Tag: Vanessa Kelly

Murder at Donwell Abbey by Vanessa Kelly

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Historical Mystery, Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820), Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

Murder at Donwell Abbey (Emma Knightley Mysteries Book 2)Murder at Donwell Abbey by Vanessa Kelly

Tracy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Emma Knightley Mysteries #2

Release Date: November 25, 2025

Things have finally settled down after the excitement of last year’s murder and now that her father is preparing to marry Miss Bates, Emma Knightley is tasked with throwing the happy couple a betrothal ball. She is wondering how to accommodate all the guests that Miss Bates wants to invite at Hartfield when her brother-in-law John suggests that she host the event at her husband’s estate – Donwell Abbey. Since her father is to remarry, it means that she and George can finally move to his estate, and throwing a party is a perfect way to determine what needs to be done at the manor before they relocate.

But things don’t go as planned and the night ends with the death of Donwell Abbey’s chambermaid Prudence Parr. At first glance, it appears her death is a tragic accident, but on closer examination it is clear that she was murdered. Emma is horrified by the murder and can’t trust either the village’s inept constable or their coroner to catch the real killer, so once again, she investigates the crime and soon realizes Prudence’s murder may be linked to other criminal activities in Highbury. Together with her husband George, her father’s betrothed Miss Bates and her nephew Henry, Emma will follow the clues and find justice for Prudence.

What a great installment of the Emma Knightley Mysteries! This book starts about 6 months after the last book and Emma getting ready to turn over the reins of Hartfield and become the mistress of Donwell Abbey, but a murder shakes up everything! The story has a tragic murder, wonderful secondary characters, smuggling, lots of suspects, twists and turns, before coming to a nail-biting ending! This book had me absolutely sure I knew who the murderer was but then had me second guessing myself more than once, only to be surprised that in the end, I was both right and wrong! Overall, this was a great read and one I highly recommend to lovers of a good mystery. This is the second book in the series, but it could easily be read as a standalone title with no problems.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *

Review: Murder in Highbury by Vanessa Kelly

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Historical Mystery, Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820)Leave a comment

Murder in Highbury

Barbara’s rating: 3.4 out of 5 Stars
Series: Emma Knightly Mysteries #1
Publication Date: 10/22/24
Period: Regency – Highbury
Number of Pages: 403

I am not normally a fan of taking another author’s characters and ‘reinventing’ them, so I was apprehensive about this read. However, these characters weren’t ‘reinvented’, they just moved into the next logical progression for their characters without losing anything of themselves in the process. I couldn’t remember all of the characters and their personalities, so I watched the movie, Emma, to reacquaint myself. It was a nice surprise to see that the characters were spot-on and I could easily see Emma’s natural curiosity and tendency to matchmake turning into a curiosity, bravery, and loyalty that would cause her to poke her nose into whatever mystery might come her way – this time – a murder.

Emma and George Knightley are still in their first year of marriage and Emma has settled into her role within the community very nicely. The book begins with Emma and her good friend Harriet – now Mrs. Robert Martin – arriving at the church to freshen the flowers for the Sunday services – only to find a bloody body lying on the altar steps. It is Mrs. Augusta Elton, wife of the local vicar.

Emma tries to stay out of the fray (NOT!), but the seemingly inept coroner and constable doing the investigation can’t seem to get it right. Suspicions seem to fall everywhere except where they should be. There are plenty of suspects because the lady was universally disliked – but who disliked her enough to murder her? Why would they want her dead? Who is likely to gain from her death?

I loved the dynamic between the characters as they remained very much as they did in Austen’s book – with a bit of character growth. I loved the case’s twists and turns as the investigation continued. You won’t find an exciting, fast-paced adventure in this book. However, if you are an Austen fan, you will probably love the book because it is very much in her style. I enjoyed the gist of the story, and the wonderfully familiar characters, but I couldn’t enjoy the very long and slow delivery. I will be interested in seeing where future books in the series take our characters and what adventures await them. It will also be interesting to see if the pace of the delivery quickens in the next books.

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.