Jane and the Man of the Cloth

I liked it! Having read nearly all of Jane Austen's works, and several of them many times, at first I was put off by seeing lines in this novel that nearly or exactly echoed lines from the actual writer's works ... but at some point it occurred to me that this novel is meant to be pages from Jane's diary, and thus it's entirely reasonable that she'd have tried out phrases in here, that she would later use in one of her novels. Once I got past that stumbling point, I was more than happy to suspend my disbelief regarding Jane taking actions in the furtherance of detecting. I liked the imagining of her relationship with her father: I've never done any scholarship into what her personal life was really like, but I am happy thinking of her show more having had a loving and tolerant relationship with him.

I've read a couple other entries in the Jane Austen "fan fiction" genre, but frankly very few as I'm loath to pollute the Austen-world in my head with work that isn't hers.* But I liked this, maybe precisely for the reason I was initially put off; the language used was very much on point. Also I thought the action was quite rollicking (probably suspiciously for the time, but it pulled me along as the reader). In general I'd say try it out. I'll most likely go back and read the Jane Austen Mystery #1 some time soon.

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* Of those, my favorite prior to this has been Mary B: A Novel: An Untold Story of Pride and Prejudice, by Katherine J. Chen, and my least favorite ones have been Joan Aiken's highly recommended sequels. show less

This book could easily be titled The Pirates of Lyme or Jane and the Pirate King. Well, except for the fact there are no orphans to be found ...

If you don't like how Jane Austen writes, just stop here. You won't enjoy this book. This novel isn't written as a Regency romance; it is meant to sound as though Jane herself were writing the book. Since it is "edited" by Stephanie Barron, you can expect enough footnotes to explain history and background that you may not be familiar with. I found them fascinating. As they popped up in the Kindle text when I tapped on the number, it was easy to read them as I needed them. The footnotes are gathered at the end of each chapter, should you have missed one that you should have read.

I enjoyed the show more book. Some parts I guessed ahead of Jane; others were a surprise. In every case, the author played fair with the reader. I also enjoyed learning more about the smugglers of the time.

If you like mysteries with a hint of cozy and a heavy dose of history, this series should be up your alley. show less

Besides the great mystery and historical detail, Barron has a wicked sense of humor

Manners meet mayhem again in the second Being a Jane Austen Mystery, Jane and the Man of the Cloth. It is 1804 and Jane and her family are traveling by post chaise to Lyme Regis on the Dorset coast to escape the oppressive summer heat in Bath when their carriage is overturned and Jane’s sister Cassandra injured. Seeking help at a local estate, Jane and her family take refuge at High Down Grange and are thrown into the care of its mysterious owner Geoffrey Sidmouth and his beautiful young cousin Seraphine LeFevre. The manor house and its owner have enough of an oddness about them that our observant Jane thinks something amiss.

With Cassandra on the mend show more they arrive at their rented cottage at Lyme and are shortly joined by Jane’s brother Henry and wife Eliza. After a walk on the Cobb Jane witnesses a heated exchange between Mr. Sidmouth and a local worker. The next day the man is found dead, bound hand and foot, swinging from a makeshift gibbet at the end of the Cobb. Intrigued, Jane seeks out the best source of information that a young lady of her gentility can garner: the mercantile shop and the weekly Assembly Dance. There the local gossip from Mrs. Barnewall, the Crawfords, Lucy Armstrong and the dashing naval officer Captain Percival Fielding inform Jane that Mr. Sidmouth is much more than the enigmatic romantic figure that she has suspected. Deep into the Napoleonic Wars, the Dorset coast is a hotbed of smuggling, spies and espionage whose ringleader, the notorious “Reverend,” or the “Man of the Cloth,” is known to favor fine silks in his nighttime free trade. Jane is conflicted over her feelings for Mr. Sidmouth and the fact that Captain Fielding claims he is the culprit. When Fielding is found murdered and Sidmouth arrested, Jane is asked by the local authorities to aid in the investigation setting her on the path of intrigue and danger.

This is my second novel in the Being a Jane Austen Mystery series. It was another delight. Barron in known for interlacing known facts from Jane Austen’s life into her plots. This period of history for Jane is a bit of a mystery. There are very few letters remaining and only family lore alluding to her unfortunate love affair with a clergyman that she met on a seaside holiday who later died. This “nameless and dateless” romance leaves lots of room for speculation and opens up the possibilities of a great mystery plot which Barron uses to her advantage. Our Jane is much more adventurous and daring in this narrative, sneaking out at night and investigating caves. We do get our share of Assembly Balls, frocks and finery, but the action was occasionally outside what gentile ladies are usually allowed to do, and at times I thought is a bit unbelievable – almost Jane Austen/Nancy Drew.

