Book Review: *Murder at Longbourn* by Tracy Kiely

• Murder at Longbourn by Tracy Kiely
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books (September 1, 2009)
• ISBN-13: 978-0312537562

Back-of-the-book blurb: Planning New Year’s resolutions to rid her life of all things unhealthy, Elizabeth Parker has dumped fatty foods, processed sugar, and her two-timing boyfriend.  Indeed, the invitation to join her Aunt Winnie for a “How to Host a Murder Party” on New Year’s Eve at Winnie’s new Cape Cod B&B comes just in time.  But when the local wealthy miser ends up the unscripted victim, Elizabeth must unearth old secrets and new motives in order to clear her beloved aunt of suspicion.  The suspects include the town gossip, a haughty rich woman, and an antiques business owner much enamored of his benefactress, a Mrs. Kristell Dubois.  If that isn’t bad enough, Elizabeth must also contend with her childhood nemesis, Peter McGowan—a man she suspects has only matured in chronological years—and her suspicions about his family’s interest in Winnie’s inn.

Yesterday, her only worry was of ever finding her Mr. Darcy.  Now she has a murder to solve.  Is it any wonder her resolution to achieve inner poise is in tatters?

She is Too Fond of Books‘ review:  Ah, the cozy mystery; such a pleasure!  To get the full definition of a cozy mystery, check out this post at the aptly named Cozy Mystery site.  Tracy Kiely’s debut novel has it all – an educated female protagonist (whose amateur sleuthing efforts are generally dismissed by the local police force), a small town setting (where everyone knows each other’s business), likable characters, twists and turns in the plot, and most of all … an entertaining read that keeps us turning pages.

Kiely writes a lot of Jane Austen references into the novel.  Elizabeth and her Aunt Winnie are huge fans of the author, and Winnie has named her B&B “The Inn at Longbourn” after the home of the Bennets in Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.  At the beginning of the book, we meet Elizabeth at her apartment in Northern Virginia.  She has recently broken up with her boyfriend, and her roommate is trying fruitlessly to convince her to go to New York for a New Year’s Eve celebration:

“… all I want to do is relax and catch up on some reading.” …

“Reading?”

“Yes, reading,” I replied with a lofty wave of my hand.  “I have decided to devote myself to the improvement of my mind by extensive reading.”

Bridget narrowed her eyes.  “That’s from Pride and Prejudice, isn’t it?  Damn it, Elizabeth, whenever you start quoting from P&P I know you’re in a mood.  I swear, that book is your security blanket when you’re upset.”

There are other P&P and general Austen quotes hidden throughout, but don’t worry, you don’t have to be a devotee of Jane Austen to enjoy Murder at Longbourn.  This is where I admit that it’s been years since I read Austen, and I’m sketchy on the details of the novels, but I didn’t get tripped up by any references to them in Kiely’s book.

The mystery is told in the first person of Elizabeth; we’re there in the room with her when the murder takes place, and along every attempt of hers to gather clues to exonerate Aunt Winnie.  We’re a fly on the wall when she lists the many people who might benefit from the victim’s demise.

And there are many people.  The one thing that took away from my initial enjoyment of the book were the dozens of characters introduced in the first 50 or so pages.  Really, I counted 26 names by the end of Chapter 3, 42 pages in, and before the murder had taken place; I had trouble keeping all the names straight.  But, many of them were written out of the storyline within a few chapters after the murder occurred.  Once I had a handle on the core cast of characters, the reading and the plot moved right along.

Back to that first-person narration:  Kiely’s main character, Elizabeth vividly expresses her emotions, and we feel it all – fear, suspicion, anger, attraction (yes, there’s a love interest … even a potential love triangle), and humor.  Yes, in the middle of a murder investigation, I was laughing at some of her observations and self-deprecating wit.  This scene takes place after Elizabeth has fortified herself with a good stiff drink (or two.  or three) before being questioned by the police:

Detective Stewart said nothing for a long time.  I looked sadly at my now empty glass.  I wanted another drink, but that involved standing.  And walking.  Both seemed an inordinately Herculean effort.  And if I was going to emulate any of the Greek gods today, it was going to be Bacchus.  Good old Bacchus.  Good old Greeks for coming up with him in the first place.  Wait, Bacchus was the Roman name.  What was the Greek name?  I frowned.  Dionysus!  That’s my guy.  I sat there full of fondness for both the Greeks and their god of wine.  That’s when I realized I was drunk.  I might be able to think of Dionysus’s name, but I sure as hell wouldn’t bet money on my being able to pronounce it.

This is an engaging read that kept me guessing until the end – not an edge-of-your-seat thriller/chiller, but truly a cozy comfortable mystery with a great puzzle of a plot.  I was rooting for Elizabeth in both her quests – finding the murderer and finding love.  Murder at Longbourn is a book I can recommend, especially to those who like their reading without graphic sex or violence; there is a handful of cursing, but nothing extreme or offensive.

About the author: Tracy Kiely lives with her husband and three children in Maryland.  She is writing a second Elizabeth Parker Mystery, Murder on the Bride’s Side. An excerpt (Chapter 1) of Murder at Longbourn can be found on the author’s website.