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Jane and the Barque of Frailty
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Product Description
In her latest spellbinding escapade, Jane Austen arrives in London to watch over the printing of her first novel, and finds herself embroiled in a crime that could end more than her career. For it is up to Jane to tease a murderer out of the ton, lest she—and her country—suffer a dastardly demise.…
On the heels of completing Sense and Sensibility, Jane heads to Sloane Street for a monthlong visit with her brother Henry and his wife, Eliza. Hobnobbing with the Fashionable Great at the height of the Season, Jane is well aware of their secrets and peccadilloes. But even she is surprised when the intimate correspondence between a Russian princess and a prominent Tory minister is published in the papers for all to see. More shocking, the disgraced beauty is soon found with her throat slit on Lord Castlereagh’s very doorstep.
Everyone who’s anyone in high society is certain the spurned princess committed the violence upon herself. But Jane is unconvinced. Nor does she believe the minister guilty of so grisly and public a crime. Jane, however, is willing to let someone else investigate—until a quirk of fate thrusts her and Eliza into the heart of the case…as prime suspects!
Striking a bargain with the authorities, Jane secures seven days to save herself and Eliza from hanging. But as her quest to unmask a killer takes her from the halls of government to the drawing rooms of London’s most celebrated courtesan, only one thing is sure: her failure will not only cut short her life. It could lead to England’s downfall. A compulsively readable, uncommonly elegant novel of historical suspense, Jane and the Barque of Frailty once again proves Jane Austen a sleuth to be reckoned with.
From the Hardcover edition.
On the heels of completing Sense and Sensibility, Jane heads to Sloane Street for a monthlong visit with her brother Henry and his wife, Eliza. Hobnobbing with the Fashionable Great at the height of the Season, Jane is well aware of their secrets and peccadilloes. But even she is surprised when the intimate correspondence between a Russian princess and a prominent Tory minister is published in the papers for all to see. More shocking, the disgraced beauty is soon found with her throat slit on Lord Castlereagh’s very doorstep.
Everyone who’s anyone in high society is certain the spurned princess committed the violence upon herself. But Jane is unconvinced. Nor does she believe the minister guilty of so grisly and public a crime. Jane, however, is willing to let someone else investigate—until a quirk of fate thrusts her and Eliza into the heart of the case…as prime suspects!
Striking a bargain with the authorities, Jane secures seven days to save herself and Eliza from hanging. But as her quest to unmask a killer takes her from the halls of government to the drawing rooms of London’s most celebrated courtesan, only one thing is sure: her failure will not only cut short her life. It could lead to England’s downfall. A compulsively readable, uncommonly elegant novel of historical suspense, Jane and the Barque of Frailty once again proves Jane Austen a sleuth to be reckoned with.
From the Hardcover edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
It's the eve of the publication of Jane's novel, Sense and Sensibility, and she is on a month's visit to banker brother Henry and his frivolous if loveable wife Eliza in London. It is on a trip to the theatre that she sees the much talked-about Princess Evgenia Tscholikova, cast out by her Russian relatives for some scandal in Europe and now apparently pining for love of Lord Castlereagh, a politician formerly disgraced himself and only now on the brink of returning to favour.
Intrigues abound as Jane finds herself surrounded by Henry's noble customers and the politics of the day, as well as a rather unstable former friend of Eliza's who begs her help in the selling of some jewels for funds, as her husband is threatening to divorce her for one of the city's 'muslin set', a 'barque of frailty'.
Then the unfortunate Russian princess is found with her throat slit on the steps of Lord Castlereagh's home, the Austens are visited by none other than Bow Street runners, those infamous early members of 'the law' and Jane is forced to investigate what she believes to be Tscholikova's murder to save both herself and her sister from the hangman's noose.
The seventh in this wonderful series of Jane Austen sleuth mysteries is again another page-turner. Though the Gentleman Rogue, Lord Trowbridge, is missed from proceedings, there is a little relief in the form of Sylvester Chizzlewit, a young solicitor who helps the ladies with their investigations. And though I did guess the villain quite early on in this instance, I didn't realise the reason why the character was so bad, so it didn't really spoil my enjoyment of the book overall too much.
Intrigues abound as Jane finds herself surrounded by Henry's noble customers and the politics of the day, as well as a rather unstable former friend of Eliza's who begs her help in the selling of some jewels for funds, as her husband is threatening to divorce her for one of the city's 'muslin set', a 'barque of frailty'.
Then the unfortunate Russian princess is found with her throat slit on the steps of Lord Castlereagh's home, the Austens are visited by none other than Bow Street runners, those infamous early members of 'the law' and Jane is forced to investigate what she believes to be Tscholikova's murder to save both herself and her sister from the hangman's noose.
