Even though storm damage to Ferndean Manor makes the place barely habitable, Jane Eyre Rochester would happily endure the inconvenience and stay there while repairs are being made. The only thing that induces her to leave is her husband's worsening eyesight and depression, so it's off to London to stay with friends while they consult a specialist.
Jane's friend persuades her to attend the opera, but as it turns out, there's more drama in the audience than on the stage. Jane not only finds herself in the presence of the King, but she also comes in contact with an old nemesis: Silvana Ingram, the dowager who had hoped her eldest daughter Blanche would marry Edward Fairfax Rochester. The dowager delivers a very public snub that Jane thinks little of until she is made aware of the devastating effect it could have on her friend, Lucy Brayton, with whom she's staying.
In hopes of minimizing the damage, Jane and Lucy go to the Ingrams' London home only to have the dowager drop dead during tea. The woman's death was an unnatural one, and Jane knows that she's going to have to identify the killer. The only thing that's holding her back is unwelcome visits from the King and his mistress.
~
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.
Death of a Dowager by Joanna Campbell Slan
ISBN: 9781624904370
Berkley Prime Crime © 2013
Hardcover, 308 pages
Historical Mystery, #2 Jane Eyre Chronicles
Rating: B+
Source: Mystery Guild
