Jane is a homebody who would rather stay at home instead of attending a ball at her former school. But, her sister Cassandra, is invited and so she must go. It’s good for her that in addition to the dance, she meets up with old friends and makes some new ones too. Throw in a theft of a diamond necklace and our clever sleuth, Jane, is thinking things are getting interesting.

Jane is not your typical young lady and decides to play cricket against the boys’ school and climb trees to find clues. It was delightful to read about her nonconventional ways and her letters to her brother about the case. This is fun”who-did-it” story gives readers enough clues to be able to discover the culprit before Jane tells all.

I would recommend this to young adults who like mysteries or who enjoy Enola Holmes. While this is a series, it is the first book I have read and can be read as a stand alone.

Here are some really fun quotes at the opening of the story:

“Any resemblance to persons living or dead in these case notes is entirely intentional. Names of people and places have been changed to protect the wicked- but you know who you are!”

“No one who had ever seen Jane Austen in her infancy would suppose her to be born to solve crimes.”

Thank you to NetGalley and Lion Hudson Ltd. for an electronic copy of this book. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

It took a third of the book to get to the mystery of the story, but once I did, the book picked right up. Jane and her sister, really, Jane's sister, were invited to a ball at their old finishing school. Some of the cast of characters will seem familiar to Jane Austen fans: Elinor and Marianne Warren, the dancing master, Mr. Willoughby, and his assistant, Brandon.

I loved little gems like this quote: "She vowed one day to get her revenge on the dancing master. She wasn't sure exactly what she would do, but it would probably involve making sure no one by the name of Willoughby was ever looked on favourably again." The middle grade audience this book is intended for probably won't pick up on these clever references, but Jane has enough humor and wit to entrance the previously unexposed readers, as well as her old friends.

The mystery is well done, and the cast of characters range from admirable to ridiculous. The book is interspersed with Jane's letters home, which are clever, and almost riddle like. The Burglar's Ball is a great tale of friendship, humor, and whodunit.

I was so happy to be back into the intriguing world of the young Jane Austen, following her in this new adventure.

Jane and her sister Cassandra are invited at a ball at their old school in Reading. Jane and her inseparable dog make instantly some new friends that will make her stay more enjoyable. When the ball is in full swing, the beautiful night is disrupted by a theft, one of the girls' diamond necklace is gone. Will Jane get the right intuition to catch the robber?

I've enjoyed the pace and the storyline of this novel, the author wording is so catching you couldn't even take a breath because you want to solve the mystery.

This young Jane is easily became one of my favourite character, she is lively and clever you couldn't refrain to support her in her quest for the truth.

I really hope to read more books of this series.

These books are so much fun! They imagine the adventures of a 13 year old Jane Austen who ends up entangled in various mysteries around her, and who has to use her copious wits to solve them. Told from her perspective in the third person, they have a really entertaining voice, and manage to capture the spirit of Jane’s humour with tongue-in-cheek love – they’re a treat for an Austen-loving adult, but I think they’d also stand alone well for a younger reader who hasn’t encountered her work yet. There’s a really clever mix of what we know of Jane’s real life, and references to her work, including the names of a lot of characters – for example, when a Mr Willoughby offends her, Jane swears to avenge herself by “making sure no one by the name of Willoughby was ever looked on favourably again”. There are also sisters Elinor and Marianne, and several others I won’t spoil – I love the idea that Jane worked real people she’d met into her stories!

But though this sounds like it might be a bit too silly and self-referential, there are solid stories underneath too, and I very much enjoyed the central mysteries as well as the Austen flavour. The Burglar’s Ball sends Jane and her sister Cassandra for a visit to their old school, The Abbey in Reading, but when one of the other guest’s diamond necklace is stolen, the secrets of the school begin to need investigation. I obviously won’t talk much about the plots, as the fun is in discovering the mystery for yourself, but they are really rollicking adventures and I had a great time with all the twists and developments.

The casts of both books are extremely lively and entertaining to get to know. In the first book I loved Deepti, Jane’s friend, who came to Southmoor Abbey with her father, who was hired as a cook by Lord Cromwell while he was in India – I thought it was brilliant how her experiences and skills are so different to Jane’s, but the two are wholeheartedly respectful of each other and make a great team. Deepti appears in this second book, too, which I wasn’t expecting, but was very pleased to discover! Each character, especially the villains, is keenly observed and pinned to the page – which might well remind us of the sharp portraits of a certain author’s own stories… Jane herself is a very likeable heroine, and her feelings are also very believable, particularly her frustration with the limitations of being a girl and the rules she has to follow, and her bristling against injustice of any kind. I love that there are letters home from Jane scattered between the chapters; not only do these give a glimpse into Jane’s relationship with her brother Henry, who hasn’t so far appeared himself, but they also contain puzzles to solve or fun writing quirks like missing letters. It’s a lovely reference to her real life letters, and the wordplay is exactly the kind of thing I would have been all over as a kid!

Speaking of wordplay, it didn’t escape my notice that these are named alphabetically, and I hope that’s an indicator that this will be a long running series – they’re just great, and the mystery genre really lends itself to longer serials. I’ll be looking out for any more, for sure – and whether you’re an Austen fan or not, readers of middle grade mystery should definitely check these out.

This is such a fun read!

A huge thank you to the publishers for providing me with an advanced copy in return for an honest review via Netgalley. I read the first book in the Jane Austen Investigates series through Netgalley as well, and was thrilled to be able to join Jane on her adventures again. You can find my review of The Abbey Mystery (book one!) here. While you can read this book first, I’d recommend reading the series chronologically as there are recurring characters you met previously. I enjoyed seeing what Jane’s friends from The Abbey Mystery were up to and it still felt like we were learning new things about them.

