A Very Vexing Murder
This romp of a debut novel will endear itself to many readers with its plot twists, frothy excitement, and an unforgettable heroine. The protagonist is Harriet Smith, the put-upon and dominated sidekick of Jane Austen’s famous creation Emma Woodhouse. Part of the fun of this novel is the sly and clever interweaving of Jane Austen references, which the reader has the satisfaction of recognising. We certainly see a different side to Harriet here, which makes the reader want to revisit the source material to compare. In this novel Harriet is a con artist, trained by her father, with whom she has quarrelled. She is feisty, independent, resourceful and in many ways reminiscent of the redoubtable Becky Sharp from Vanity Fair. Harriet is summoned by Mrs Churchill and ordered to stop her nephew Frank becoming too attached to the lovely Jane Fairfax and also to find out who may be trying to kill her. Harriet investigates with the aid of her friend Robert Martin, but struggles to resist the fine figure of Frank. A deliciously diverting tale, as a young lady of the time might have said. It is labelled as book one, and I for one will be most vexed should there not be another book emerging into society in the future.
