Murder in Highbury

Jane Austen’s nosiest protagonist turns out to be an excellent amateur sleuth in this buoyant series launch from romance author Kelly (the Clan Kendrick series). Emma Knightley (née Woodhouse) is socializing with her best friend, Harriet Martin, one afternoon when the pair stumble on the dead body of Augusta Elton, the vicar’s wife. Harriet panics, but Emma surprises herself by keeping calm and searching the premises while they wait for the authorities to arrive. As word of the sanctimonious Augusta’s death spreads across the sleepy village of Highbury, there’s no shortage of suspects, but the bumbling coroner and constable are slow to investigate. Emma grows impatient, and sets off on her own to ferret out the killer, much to the dismay of her husband, George Knightley. Kelly makes good use of the most memorable characters from Emma, including the impoverished Miss Bates and Emma’s dim-witted father, folding them neatly into a well-executed mystery plot. The real draw, however, is the way Kelly effortlessly transforms Emma into a successful gumshoe by exploiting the same qualities Austen gave her heroine. Readers will be charmed. Agent: Evan Marshall, Evan Marshall Agency. (Nov.)