Agatha Christie meets Jane Austen in this Regency suspense... Whispers at Painswick Court by Julie Klassen (Review) #newbooks #bookx #WhispersatPainswickCourt #JulieKlassen #christfic #histfic #historicalmystery #historicalsuspense #cleanreads @Julie_Klassen @austenprose

Whispers at Painswick Court

By Julie Klassen

Historical Suspense, Romance, Inspirational

Audiobook, Paperback & eBook, 368 Pages

December 2, 2025 by Bethany House Publishers

Summary

She expected her return to Painswick would bring memories of the past--not danger and romance.

Anne Loveday, a surgeon's daughter, is determined to live a single, useful life. To escape her matchmaking stepmother, she accepts an invitation from an old friend to return to Painswick, the place where she and her sister spent many happy summers until that last, fateful year.

Soon after arriving, Anne is asked to serve as sickroom nurse to Lady Celia, who forbade her nephew to marry Anne's sister years before. Pushing aside resentments, Anne moves into Painswick Court, a shadowy old house rumored to be haunted. Also in residence are Lady Celia's spinster daughter, her handsome adult nephews, and a secretive new lady's maid. Two local doctors visit regularly as well, one of whom admires Anne while concealing secrets of his own.

As an escalating series of mishaps befalls her patient, Anne realizes someone is trying to kill the woman. But who? When Anne finds herself a suspect and her resolution to avoid romance challenged, can she discover the real culprit--and protect her heart--before it's too late?

Agatha Christie meets Jane Austen in this compelling Regency-era novel laced with intrigue, love, and English village charm for fans of historical romance and whodunit mysteries.

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My Review

WHISPERS AT PAINSWICK COURT has a slight Gothic feel to it as the heroine cares for an ailing gentlewoman in a great English house. The heroine is easy to like with some other interesting characters who may or may not be trustworthy. The suspense steadily unfolds with a climatic ending that fans of the genre will enjoy!

There were several little nods to Austen and Northanger Abbey in this story, which I found very fun. Then there was this small group of characters who gave a slight feel of Agatha Christie's style. The mix was interesting and definitely kept me turning the pages. The suspense was fairly steady and underlying for most of the book. The heroine wasn't exactly sure what was happening and if she was imagining sinister intent. Then towards the end, the suspense intensifies with plenty of danger and a few chills.

I liked the characters in this story. Anne is unsure of herself in so many ways, but is an intelligent, responsible woman with her own dreams and expectations. The cousins at the estate, two of which I liked, all have their different personalities and are well drawn. Lady Celia is a bit of a cranky old lady, but she grows on you. Each doctor has his own role to play as does Anne's old family friend and the maid who cares for Lady Celia. There are some complex relationships, some sweet and some not. There is also a budding romance that is weaved throughout the story. I liked that it wasn't the main focus and that Anne coming to her own truths in many ways was. The story felt genuine in Anne's character development and in the sweet ending.

In the end, was it what I wished for? This was an overall enjoyable suspense, more on the light side but with some intensity towards the end. There's a motley crew of characters, a likable heroine, and sweet romance with a touch of inspirational elements. Recommended to fans of the author and genre.

Content: Some violence but clean
Source: I received a complimentary copy through Austenprose PR, which did not require a positive review. All opinions are my own.

What was the last historical mystery/suspense you read? Would you recommend it?

Can't Wait for... Track of Courage by Susan May Warren (Can't-Wait Wednesday) #CWW #WOW #bookx #newbooks #TrackofCourage #CalloftheWild #SusanMayWarren #suspense #romancebooks #christfic

Can't-Wait Wednesday  is a weekly meme hosted here to spotlight the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally, they're books that have yet to be released. Find out more here.

I have a confession to make. I'm pretty much addicted to this author's books. She has great characters, sweet romance that usually has plenty of humor, and hold-on-to-your-seat suspense. They're unputdownable and I usually need to binge an entire series at once. Her upcoming release is my pick this week...

Track of Courage

(Call of the Wild #1)

By Susan May Warren

Christian Contemporary Romantic Suspense

Audiobook, Hardcover, Paperback & eBook, 320 Pages

January 6, 2026 by Revell

Summary

A hijacked plane. A pursuing killer. And a K9's instinct to help them make it out alive.

Pop singer Keely Williams's search for her biological mother in Alaska has been painfully unsuccessful. Now she just wants to escape this wild frontier and never look back. But when her plane is hijacked, she's suddenly plunged into a race against not only an Alaskan blizzard but also a killer who's on her tail.

After a career-ending injury, ex-cop Dawson Mulligan has only one friend--Caspian, the stray dog he adopted. Dawson just wants to figure out how to get his life on track, but during a flight home to Copper Mountain, he spots a downed plane and stops to help. Except, when his not-a-rescue dog runs off into the woods and discovers the trail of a missing survivor, it's up to the former cop to stage a rescue.