The seventh in this wonderful series of Jane Austen sleuth mysteries is again another page-turner. Though the Gentleman Rogue, Lord Trowbridge, is missed from proceedings, there is a little relief in the form of Sylvester Chizzlewit, a young solicitor who helps the ladies with their investigations. And though I did guess the villain quite early on in this instance, I didn't realise the reason why the character was so bad, so it didn't really spoil my enjoyment of the book overall too much.
Format:Mass Market Paperback
It is one of her best and moves delightfully through the language of the time and the knowledge of the characters.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
18 reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Disappointing
31 Dec 2006
Format:Hardcover
I'm normally a huge fan of Stephanie Barron's Jane Austen mysteries, but I found this one to be a bit disappointing. In this novel, a Russian princess is found dead and Jane and her sister-in-law Eliza are accused of the murder. The man who accuses them (a Bow Street Runner) grants them a temporary reprieve and allows them a week to discover the real murderer. I found this to be a bit far-fetched, but I found Jane and Eliza's rather nonchalant attitude to their situation to be even more ridiculous.
However, the thing I found most disappointing about this book is how obvious the "guilty person" is. I figured it out very early on in the book, and thus I found Jane's investigation to be a bit boring.
However, the thing I found most disappointing about this book is how obvious the "guilty person" is. I figured it out very early on in the book, and thus I found Jane's investigation to be a bit boring.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Enjoyable period mystery
16 Jan 2007
Format:Hardcover
I love how Stephanie Barron captures the mood of 19th century England in her novels. I always feel like I've had a bit of a history lesson after reading the Jane Austen series esp since there are many interesting footnotes explaining some of the terms used. In the past I've almost felt overwhelmed in trying to keep up with the educational bent of the novels along with a complicated plot. The plot in this novel is a bit more straight forward and I found it an enjoyable read. I don't really look for character realism in historical novels. I think that would eliminate most of the women sleuths that populate many books in this genre. I can't really see the real Jane Austen as a sleuth, and this Jane Austen doesn't seem to do much writing, but I like that she has the real Jane Austen's family history.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Frail Indeed
14 Aug 2008
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Overall, Stephanie Barron has done a masterful job of invoking Jane Austen and her world through her series of mysteries starring Austen as a sleuth. The ninth installment, "Jane and the Barque of Frailty" is one of the weaker stories within the series. While still a testament to Barron's ability to weave a fictional tale around real-life historical figures, it is too far-fetched by half, straining the credibility that has been a keystone in the other works.
"Jane and the Barque of Frailty" finds Jane in London, awaiting the anonymous publication of "Sense and Sensibility" while staying with her brother Henry and his wife Eliza. While well past her prime, Jane still enjoys the delights of the town in spring. But as usual, she finds a mystery to solve when a Russian princess is found dead, her throat slit, on the doorstep belonging to a prominent Tory minister. Days before, scandalous letters between the two were published in the papers, but the death is declared a suicide. Jane knows it to be murder, and that the man under suspicion is not the guilty party, but before she can prove this to be true, she finds herself embroiled in guilt with the case and her very life in danger.
As always, Stephanie Barron's depictions of Austen's world are near-flawless: her use of language of the period and physical descriptions seem effortless and she does greater justice to Austen's legacy than many others who have stood to profit from her works. However, the storyline for "Jane and the Barque of Frailty" seems rather outlandish at times: the events that lead to Jane and her sister-in-law being suspected of foul play is a stretch, as are some of the manuevers Jane uses to gain information to clear her name. Still, this ninth installment is an enjoyable read for fans of the series, even if it does not rank up there with earlier and better entries.
"Jane and the Barque of Frailty" finds Jane in London, awaiting the anonymous publication of "Sense and Sensibility" while staying with her brother Henry and his wife Eliza. While well past her prime, Jane still enjoys the delights of the town in spring. But as usual, she finds a mystery to solve when a Russian princess is found dead, her throat slit, on the doorstep belonging to a prominent Tory minister. Days before, scandalous letters between the two were published in the papers, but the death is declared a suicide. Jane knows it to be murder, and that the man under suspicion is not the guilty party, but before she can prove this to be true, she finds herself embroiled in guilt with the case and her very life in danger.
As always, Stephanie Barron's depictions of Austen's world are near-flawless: her use of language of the period and physical descriptions seem effortless and she does greater justice to Austen's legacy than many others who have stood to profit from her works. However, the storyline for "Jane and the Barque of Frailty" seems rather outlandish at times: the events that lead to Jane and her sister-in-law being suspected of foul play is a stretch, as are some of the manuevers Jane uses to gain information to clear her name. Still, this ninth installment is an enjoyable read for fans of the series, even if it does not rank up there with earlier and better entries.
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