The historical detail always brought me back into focus and I especially enjoyed the footnotes, though I understand they annoy some readers. I found myself laughing out loud, when I fear I should not, when Jane is introduced to High Down Grange with its dark, unkempt and unwomanly appearance and its present broody owner Mr. Sidmouth with his snarling dogs Fang and Beelzebub. Evoking memories of Bronte heroes, either my brain has been addled by too much historical romance reading, or Stephanie Barron has a wicked sense of humor!

Laurel Ann, Austenprose show less

I too was a little hesitant to start this Jane Austen series, but my love for historical mysteries drove me to try. I am glad that I have begun the series. This is the second book in the series, and it is better than the first. There is everything here, romance, intrigue, smugglers, spys and of course Jane Austen at the centre of it. It is located in Lyme during September of 1804, right smack in the mddle of the tension between France's Napoleon and England. Jane loves Lyme, and does not expect it to be a hotbed of intrigue, and with deaths occurring in unexplained ways. She sets out to unravel the mystery when a man she has met is arrested for the murder of another young man that Jane had met and danced with at the weekly assembly. She show more certainly gets more than she bargained for, and finds herself in some danger when she is very close to solving the mysteries in Lyme. This series is excellent, and I can't wait to read the next one. show less

On the outskirts of Lyme, the Austens' carriage is overturned and they are forced to take shelter in the home of Mr. Sidmouth. Thus begins Jane's holiday in Lyme. A man is found hanged from a makeshift gibbet. Rumors of a ringleader of the local smuggling trade abound. Can Jane find the truth of the matter?

This was a fascinating read, with plenty of details of the smuggling trade of the time and of Lyme. It was slow to start, though it hinted at mystery and intrigue from the start. Jane's investigation did not begin until about halfway into the novel.

By the last quarter, the story picked up the pace and there were culprits afoot! Jane's curiosity was understandable, even though it did get a bit ridiculous in her pursuit of the facts.

An show more excellent continuation of Jane's mysteries! I look forward to book 3. show less

Despite its title, Jane and the Man of the Cloth is not about a clergyman. It is, rather, about a vengeful smuggler who is known to his Lyme compatriots as "The Reverend." (I just thought of something...he's a man... who smuggles silk. He's a man...of the cloth. Hee hee. OMG I'm tired. No more midnight gym!) I think that the combination of Jane Austen + Pirates could be brilliant. So when I discovered that this second Jane Austen mystery was about smugglers (a close relation to pirates), I jumped ever so slightly for joy. You'll recall that these are by no means actually "found" manuscripts of Austen's as the foreword to the first book will have you think, but fictional ruminations on Barron's part.

Barron has done her homework, and for show more that I must applaud her. For one thing, she's centered this book around a letter that we have from Jane to Cassandra in September of 1804 (I've found that having my copy of Jane Austen's Letters, edited by Deirdre Le Faye, handy while reading Barron's work has been very helpful) and on some non-fiction accounts of smuggling in Lyme. And she has pieced these things together with an expert hand. I have to say, these elicit accounts of Jane's life (what might have been, if you will) are almost as exciting as discovering the real thing. Jane, as many of you will be aware, died a spinster, so to have even a hint of a possibility of some episodes of her life being more adventurous and romantic than she ever let on, that's fascinating and exciting.

True as ever to Austen's own voice as well as to her own handiwork, Barron weaves here a tale of murderous vengeance, shocking escapades, and magnificent escapes. It is a narrative fabric to be admired (hee hee cloth). As I pointed out to my gym buddy: no, there's no "sexy-time" (which I'm sure would be a disappointment to some) but the out of character heart-thumping and clandestine passion that this version of Jane Austen does express is, I think, sexy enough for the modern reader.

Lauren Cartelli
www.theliterarygothamite.com show less

Jane and the Man of Cloth by Stephanie Barron is a 1997 Crimeline publication.

This second book in the Jane Austen mystery series charged from the gate, when an accident leaves Jane’s sister Cassandra badly injured.

But, the momentum was quickly doused with too much wordy dialogue that filled pages, but left me wondering when Jane was ever going to start working on the mystery. Eventually, the pieces began to fall into place, but it took so long I seriously considered returning it to the library unfinished.

Smuggling was a huge issue during this time period, so it was not at all far-fetched that Jane noticed what appeared to be just that sort of business running through Lyme Regis, which is where she is staying for the moment.

So, show more intrigue abounds and soon Jane finds herself attempting to lure out a smuggling operation two murders. Will she be able to figure it out without putting herself and her reputation on the line?

The setup is certainly interesting, but it seems like the mystery was danced around amid all the social verbiage. However, the pace picks up drastically in the last quarter of the book and became very engaging with a very surprising ending.

I still intend to continue on with the series because I have a print copy of the next installment. Hopefully, the pacing will improve by then.
3 stars show less