But Dawson has no idea he's being pulled into a deadly pursuit, or that Caspian is more than he seems. There might be redemption and second chances waiting for both Dawson and Keely if they have the courage to face their wounded pasts and fight for their future.

Join master storyteller Susan May Warren for a propulsive ride through the Alaskan wilderness, where love might be the riskiest--and most rewarding--adventure of all.

Prepare to experience edge-of-your-seat action combined with heart-stirring romance and heroic K9 companions in this exhilarating romantic suspense that will thrill fans of Lynette Eason and Elizabeth Goddard.

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Will you be reading this one?

A modern Pride & Prejudice story... Not Exactly Mr. Darcy by Carolyn Miller (Review) #newbooks #bookx #NotExactlyMrDarcy #TheSilverTeapotSeries #CarolynMiller #BarbourFiction #romancebooks #cleanreads #christianromance @austenprose

Not Exactly Mr. Darcy

(The Silver Teapot Series #1)

By Carolyn Miller

Contemporary Christian Romance, Clean & Wholesome

Audiobook, Paperback & eBook, 256 Pages

December 1, 2025 by Barbour Fiction

Summary

Pride, Pemberley, and Second Chances

When history-loving Olivia Bennett’s teaching contract isn’t renewed, she is considered her family’s logical choice to care for her ailing grandmother in a tiny English village. While there, she soon finds additional work at nearby Hartbury Hall—one of England’s great houses once used as Pemberley in a filmed production of Pride and Prejudice. The head gardener there, however, proves to be anything but the gentlemanly hero of that famous book. Little does she know that behind Liam Browne’s brusque exterior is both a family tragedy and a legacy that demands truth and honor, creating a crisis that only Liv’s vivacious determination can resolve. Along the way, she may just learn that appearances count for naught. . .and that love can be found in unexpected ways.

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My Review

NOT EXACTLY MR. DARCY takes readers to a charming English town and a struggling estate that was famously used in a Pride and Prejudice film. Full of small-town quirks, delightful townspeople, one rather gruff gardener, a troublesome dog, complex family, and a girl trying to find what path God has for her makes for an endearing story. Fans of Austen's Pride and Prejudice will find some similarities in this story and will delight in how the author makes this tale completely her own!

Olivia is easy to love as the heroine of this story. She has some quirky, over-the-top caring family members and escapes to her equally quirky grandmother in England. The town and its people are so charming, as is the manor caretaker even though first impressions, and second, and third... seem otherwise. There is a nice bit of humor throughout and some lovely relationships that develop. I most loved the back and forth between Olivia and Liam and their delightfully sweet romance. I also enjoyed Olivia's relationship with her grandmother and Liam's sister. Olivia is lost in parts as she tries to figure out what she's supposed to do, but she moves forward as best she can, trusts in God, and finds that she's someone worth fighting for.

My only real complaint with this story was some of Olivia's cluelessness and subsequent reactions to finding out something. It felt like it was much too strong for the situation and made me disappointed as I thought her character was better than this. I think a slightly different circumstance could have still worked. 

In the end, was it what I wished for? I enjoyed just about every minute of this story. It was heartfelt, sweet, with emotional depth and likable characters. It's definitely a book to grab if you're in the mood for an inspirational romance set in a small, quaint town in England with plenty of nods to Pride and Prejudice.

Content: Clean
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through Austenprose PR, which did not require a positive review. All opinions are my own.

About the Author

Carolyn Miller is an inspirational Regency and contemporary romance author who lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, with her husband and four children. Together with her husband, she has pastored a church for ten years and worked as a public high school English and Learning and Support teacher.

A longtime lover of romance, especially that of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer’s Regency era, Carolyn holds a BA in English Literature and loves drawing readers into fictional worlds that show the truth of God’s grace in our lives.

Find the author here.

Have you read any books like this where the heroine gets to work at a location that appeared in a movie? Who is your favorite leading hero?

Can't Wait for... Mayhem on the Marzipan Express by Rebecca Connolly (Can't-Wait Wednesday) #CWW #WOW #bookx #newbooks #MayhemontheMarzipanExpress #RebeccaConnolly #AClaireWalkerMystery #mystery #cozymystery #cleanreads

Can't-Wait Wednesday  is a weekly meme hosted here to spotlight the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally, they're books that have yet to be released. Find out more here.

These cozy mystery books mixed with baking are so much fun! I'm very much looking forward to this second Claire Walker Mystery. It's my pick this week...

