Publication: 13th November 2025 – MichaelJoseph
The festive season is fast approaching.
Jane Austen fears that without her siblings at home, there won’t be much Christmas cheer in the Austen household this year.
But when she uncovers a skeleton in the cellar of Deane Rectory, Jane soon forgets her woes. Who needs merriment, when there’s a mystery to solve?
Her investigation leads her to the legend of a young bride who’s long been thought to haunt the woods nearby. After fleeing her wedding breakfast, the bride was never seen again.
Has Jane found her at last? Or is there more to this mystery than meets the eye?
Tis the season for Jane to embark upon festive delights, making merry, and solving murders…
Jessica Bull splendidly put together two of my favourite things: Jane Austen and Christmas. The Austen Christmas Murders is a fantastic addition to a wonderful series, but it’s shorter than the first two books, more of a novella, the perfect Christmas read to enjoy in front of a fire with a mug of hot chocolate in your hands.
Contrary to all expectations, it’s going to be a chaotic Christmas in the Austen family. A decaying body is found in the cellar of Deane Rectory, the home of Jane’s brother James and his wife Mary, who just gave birth to a baby, leading them to relocate to the Steventon family home. And while the house is crowded with unexpected guests and Jane’s mother is in a perpetual contest with Mary, Jane is obsessed with the gruesome discovery. Her imagination runs wild and her relentless curiosity incurs even the anger of her father, but Jane is determined to find out the truth.
I enjoyed the mystery as much as the entertaining family scenes around the house and I loved the letters from Jane’s brothers which added hilarity to the story. The characters are well-developed and well-portrayed and the mystery is intense and full of twists that come perfectly together at the end. Witty, intriguing, and engaging, The Austen Christmas Murders can easily be read as a stand-alone, but I highly recommend the entire Miss Austen Investigates series, not only to Jane Austen fans, but also to those who love a well-written and immersive mystery.
A huge thank you to MichaelJoseph and NetGalley for providing me with a proof of this fantastic novel.
Jessica Bull grew up in South East London, where she still lives with her husband, two daughters, and far too many pets. She’s addicted to stories and studied English Literature at Bristol University, and Information Science at City University, London. She began work as a librarian (under the false impression she could sit and read all day), before becoming a communications consultant.
Her debut novel, Miss Austen Investigates, has sold in eighteen territories and counting. A Fortune Most Fatal is the highly-anticipated second book in the series.
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