A Very Vexing Murder
Harriet Smith Investigates
-
-
5.0 • 2 Ratings
-
-
- $14.99
Publisher Description
Harriet Smith investigates...A murder most Austen.
A witty debut whodunit that reimagines Harriet Smith, the gullible sidekick of Jane Austen’s Emma, as a spitfire con woman, hired to break off an engagement and uncover a murderer in the genteel village of Highbury.
“Seldom, very seldom, does complete truth belong to any human disclosure.” —Jane Austen, EMMA
Is a killer lurking in the idyllic country domain of Emma Woodhouse?
No longer Emma’s naïve companion, Harriet Smith is a feisty con-woman-turned-detective tasked with breaking off Frank Churchill’s engagement and uncovering his aunt’s would-be murderer. While Harriet has doubts that the deadly threats are little more than society scandal, the shrewd Mrs. Churchill suspects Frank’s unsuitable fiancée, Jane Fairfax, is out to kill her. What begins as a routine investigation among Highbury’s elite quickly spirals into a web of deception, dangerous secrets, and a game of survival.
As Harriet interrogates a growing list of suspects with the help of her long-suffering best friend, Robert Martin, not only does she have to contend with a potential homicidal maniac and striking out as a single woman in Regency society, but is also afraid her father (and former partner-in-crime) is out for revenge.
With a cast of unforgettable characters—including a charming scoundrel, a lovesick farmer, a ghoulish butler, and a ruthless heiress determined to hide her skeletons at any cost— this brilliantly reimagined mystery featuring the characters from Jane Austen’s Emma is as deliciously dark as it is delightfully clever.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Andrew debuts with a winsome mystery that reimagines the timid Harriet Smith from Jane Austen's Emma as a skilled con artist whose innocuous appearance belies her street smarts and criminal prowess. When the wealthy Mrs. Churchill suspects that someone has attempted to poison her, she reaches out to Harriet, who has gained a reputation around Highbury as a discreet if unsavory fixer. Mrs. Churchill is convinced that her murderous foe is none other than Jane Fairfax, the woman aiming to seduce Mrs. Churchill's nephew, Frank, and secure access to the Churchill family fortune. Harriet is hired by Mrs. Churchill to break Jane and Felix up, but matters get complicated when the job puts Harriet in danger of being recognized by one of her old marks. Then someone in the Churchill household actually does die by poison, and Harriet tries—with the help of her best friend Robert Martin—to figure out who among the Highbury set has the capacity to kill. Andrew's version of Harriet Smith proves a witty, appealing antiheroine, and her investigation takes enough worthwhile detours to justify the book's length. A sequel would be welcome.
