Francine Mathews

If you’re looking for a police procedural that has elements of the cozy – a picturesque small-town setting, a lack of gore and violence, and even wedding plans – but without puns in the title, domestic hints, or cloying whimsey, the Merry Folger Nantucket series might fit the bill. Meredith Folger is a dedicated cop, following int the footsteps of her father and grandfather to serve the residents of Nantucket and the exclusive (and reclusive) residents of a small neighboring island, show more Tuckernuck.

In the sixth entry in the series, Merry is preparing for her wedding, but her husband-to-be knows the job comes first if the hurricane headed toward the New England coast takes aim at their island. What neither of them realizes is that, as the winds pick up, she will have to commandeer a Coast Guard helicopter to reach a crime scene. A man and a woman have been shot on a luxury yacht that has grounded on the rocks just of Tuckernuck Island. Only one of them survived, but is in coma, so can’t explain what happened.

Meanwhile, Dionis Mather and her elderly father, who are caretakers for the reclusive and wealthy seasonal residents of Tuckernuck, hurry to board up windows and bring summer residents off the island ahead of the threatening storm. When circumstances strand Dionis on the island during the storm, she hurries to bring two valuable horses to safety and encounters a stranger with a gunshot wound.

Mathews brings the setting to crackling life in this semi-cozy thrill ride of a mystery. show less

'The mess.
That's what he was to them.
Not Jack Kennedy, failed choirboy; not the Black Sheep, or the kid lost in his brother Joe's light; not the best friend Kick would ever have; not the wiry skeleton incandescent with energy, or the crack sailor tipping his keel in Nantucket Sound; not Roosevelt's man with his own reckless brand of guts. Just the mess.'

I had no idea what to expect from a novel pitching a young JFK as a pre-war spy for FDR in Europe, but I was thoroughly entertained show more throughout! For a start, the fiction, dramatic and completely implausible in places, is supported by fact - Jack really did travel through Europe in 1939, while his family were still in London. Who knows what he really did while he was there?

Okay, so we all know that he was never a junior James Bond, but Francine Mathews is very convincing! And she seems to have a small crush on JFK too, which helps. The plot is a rollicking undercover adventure, complete with femme fatales, murder and secret coding machines, but I loved reading about Jack's home life more, and his close bond with sister Kick. We get a good sense of the real Jack, sickly and scruffy, jealous of his brother Joe, but also wonderfully charming and ever curious. He might just have made a great spy at that, recklessly courting danger while dodging the 'curtain of Boredom or Death'.

Good fun, and a chance to learn more about JFK's early years without reading yet another biography (which I also like to do!) show less

Author Stephanie Barron has written her “Being a Jane Austen Mystery” series for more than two decades, the first published in 1996. “Jane and the Final Mystery” begins in the spring of 1817, and Jane Austen died in July of that year at age forty-one. As a known Janeite and enthusiast of this series that parallels Austen's adult life—and knowing the sad truth of what is to come—I have been in bittersweet anticipation for this last novel.

Barron’s gift to write in a very show more Austenesque manner, her astute understanding of the mores of the times, and her exacting research of locales and the Regency mirrors Austen’s voice in this fictional work. Yes, fictional. I must remind myself that this series is more proof of Barron’s genius. Her expertise in the genre leads readers to wonder, Is this true? Did that really happen? She is The Incomparable when it comes to Regency mysteries—often imitated but never duplicated. Given that disclaimer of my bona fides as a Stephanie Barron fan and holding the series in much esteem, I feel quite at liberty to share my impressions herein.

March 1817: As winter turns to spring, Jane Austen’s health is in slow decline, and threatens to cease progress on her latest manuscript. But when her nephew Edward brings chilling news of a death at his former school, Winchester College, not even her debilitating ailment can keep Jane from seeking out the truth. Arthur Prendergast, a senior pupil at the prestigious all-boys’ boarding school, has been found dead in a culvert near the schoolgrounds—and in the pocket of his drenched waistcoat is an incriminating note penned by the young William Heathcote, the son of Jane’s dear friend Elizabeth. Winchester College is a world unto itself, with its own language and rites of passage, cruel hazing, and dangerous pranks. Can Jane clear William’s name before her illness gets the better of her?

Thus begins “Jane and the Final Mystery” as Jane exposes whodunit in this fifteenth and final of Stephanie Barron’s mystery series. Though Jane is dangerously ill and continues to tire quickly, she comes to support her dear friend, Elizabeth Bigg-Wither Heathcote, formerly of Manydown, and endeavors to unravel the minacious web against William Heathcote.

