Regency mysteries to read if you like Jane Austen's novels
- Dane Luna
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
Jane Austen's books are known for their sharp wit, social commentary, and of course, romance. And while she never wrote mysteries (she predated the first mystery novel which came out in 1841), many modern mystery writers have been inspired by her work and the Regency period.
If you're in the mood for historical fiction with the elements of a Jane Austen novel and a mystery to boot, check out the list below!
A most eligible bachelor drops dead at a ball, so a rather feisty young lady takes on the decidedly improper role of amateur sleuth to find the dastardly killer behind a most agreeable murder.
Young Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney understand each other perfectly, but have unfortunately been deemed an unsuitable match by their parents. Yet they will come to find that a scandalous season in London owing to a mysterious murder will far outweigh their marriage market woes.
Lady Augusta Colebrook, decidedly unmarried and bored by society life, has a run-in with a highwayman who turns out to be exiled Lord Evan Belford, previously accused of murder. But after he helps Lady Colebrook rescue her cousin from a violent husband, she's convinced the charming Lord Evan was falsely accused and sets out to prove it.
Jane visits Cheltenham Spa in Gloucestershire with her sister, hoping to be relieved of her ailments. But she must worry about more than just her health and well-being when she gets embroiled in the potentially lethal problems of the other travelers at their guest house. .
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Our featured recipe: Regency tea, coffee, and other recipes
I'm sorry to say that coffee in the Regency period was prepared in a rather...peculiar manner involving fish bladder collagen. But you're free to try the recipe yourself, if you dare!
That said, there are plenty other delightful recipes inspired by the Regency period which would be perfectly acceptable to try in our modern times—check out the recipe books below!
Which character in a Jane Austen novel would make for a wonderful amateur sleuth?
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