Stephanie Barron

Stephanie Barron is the author of a series of novels featuring Jane Austen as an amateur detective. Ms. Barron's books are structured as Austen's long-lost diaries, recently discovered in an attic in a Georgian-era mansion in Baltimore. While the idea sounds obnoxiously high-concept, the end result is amazingly entertaining. Ms. Barron's books are among the best examples of the many, many stories set in and around the Austenverse. Borrowing heavily from Austen's actual personal correspondence, Barron's Jane is witty and caustic, with a clear-eyed view of human nature that makes her an excellent detective.

Note: Ms. Barron (a former CIA expert in counterterrorism) also writes suspense novels under the name Francine Mathews.


Aftertaste:
Well, the books are pretty historically accurate... which makes Jane's romantically-charged interactions with an English spy something of a bummer, because we know she died unmarried.

Availability:
Everywhere.

Other Recommendations:
Anything by Laurie R. King

Website:
http://www.stephaniebarron.com/ -