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Jane and the Final Mystery
Jane and the Final Mystery | Stephanie Barron
1 post
The immersive and poignant conclusion to the Being a Jane Austen Mystery series. The fifteenth and final Being a Jane Austen Mystery takes place in the town of Winchester, England, home to the oldest British public school for boys, Winchester College (founded 1382) and Winchester Cathedral. Surrounding the ancient church is the Cathedral Close, a walled area of green lawns and gardens that holds a dozen picturesque houses belonging to the Dean of the Cathedral, canons of the church, and their families. One of them is the home of Elizabeth Heathcote and Alethea Bigg, two of Jane Austens dearest friends. Elizabeth is the widow of a canon; Alethea has never married. Both are sisters of the man whose hand in marriage Jane Austen accepted and then hurriedly rejected at the age of 26: Harris Bigg-Wither, the wealthy squire of Manydown House, where Jane might have lived comfortably throughout her life. Elizabeth Heathcotes only child, a year-old infant when his canon father died, is now a sixteen-year-old Commoner at Winchester College, living in the Headmaster Thomas Gabells house. Young William Heathcote is also heir to the baronetcy of Hursley, his childless uncles title, and the considerable estate of Hursley Hall. Elizabeth Heathcote is no longer on speaking terms with her former brother-in-law, who has adopted his butlers son and educated the boy at his own expense. After a series of odd occurrences at Winchester Collegea fire in First and Second Chambers, the accidental drowning of a fourth-form Scholar, and the mock-hanging of a MasterElizabeth begins to fear that her son is in danger of being accused of crimes he did not commit, and expelled. She begs Jane, whom she knows is adept at sifting evidence, to offer her advice. In May of 1817, Jane Austen is exceedingly ill from a mysterious disorder. Her local apothecary, Mr. Curtis, has declared he can do nothing more for her. Brother James calls in an old friend, Winchester surgeon Giles Lyford, to examine his ailing sister. Lyford, who consults at Winchester hospital, believes he can cure Jane if only she will remove to Winchester within reach of his care. Elizabeth Heathcotes worried missive arrives at the perfect time. Elizabeth offers Jane and her sister Cassandra lodgings near her home in the Cathedral Close, at No. 8 College Street, overlooking the Headmasters garden and convenient to Giles Lyfords surgery. Janes brother, James, sends his carriage and his son James-Edward to escort Jane and Cassandra during the sixteen-mile journey south from Chawton. James-Edward has recently left Winchester College for Oxford, but he is a close personal friend of the younger William Heathcote. James-Edwards guarded observations of life at the school sound a warning bell in Janes mind. Winchester is seething with divided loyalties, antagonistic prefects (sixth form boys who rule the school) sadistic bullying and exploitative masters. But is all of that convenient cover for a more insidious plan to deny William Heathcote his inheritanceand his life?
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blurb
Crinoline_Laphroaig
Jane and the Final Mystery | Stephanie Barron
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Title of the Final Book has changed. I like it. It's fitting but it also makes me sad.
#JaneAndTheExcellentReadalong Counting Down to #JaneandtheFinalMystery.

Ruthiella Great! I‘m super behind now ( only just finished book five) but I might catch up! 🤞 Now that I‘m familiar with the setting and style, etc they read much faster! 1w
Crinoline_Laphroaig They do get better the further alone they go. 1w
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TheBookHippie @Ruthiella I agree the last two went much better … 1w
Crinoline_Laphroaig @TheBookHippie @Ruthiella I'm guessing name change of the book happened fairly recently. I remember looking at 🐧 Random House site a few days ago and it still had Jane and the Winchester Schoolboy as the title. There's a release date as well now Oct 3rd. And it's in the Litsy Database. Litsy book description is lengther than publishers. Exciting to see things moving along. 1w
kspenmoll Each book gets better & better. 7d
27 likes6 comments