I found the novel Murder at Longbourn by Tracy Kiely at my local library a few weeks ago and thought it would be a refreshing break from all of the reading I'd been doing for school. I'm a Jane Austen fan, though not as much as a purist as some. I don't like to read books that continue Austen's novels. I read one once, but decided that I prefer Austen's original endings. I also haven't read either of the Austen adaptations by Quirk Classics -- Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. I think Quirk Classics has an interesting concept and makes great use of public domain, but I'm not particularly drawn to zombie or monster books. I do like books like this that are based on Austen's themes and characters, and Murder at Longbourn is just that. It is also a murder mystery, and I love mystery novels.
In an attempt to forget her failing search for her own Mr. Darcy, twenty-something Elizabeth Parker accepts an invitation for a How to Host a Murder New Year's Eve party at her eccentric aunt's Cape Cod B&B, with the Austen-inspired name of Longbourn. She ends up playing detective when a party guest is murdered and her aunt is framed for the killing. I enjoyed this book and was happy to learn that is is the first in a series. Elizabeth Parker returns as sleuth in Murder on the Bride's Side, which will be released in a month.
A few other books based on Austen's themes and character that I enjoyed:
* Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict and Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler
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