A combination of Jane Austen and Princess Bride!
Beatrice Steele is skirting the edges of respectability. She is terrible at needlework, has no musical or artistic ability, and she is obsessed with true crime. Despite all of this, Beatrice knows that if neither she nor her sister Louisa make a beneficial match, then the family estate will fall to their disgusting cousin. Having decided to force herself into the village’s strict code of conduct, Beatrice’s resolve is quickly tempted when a well known detective arrives at the autumnal ball. Later, one of the guests collapse and Beatrice must find the killer before anyone else is killed, or worse, accused of murder and scandal.
I wouldn’t call this a cozy mystery, but it also wasn’t a traditional mystery. It was more a parody video as seen on YouTube. There were moments that I though, “Hey that’s Pride and Prejudice, and that’s funny.” However, there were also moments where I thought “something bad is gonna happen here.” It balanced very well between the two subgenres.
Knowing this satirical style, I suspected one storyline, while the murderer went right over my head. There was something that the murderer did, or didn’t do as the case ended up being, that I wasn’t certain of. It really didn’t make much sense and I felt that made the reveal a little awkward. Despite this, I think the author left an impression of the possibility for a second book. If so, then I will be looking forward to it.
Overall, I rate this novel 4 out of 5 stars.
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