Murder at Donwell Abbey

Praise for Murder in Highbury

“Exciting…Emma herself makes a convincing sleuth with her inclination for discovering the truth about people and their relationships. Charming and witty with a well-paced murder to solve, this series starter is sure to delight both Austen fans and mystery lovers.” —Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
“Historical romance star Kelly deftly pivots to the world of historical mysteries with an elegantly crafted whodunit that delivers all the cozy British charm and careful cluing mystery readers crave while also paying loving homage to Jane Austen’s Emma with its dry wit and artful social observations. This start to a series featuring Emma will have readers ready for more.” —Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
"Jane Austen's nosiest protagonist turns out to be an excellent amateur sleuth in this buoyant series launch...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. " —Publishers Weekly
"Fans of Jane Austen will love this lively pastiche featuring one of her most beloved characters as a clever sleuth." —Kirkus

“Vanessa Kelly is a wonderful storyteller handling numerous plot twists and dramatic revelations with elegance and wit. The tone is delightfully Austenian: none of the characters utter a word that would be out of place in the original novel, and Highbury feels entirely familiar, despite a genuine sense of jeopardy and unease that lifts the story way out of the 'cozy crime' genre...I am already looking forward to many more [Emma] Knightly Mysteries." —Jane Austen’s Regency World

"Highbury in 1815 is a charming locale, and the author’s love of Emma and her surroundings shines through clearly. The entire cast of characters from Austen’s Emma is here – Emma’s hypochondriac father is just as irritating as ever! – and they all sound very much like their Austen selves. This is a sprightly, engrossing mystery, sprinkled with wit and charm. Murder in Highbury should appeal to fans of Austen, Regency romances, and mysteries. Recommended." —Historical Novel Society

“Brimming with all the wit and charm one can expect from a visit to Jane Austen’s world, Murder in Highbury presents Austen’s beloved and interfering character Emma with a murder. When Emma puts her clever wits to use to discover the murderer who hides among them, danger and humor mingle to provide us with mystery, delight, and a clever new sleuth. Author Vanessa Kelly writes with an experienced touch and clear fondness for her well-beloved characters, giving us the sequel we formerly could merely long for and imagine.” —Christina Dodd, New York Times bestselling author 

“From purported matchmaker to cunning detective, recently married Emma Knightly is on the hunt for a murderer. Clever and charming, Vanessa Kelly brings Austen’s world in Highbury village to life with beloved characters, twisty hijinks, and a mystery that will keep you guessing. Murder in Highbury is an exciting and edgy take on a classic tale we all know and love and will delight murder mystery readers everywhere.” —Madeline Martin, New York Times bestselling author of The Keeper of Hidden Books

“Kelly captures the essence of the “real” Emma who has left matchmaking behind in favor of crime solving. A delightful Regency mystery including some of my favorite Austen characters! What would Jane do? I say she’d approve!” —Dianne Freeman, author of the Agatha and Lefty award-winning Countess of Harleigh mystery series.

"Utterly delightful, with characters so true to the original, even Miss Austen would wholeheartedly approve.” —Alyssa Maxwell, author of Murder at the Elms

“Murder in Highbury is DELIGHTFUL, if a story about deception and murder set in a bucolic countryside village of Regency England can be so called. Vanessa Kelly masterfully whisks her readers into the world of Jane Austen from the first page and holds them there, captivated until the last. Yet instead of manners and marriage schemes dominating the plot, murder and mayhem are the rule of the day. And who better to turn detective than the intrepid Emma Woodhouse Knightly? With no new Jane Austen novels to read, I was thrilled to find Vanessa Kelly a worthy successor.” —Clara McKenna, author of Murder on Glenloch Hill

“An amusing whodunnit full of quirky characters, delicious local gossip, and an irresistible, witty protagonist.” —K.D. Alden, author of Lady Codebreaker