REVIEW: Pride, Prejudice and Poison

Pride, Prejudice and Poison
Author: Elizabeth Blake

The Jane Austen Society in Kirbymoorside is all in uproar. Some older members of the society want to stick with rules and ceremony, while newer members don't mesh with the current society president. Silvia is rude and a total control freak. Every meeting descends into petty arguments and insults. Erin Coleridge doesn't enjoy the drama. She just wants to enjoy running her used book shop in the village. The drama kicks up a notch when a society member is murdered. Erin jumps in to do a little sleuthing to clear a friend of suspicion.

I like the quirky characters in this first book of the Jane Austen Society Mystery series. I did feel a bit sorry for most of the members of the Austen Society as their meetings descended into complete chaos. I did applaud the members who managed to sneak Jane Austen quotes in amid the in-fighting. At times, all the quotes and references did get to be a bit much....but it's all in fun when it's a cozy mystery. I just chalked it up to residents of Kirbymoorside being JA Superfans who love to pepper their conversation with literature references like my husband and I throw out random movie or Monty Python quotes.

Erin is an interesting main character. She just wants a peaceful countryside life running her bookshop and enjoying her cottage. But she's willing to sacrifice her peace to help a friend and put the village back to rights after a murder. The quirky village side characters really add to the story. The mystery moved along at a nice pace, peppered with lots of Jane Austen references. There are plenty of suspects and twists along the way. Nicely done!

All in all, an enjoyable cozy mystery. I'm always up for reading anything Jane Austen related. :) I will definitely read more books in this series.

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**