Author Spotlight – Stephanie Barron
by Joy L. (vintagejoy) 
I am extremely fond of cozy mysteries and historical fiction, including the works of Jane Austen. Stephanie Barron has combined all three into a wonderful series entitled the “Jane Austen Mysteries“. There are ten in the series; the first, titled “Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor, Being the First Jane Austen Mystery” and the eleventh to be published in September “Jane and the Canterbury Tale: Being a Jane Austen Mystery”.
Stephanie Barron, born Francine Stephanie Barron, has been a lifelong admirer of Jane Austen and has done an amazing job writing these mysteries in “Jane’s own words” that will really make you feel you are reading an original novel by Austen herself.
The series takes place during the early 1800’s against the backdrop of the political and social issues of the time. Barron has done an extensive amount of research about Jane herself, as well as the Napoleonic Era in France which is a large part of the early 1800’s. Two of her brothers were enlisted in the British military during the war with Napoleon. Although they are fiction, the books include relatives, friends, and places that are all accurate to Austen’s life.
The premise of the series is that the author, upon visiting some friends who were very distant relatives of the Austen’s, finds a box of manuscripts written by Jane in the abandoned coal cellar of the friend’s home. From the author’s introduction:
“What so struck them about these manuscripts, apparently written by Austen herself, is that they recount experiences heretofore unknown to Austen scholars. Narratives in the form of journal entries and letters to her sister, Cassandra, and intended for her nieces………..these manuscripts were never meant to be published. They are personal records of mysteries Jane Austen encountered and solved in the short course of her life.”
Barron is then asked to undertake the task of editing the notebooks for publication, which she does.
If you are interested in reading this series, it is my opinion that they are best read in order, as one builds upon the other with the characters and situations evolving.
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What a fascinating approach! To have so immersed herself in Austen’s works as to be capable of writing fictionalized extensions of Austen’s life, in a style reminiscent of the original works, would require such a unique talent as a writer. I can’t help but admire not only the effort required for such a task, but the quality of results as recounted in the review. Thanks so much for taking the time to lampshade these works for those of us not yet aware of Barron’s work!
Thank-you Joy this is very interesting, and honestly I would have over looked these books had I not read this. Well done.