Rating: 4 out of 5.

This is book 1 in the Jane Austen Tea Society Mystery series, but the books are set up to be standalone mysteries, so you can read them out of order. I did that when I read Cyanide and Sensibility earlier this month. I enjoyed that book, and I enjoyed this book too, which introduced me to all of the characters.

In this first book, we are introduced to Phaedra Brighton who is an English Literature professor at a local university. She dresses in Jane Austen clothes to teach her classes and is well-known in the community. When Who Wants to Marry Mr. Darcy, a reality dating show is scheduled to film at Phaedra’s best friend Charlene’s mansion, she is asked to lend her Austenian knowledge as a consultant on the show. But on the first day of filming, when Charlene’s new husband is found electrocuted and Charlene herself is accused of the crime, Phaedra comes crashing back to reality.

I enjoyed this contemporary cozy mystery. Phaedra is a smart, savvy and clever character that knows her own mind and isn’t easily intimidated. Her co-workers, who make up the other two members of the Jane Austen Tea Society, are also smart and capable women that help Phaedra in her pursuit of the killer. We also get the back story on how Phaedra meets her boyfriend Mark, the new hot British professor at her university. This book has a plethora of quirky characters and several twists and turns before Phaedra solves the crime with the help of the local, frazzled detective.

I was provided a complimentary e-copy of this book from AustenProse PR, NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group. All opinions are my own.