Book Review – “The Mysterious Death of Miss Austen”

This past October, Janeites came from all over the world and descended upon Ft. Worth Texas. It was at this JASNA AGM that I came upon ”The Mysterious Death of Miss Austen”. The novel was being offered by the Chawton House Museum during the Regency Emporium. Fortunately for us, the author was on hand to sign the books as well.

To begin, I must stress that this novel is fictional. As one begins to read, however, it becomes more difficult to tell the real from the fiction. Ms. Ashford has an incredible talent for spinning a tale in such a way that the lines between fact and fiction are wonderfully blurred.

The premise of the novel is the theory that Jane Austen did not die from any of the diseases she is thought to have succumbed to. Lindsay Ashford introduces an idea quite sinister with the suggestion that Miss Austen was the victim of arsenic poisoning. The novel itself explores the methods that might have caused this poisoning, and whether it was an accidental or intentional poisoning.

Ms. Ashford herself told her audience at the AGM about the novels premise. So, as I began to read, I was not surprised to learn of the arsenic scenario. I was surprised though, to see how finely she was able to introduce all the various family members and acquaintances that are believed to have been known to the Austen family. The novel follows the timeline from Jane Austen’s mid twenties until her death, and beyond. There are chapters that include Godmersham, Bath, the seaside, and Chawton. To say that this work of fiction has been well researched would be an understatement. Ms. Ashford clearly mingled her vast knowledge of criminology with immense research to create this delightful read.

The story is told from the point of view of Anne Sharp, who is the governess to Fanny Knight, daughter of Elizabeth and Edward Knight as well as niece to Jane Austen. As the novel begins it tells of the unlikely friendship of Miss Sharp and Miss Austen. From the very onset of the novel, Ms. Ashford begins to weave her tale’s “who done it” theme. Very early on, the reader is indulged in the Austen’s outrageous family gossip, and I personally found myself suspecting nearly every member of the Austen family as the story progressed.

Because the novel spans several years, the reader is allowed to view the Austen family members as they grow, most noticeably in Jane’s nieces, Fanny and Anna. They go from innocent and immature thirteen year olds, to ladies out in their first seasons, and then to wives and mothers. So much is known about Jane’s extended family from old letters and family histories, and Ms. Ashford succeeds in placing a firm face on each of Miss Austen’s relations.

In fact, I was often amused by Ms. Ashford’s take on what Jane’s influence for certain characters and plots of her own works may have been. There are several instances when she identifies certain family members as being the inspiration for her rather famous characters. In addition to this fun insight, there were also bits and pieces of dialogue given to Jane that I recalled from Jane Austen’s own letters. It was a sort of “Where’s Waldo” of Jane Austen history….a sort of “See how many Austen facts you can spot” kind of thing.  

As a true Austen fan, I found it difficult to begin with because I always knew where the story would lead. Regardless of whether or not Jane died from Addison’s or arsenic poisoning, she still died a sad and all too soon death. As the novel progressed, however, I found myself so intrigued by the Jane that might have been to worry about the impending end of the book.

I whole heartedly recommend this book for the Austen enthusiast, as well as those who may not have met her through her own literature yet. I can easily imagine that any reader who has not known Jane Austen until this point, would run out and buy all her books after reading Ms. Ashford’s interesting take on the beloved author.

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