Joanna Campbell Slan's first Jane Eyre Chronicles book, Death of a Schoolgirl, was one of my Best Reads of 2012, so I really looked forward to this second in the series, Death of a Dowager. The anticipation was heightened because Jane was destined to deal with those pesky, entitled Ingrams. I definitely wanted to see what Slan had in store for them.

Once again, Slan uses language that is reminiscent of the original Brontë classic, and little, brave, observant Jane Eyre Rochester once again makes the perfect amateur sleuth. There are two main mysteries to solve in Death of a Dowager: one involving the murder of Silvana Ingram, and the other concerning Jane's possession of a love letter written by George IV that could have devastating repercussions on both the Crown and the nation. Of the two, I felt the one involving the royal love letter was the less engaging, although it did show the country could easily have been thrown into chaos by the discovery of such a thing.

And this highlights one of the strengths of these Jane Eyre Chronicles: the period in which they are set. Jane and the rest of the cast are placed firmly in the time in which they lived, and this historical setting adds so much depth to the story. When readers learn that people living and traveling in London came home every day covered in coal dust, or that traveling by public coach often meant another passenger's lice would try their best to hop from their host to you... well, that brings them up close and personal to the time period.

Once again, Joanna Campbell Slan served up an excellent mystery featuring one of my all-time favorite fictional characters. Now it's on to the third and last book, Christmas at Ferndean Manor. ( )

In this second installment in the delightful Jane Eyre Chronicles, Jane travels with her family to London to stay with her good friend, Lucy. Lucy introduces her to upper crust society and a round of social events. At the opera, they encounter Lady Ingram who snubs them both. Hoping to mend their relationship, the ladies visit the influential Dowager the next day. Unfortunately, their nemesis drops dead in the midst of tea. Now how will they preserve their reputation? Jane feels bad her visit has threatened Lucy’s social status, and so she decides to find the killer after it is determined Lady Ingram ingested poison. Meanwhile, Jane is also dealing with a delicate political matter concerning the king.

The story moves swiftly and immerses you in the era. Jane’s friends and family are distinctive and likeable, and you’ll find yourself wishing you could sip tea along with them. I’m eager to see what the author writes next in this charming series. ( )

The plot is good but the author uses terms which would not be appropriate for the period. For example children would call their mother "mama" not "mum" and I'm pretty sure that "homebody" is not a British word. ( )

http://www.girllostinabook.com/2013/05/review-death-of-dowager-by-joanna.html ( )