“She glanced at me sidelong. ‘Thank Heaven, you do not abuse me as an hysterick. For nearly three years, Will has been subject to relentless attacks on his spirit, his mind, and his sanity in the world.’
‘You suggest something more profound and malevolent than the abuse he endures, on account of his regrettable speech defect?’”—p.68.

Likening to Austen’s quality prose, Barron excels in credible dialog. Miss Austen’s voice, told from this fictional Jane Austen’s point-of-view, nearly echoes off the page.

“‘I see now why you figured as a great general of Gabell’s,’ I said admiringly. ‘Like Wellington, you are a keen strategist…’
‘As to that—were it not for the danger Will finds himself in, I should regard this as a fine lark, and plunge in with vigour! I might even turn to the study of Law. The work of a solicitor should offer more scope for imagination and variety than that of a clergyman.’
‘Are those your only alternatives?’ I asked gently. ‘You cannot dedicate yourself to writing?’
Edward laughed brusquely. ‘I doubt I have the necessary talent to make a success of that.’
‘Why?’ I demanded. ‘Do you regard me as a frivolous flatterer? I do not offer praise lightly, my dear. When I tell you I enjoy and admire your sketches—so different to my own little bit of ivory, on which I work with so fine a brush—I am sincere, you know. I do not seek to puff you up with nonsense.’” —p. 136.

With lives, fortunes, and reputations in the balance, Barron casts a few red herrings that I confess kept me confounded until the last. Even at the inquiry, I almost, almost but not quite, suspected young Heathcote.

“‘You left the school?’
‘I d-d-did.’
Elizabeth drew an audible breath.
“At what hour?’
‘I qu-qu-qitted Gabell’s House a qu-qu-quarter before the hour of f-f-four o’clock.’
‘And where did you go?’
‘I c-c-cannot say, sir.’
‘William,’ Elizabeth murmured in agony beside me.
‘Come, come, Master Heathcote. You are required to answer my questions truthfully and fully.’
Will compressed his lips, his countenance appallingly white.
‘You refuse to answer?’
Again, not a word passed William’s lips.” —pp..107-108.

Excellent world building, engaging characters, and thought-provoking prose, I found this fifteenth book more page-turning intrigue than the maudlin literature I half-expected. But I recommend having a handkerchief nearby to dab at your eyes—just in case. You need not read the previous novels to be excessively diverted by “Jane and the Final Mystery.” Still, from one who has read this epic series in order, you’re shortchanging yourself if you don’t read them all. Oh! And why “Being a Jane Austen Mystery” isn’t a Netflix series already is beyond me.

I'll put this out into the universe one more time. As I have said before, I want Stephanie Barron to write a dual-era series next, titled “The Gentleman Rogue.” A contemporary woman discovers a trunk of Lord Harold’s papers and… Who’s with me? show less

I am so sad that the wonderful Being A Jane mystery series has come to an end. I was captivated by Jane Austen as an amateur sleuth from the very beginning. Stephanie Barron has always delivered a faithfully-drawn Jane as she navigates the more mysterious side of Regency England society. Accurate depictions of the time and place, as well as Jane and the Austen family and friends, bring authenticity to a thoroughly enjoyable mystery series. In Jane And The Final Mystery, the reader and Jane show more know that her time is short. Though modern readers would consider her young, Jane is a spinster who depends on the meager revenue from her writing as well as a small stipend supplemented by her brothers and has few prospects for bettering her life. It would be easy to feel sorry for the historical Jane, but through Barron’s depiction we see a woman content with how her life has run. Jane And The Final Mystery finds Jane struggling with illness but still keen to discover just whodunit in the cathedral town of Winchester. I loved the historical details Barron uses — food, fashion, education, medicine, judicial practices — to bring early 19th century England to life. Characters, both historical and fictional, play a part in the story, making this book very believable. While there is no historical proof that Jane was a successful sleuth, this book (along with the entire series) makes my Jane-loving heart believe. 😉 The pace of the mystery kept me turning the pages as I strove with our heroine to solve the case. Barron kept us both on our toes!

For those who have been faithful followers of this series, you will love the poignant ending. And if you are new to these mysteries, you are in for a treat — 15 books to savor! I recommend you start at the beginning of this wonderful mystery series.

Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are mine alone.) show less