Books like Jane and his lordship's legacy by Stephanie Barron

After relocating to Chawton Cottage in Hampshire, Jane Austen learns that the late Lord Harold Trowbridge has named her heir to a valuable Bengal chest filled with his personal diaries and letters. Expected to author a memoir commemorating the Gentleman Rogue, Jane is stunned when a murdered laborer’s body is found in her cellar—his death having been staged to hide a greater crime. The discovery thrusts Jane and her relatives into the heart of a provincial scandal that detests outsiders, especially a figure as polarizing as Austen herself. As she delves into Lord Harold’s papers, she pieces together evidence that ties the murder to intricate local affairs, including burglaries, hidden passions, and aristocratic intrigues. With each new victim, the range of suspects expands to cover nearby royal connections and other powerful figures intent on silencing the late lord’s legacy. Jane must balance the duty of preserving his memory with the urgency of protecting her village from further loss. Her resolve is tested as she races against time to expose the cunning killer—her determination to safeguard the lord’s legacy risking her own life in the process.

First publish date: 2005