A Very Vexing Murder: Harriet Smith Investigates

Harriet Smith investigates...A murder most Austen.

A witty debut whodunit that reimagines Harriet Smith, the gullible sidekick of Jane Austen’s Emma, as a spitfire con woman, hired to break off an engagement and uncover a murderer in the genteel village of Highbury.

“Seldom, very seldom, does complete truth belong to any human disclosure.” —Jane Austen, EMMA

Is a killer lurking in the idyllic country domain of Emma Woodhouse?

No longer Emma’s naïve companion, Harriet Smith is a feisty con-woman-turned-detective tasked with breaking off Frank Churchill’s engagement and uncovering his aunt’s would-be murderer. The shrewd Mrs. Churchill suspects Frank’s unsuitable fiancée, Jane Fairfax, is out to kill her, while Harriet suspects little more than a society scandal. But what begins as a routine investigation among Highbury’s elite quickly spirals into a web of deception, deadly secrets, and a game of survival.

As Harriet interrogates a growing list of suspects with the help of her long-suffering best friend, Robert Martin, not only does she have to contend with a potential homicidal maniac and striking out as a single woman in Regency society but is also afraid her father (and former partner-in-crime) is out for revenge.

With a cast of unforgettable characters—including a charming scoundrel, a lovesick farmer, a ghoulish butler, and a ruthless heiress determined to hide her skeletons at any cost— this brilliantly reimagined mystery featuring the characters from Jane Austen’s Emma is as deliciously dark as it is delightfully clever.

“A Very Vexing Murder is a lively, accomplished, Austentatious debut! In a bold, re-imagined sequel to Jane Austen's Emma, this is a treat for fans of regency literature and those who love a good murder mystery... A Very Vexing Murder has it all!” - Janice Hallett, internationally bestselling author of The Appeal