austen e della sua famiglia (specialmente su Frank, la moglie Mary e l'amica fraterna di Jane, Martha Lloyd).
Affascinante il ruolo del prigioniero di Wool House.
Consigliato a chi ama profondamente Jane Austen.
Per la recensione completa visita il mio blog:
https://dilettanicastro.blogspot.com/...
October 6, 2024
After I read Jane and the Man of Cloth I remember writing that I prefer Jane Austen's domestic mysteries rather than ones that involve smuggling and non-domestic intrigue. I take it back, because this is not really a domestic mystery and I devoured it in less than 2 days. I now want to know more about her brothers. This, I believe is the first I have read that involved Frank Austen. Henry and his wife are more entertaining but I like Frank as well. Hope he appears in the rest of the series (I have a few more books to go)
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