Review
Stephanie Barron - Jane and the Unpleasantness at Seagrave Manor & Jane and the Man of the Cloth
Headline Pbk £5.99 & Headline £16.99
Jane Austen Mysteries by Stephanie Barron.
Stephanie Barron has edited these mysteries from manuscripts written by Jane Austen, which were found in America.  The full explanation is given in the Editor's foreword in 'Jane and the Unpleasantness at Seagrave Manor'.   The manuscripts were not originally intended for publication, but are personal records of mysteries encountered by Jane Austen during her lifetime and as such must be viewed as fact and not fiction.
The manuscripts have been very well edited and the classical style of Austen has been maintained. However, as mysteries they are somewhat different to the well-known Austen works, i.e. 'Pride and Prejudice' and 'Persuasion'  - there are some lighter moments when Austen's dry humour shows through. One has to admit to the stories being interesting, despite being written in the flowery turn of phrase of the early l9th Century. They make for entertaining reading, especially for devotees of Jane Austen's works.
'Jane and the Unpleasantness at Seagrave Manor'.
The setting is Seagrave Manor in Hertfordshire, where Jane is visiting her friend, Isobel, originally from Barbados, and recently married to the Earl of Scargrave,  a man some years her senior.
Other visitors to the Manor at the same time are the Earl's three nephews - Fitzroy Payne, the Earl’s heir,  Lieutenant Thomas Hearst of the Cavalry and his brother - George Hearst, a cleric.  Though related the cousins are of very different character, Fitzroy Payne having a pleasant disposition, Lieutenant Hearst something of a ladies' man, and George Hearst appearing morose and taciturn.
Also visiting the Manor are Isobel's aunt Madame Delahoussaye and her daughter Fanny, also from Barbados, and Lord Harold Trowbridge, who appears to be feared by Isobel, and to whom Jane takes a dislike.
The story revolves around the sudden death of the Earl, followed by the murder of Isobel's maid. Events take a bizarre turn when anonymous letters arrive at the Manor, naming Isobel and Fitzroy Payne the new Earl, as the murderers of both the Earl and the maid. It is after they are arrested and taken to the infamous Newgate Prison in London that Jane determines to seek the truth.
This venture takes her to many parts of London and she meets people of many classes, who all appear to play a part in the mystery. In her quest for the truth Jane finds that the people visiting Scargrave Manor at the time of the tragedies are not what they at first appeared to be. The story takes  many twists and turns, with Jane eventually facing grave danger, and the climax comes amidst deceit, intrigue and espionage. Not an easy mystery to solve, the characters being complex, but makes for interesting reading.
Jane and the Man of the Cloth
The setting is Lyme Regis in Dorset, where the Austen family are to spend the Autumn months, much to Jane's delight, as she dislikes Bath, where the family normally reside.
Following an accident on the way to Lyme, Cassandra, Jane's sister is injured and they seek help from nearby High Down Grange, the home of Geoffrey Sidmouth and his French cousin, Mademoiselle Lefeuvre. On first acquaintance Mr. Sidmouth appears to be brusque and unfriendly, but as time passes Jane finds him strangely attractive.
After a short stay at High Down Grange, the Austen family arrive at their holiday home - Wings Cottage, from where, one morning after their arrival, Jane after their arrival, Jane sees the horrifying sight of a man hanging from a gibbet on the shoreline. The area around Lyme is notorious for smugglers and Jane discovers that it is widely believed that Geoffrey Sidmouth is the infamous 'Reverend', the name given to the leader smugglers and that the hanged man was one of his band.
Soon after her arrival, Jane meets members of Lyme's society set. These are Captain Fielding who has lost a leg in Naval service, and whose aim is to catch the smugglers.  Although he appears to have a pleasant disposition, Jane feels there is a darker side to his character. Mr. Crawford and Miss Crawford (his sister).  Mr Crawford is a quiet man whose only interest seems to be in digging for fossils. Mr. Dagliesh, the Doctor who attends Cassandra. Mr. & Mrs. Matthew Barnewall, who are also holiday in Lyme Regis.
As time passes Jane discovers there is ill-feeling between Mr. Sidmouth and Captain Fielding  which appears to revolve around Mademoiselle Lefeuvre. Within a few days of the Austen's arrival in Lyme, Captain Fielding is found murdered and evidence points to Sidmouth, who is arrested, tried and found  guilty. Perturbed at the turn of events, Jane begins her own investigation.  This takes her to the poorer areas of Lyme, to the discovery of a smuggler's cave, and ultimately into great danger, and the conclusion is not at all what the reader expects.
Again, an interesting read, with lighter moments, and not as complex as the previous mystery Jane and the Unpleasantness at Seagrave Manor. I enjoyed this more.
(Joyce Spence.)