{"product_id":"a-very-vexing-murder-harriet-smith-investigates-9780063453647","title":"A Very Vexing Murder: Harriet Smith Investigates","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eHarriet Smith investigates...A murder most Austen. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA witty debut whodunit that reimagines Harriet Smith, the gullible sidekick of Jane Austen's \u003ci\u003eEmma\u003c\/i\u003e, as a spitfire con woman, hired to break off an engagement and uncover a murderer in the genteel village of Highbury. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"Seldom, very seldom, does complete truth belong to any human disclosure.\" --Jane Austen, EMMA\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIs a killer lurking in the idyllic country domain of Emma Woodhouse?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo 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. While Harriet has doubts that the deadly threats are little more than society scandal, the shrewd Mrs. Churchill suspects Frank's unsuitable fiancée, Jane Fairfax, is out to kill her. What begins as a routine investigation among Highbury's elite quickly spirals into a web of deception, dangerous secrets, and a game of survival.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith 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 \u003ci\u003eEmma \u003c\/i\u003eis as deliciously dark as it is delightfully clever.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Lucy Andrew\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e William Morrow \u0026amp; Company\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 05\/12\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 432\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.20lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.37h x 6.27w x 1.37d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780063453647\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e 03\/27\/2026 pg. 1\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 03\/09\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e 05\/01\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e 05\/15\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eAndrew, Lucy:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLucy Andrew\u003c\/strong\u003e is a crime writer and crime fiction scholar who has an unhealthy fixation with Jane Austen. She has a PhD in English Literature from Cardiff University and was a Senior Lecturer in English Literature before leaving academia to concentrate on her writing. Andrew was shortlisted for the Penguin Michael Joseph Undiscovered Writers' Prize and was a finalist at Bloody Scotland's Pitch Perfect. She is a member of the Jane Austen Society and lives in Wolverhampton, UK, with her husband and septuagenarian tortoise.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"booksdeli.com","offers":[{"title":"Lucy Andrew \/ Hardcover \/ English","offer_id":48311237279901,"sku":"9780063453647","price":38.4,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0619\/5648\/9373\/files\/img_722d17f2-be01-49b2-a23c-7cf30b1b56a8.jpg?v=1779259833","url":"https:\/\/booksdeli.com\/products\/a-very-vexing-murder-harriet-smith-investigates-9780063453647","provider":"booksdeli.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}