Mayhem on the Marzipan Express

(A Claire Walker Mystery #2)

By Rebecca Connolly

Contemporary Cozy Mystery, Romance

Audiobook, Paperback & eBook, 320 Pages

January 26, 2026 by Shadow Mountain Publishing

Summary

A romantic getaway through the Scottish Highlands turns deadly when a passenger on the train is murdered—and a famous chef is the prime suspect.

Amateur baker and part-time sleuth Claire Walker may not have won Britian’s Battle of the Bakers cooking competition, but she still went home with a grand prize: Jonathan Ainsley’s heart. The happy couple boards the famed Scottish train, the Mallaig Steam Express—temporarily renamed “The Marzipan Express” in honor of famed chef Alan Gables, who is hosting an exclusive culinary experience for his most devoted fans. Claire is delighted to serve as Alan’s sous chef for the trip, hoping to learn some baking tips from the master.

The trip has barely begun when the train screeches to a halt. The engine has malfunctioned and must be repaired. While Claire and Jonny explore the train, they discover a dead body in one of the dining cars. It appears to be an accident, but Claire can sense something is wrong as easily as she can sense an overbaked soufflé. When the clues all point to Alan as the culprit, Claire and Jonny decide to investigate on their own. Unfortunately, Alan doesn’t have an alibi, his assistant is oddly nervous around him, and a shadowy figure keeps appearing at all the wrong times. Could it be someone from Alan’s past trying to frame him? Or could Alan be trying to cover his tracks?

Claire had hoped for a delicious, romantic getaway, not investigating a mysterious death while stress-eating trifle in the kitchen car and trying to not be jealous of a magazine reporter who is flirting with Jonny. It’s mayhem in more ways than one.

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Will you be reading this one? Did you read the first book in the series?

Another delightful Austen inspired cozy mystery... Murder at Donwell Abbey by Vanessa Kelly (Review) #MurderatDonwellAbbey #AnEmmaKnightleyMystery #VanessaKelly #newbooks #bookx #cozymystery #regencymystery #austenesquefiction #janeausten #jaff #austenprosepr @KensingtonBooks @austenprose

Murder at Donwell Abbey

(An Emma Knightley Mystery #2)

By Vanessa Kelly

Historical Cozy Mystery

Audiobook, Hardcover & eBook, 416 Pages

November 25, 2025 by Kensington

Summary

This latest Regency-era mystery from USA Today bestselling author Vanessa Kelly finds Jane Austen’s clever Emma Knightley (nee Woodhouse) as an amateur sleuth, navigating shocking changes in her family—while meeting her match in a deadly adversary . . .

Emma’s spirits are elevated after she and husband George Knightley host a joyful holiday celebration at the Hartfield estate. But it’s instantly a bitter January when her father makes an unexpected announcement—he and Miss Hetty Bates have decided to marry. Not only must Emma relinquish her role as mistress of the household, but also accept the reality that the excitable Miss Bates will become her stepmother . . .

More unwanted news arrives during an extravagant betrothal ball at Donwell Abbey, the grand Knightley estate where Emma and George will soon permanently reside. Nearly every villager in Highbury revels in the dazzling affair—except Emma’s hardworking lady’s maid, Prudence Parr. To Emma’s horror, Prudence is found dead, sprawled across the stones of the library terrace . . .

The woman’s tragic fall is quickly ruled a terrible accident and whispers circulate around personal troubles leading up to her untimely demise. But Emma’s instincts tell her that something far more sinister is at play. Now, Highbury’s matchmaker-turned-sleuth vows to outwit a cunning criminal before an innocent man loses his freedom—or Donwell Abbey plunges into a darker mystery . . .

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My Review

MURDER AT DONWELL ABBEY is another delightful Austen inspired cozy mystery in this series. With Emma and Knightley along with other characters investigating a mysterious death, the small town of Highbury finds it's not as peaceful as thought. With the fun dynamics between Emma and her husband, a bit of a surprise with her father and the cadence of the original, Austen fans will find much to delight in this second installment! Also highly recommended to cozy historical mystery fans! 

I adored the first book in this series and was excited to jump back into the world of Emma with this one! It did not disappoint! Like the first book in the series, the pace is fairly steady with occasional red herrings and small town happenings dispersed throughout. I loved the dynamic between Emma and her husband (one of my favorite things about this series) along with all the humor. The characters come alive, especially Emma and Miss Bates. The story also has a climatic end that will push you to the edge of your seat and was done remarkedly well. I enjoyed just about every single minute and am looking forward to more!

In the end, was it what I wished for? This was a relaxing (except towards the end when it's a bit intense) delight to read. Highly recommended for Austen and cozy historical mystery fans!

Content: Clean
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through Austenprose PR, which did not require a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Other Books in the Series

(Image linked to my review.)

Are you an Austen or Emma fan? Have you read the first book in this series? Have you read anything similar where an Austen character is the main character by another author?