Jane is the highlight of the series and I love her relationship with her sister. The narration is humorous and fun too. Dotted in between chapters are Jane’s imaginative letters to her brother; they’re full of codes that younger readers will love. I wish I’d had this book when I was younger!

“Everyone looked at her in surprise. True, a girl in a grubby hemmed muslin dress didn’t seem a likely person to have unearthed such a plot, but then it was often the ones sitting in the corner overlooked who saw most.”

– THE BURGLAR’S BALL

Despite not having read Sense and Sensibility, I can see how Julia Golding has taken inspiration from the time period. The author has clearly done her research and everything feels very genuine. The Burglar’s Ball is more insightful than the first book – there is exploration of the British Empire from the point of view of those occupied, and the slave trade. I haven’t seen these topics a lot in children’s books; while they don’t overpower the mystery it’s enough to inform younger readers.

“In Jane’s opinion, Cassandra had too strong a belief in the rational behaviour of mankind”

– TOO TRUE, JANE

My only comment is that I’d like it if Brandon, the ex-slave whose name Jane is trying to clear, had a stronger character and stronger hand in proving his innocence. He was fine, but at points he felt less of a developed character and more of a plot point; some people might see it as bordering on white-saviour themes.

To sum up, the Jane Austen Investigates books are so entertaining for any age. The mystery is engaging and easily solvable, although there are some unexpected twists. I’d recommend them for fans of the Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens or the Lady Grace series by Grace Cavendish – or anyone looking for a fun light read.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

This second installment of the Jane Austen Investigates Series by Julia Golding is possibly more thrilling than the first one. Jane is with her sister Cassandra in Reading, where Madame La Tournelle invited Cassandra to grace the ball she's organising in the Reading Abbey Girl's School, previously attended by the Austen girls. Jane is not as welcome as Cassandra at the Abbey School, and Grandison, her dog, is even less welcome. But Madame La Tournelle has to give in for the sake of Cassandra.
In this installment we meet some characters that will be "inspirational" for Sense and Sensibility. The dancing master, Mr. Willoughby, Edward, Elinor and Marianne Warren and their maternal cousin, Lucy Palmer. Jane will investigate about the theft of a most valuable diamonds necklace that takes place during the ball and of which is accused Brandon, a flautist and a former slave of the West Indies, who is definitely innocent. In addition to Grandison, we meet again our old friends Arjun e Deepti from the previous case. Arjun has now a baker's shop in Reading and helps Jane in hiding Brandon while she investigates to prove his innocence.
Since Cassandra is with Jane in Reading, she addresses her letters to her brother Henry. They are always funny and full of word-play like a proper budding writer is apt to do.

My Goodreads review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4082817810

A great sequel to The Abbey Mystery!

Jane Austen is once again using her wits to navigate Georgian society and unearth the criminal in their midst, this time at a ball at her and her sister's former school.

The writing style is once again superb, lots of humour, and nice touches with letters and wordplay.

For me personally, I didn't enjoy the setting or plot as much as The Abbey Mystery, but that is just personal preference. The school setting made the characters feel younger than they had in the first book, but then, Jane is 13 in these books, so the characters are young, I think I just got swept away with the gothic setting and Jane Austenness of the first book which, for me, elevated it a bit beyond other Middle Grade mysteries (I've read a few with boarding school settings, so this fits in with that sub-genre).

The writing style, Jane's (and the author's) way with words, and a story well done, still sets this as a 4-star read for me, definitely a cut above the average, and I will definitely be interested to read further instalments!

I read the first book in this series back in April and I genuinely enjoyed it a lot, I think Golding has done an amazing thing with these books. I love that she has added diversity into this time period without it seeming forced and I think that has a lot to do with her writing style which I think is just stunning. My main issue with those books is that the plot doesn't seem to be tense enough, I think this concept would work well for adult books but overall I really enjoyed this second installment.

Every page pulls into a world, where history, mystery and readiness to defy social boundaries beam from every page.

Jane likes to sit at home, read and enjoy life, but her older sister is determined to drag her along to a ball at her school. Once there, Jane feels out of place and soon discovers that the ball isn't so much as a social event for the students as it is a forefront to gain money for the financially suffering school. During the event, a necklace is stolen, and the blame falls on her new found friend, the dancing master's assistant and former slave.

I enjoyed reading the first book in this series, but this one was even better. (Here, I should add that it's not necessary to read the first book before diving into this one, but it does clear up some of the relationships and characters if the series is read as such.) Jane has a very independent character and more spunk than girls at that time should have. It makes her easy to root for, fun to watch, and inspiring, too. Like in the first book, Jane befriends those, whom society wants her to ignore and look down upon. And as in the first book, it's this person who catches the blame when things go wrong. Still, this book didn't feel like a copy of the first, but rather, was a wonderful read...even better than the first, since it flowed much more smoothly.

History comes to life in these pages. Still, the mystery as well as the characters are easy for modern middle graders can connect with. Jane has siblings she loves and gets upset with; she usually behaves but does step beyond the 'rules' when needed; and she's ready to stand up to adults and solve things on her own. She's witty and has a heart of gold. All of this sits in a historical setting with fitting dialogue, mannerisms, and standards. And it's still fun. There's the needed tension to keep the pages turning and heart to keep the characters sympathetic. There are unexpected twists and turns, although the mystery isn't extremely woven, and the reader can see the ending coming before Jane does.

This is a wonderful continuation of an interesting mystery series, and I have no doubt young sleuths and readers fans will enjoy this one. Plus, adult fans of Jane Austen will even enjoy taking a look inside. I received an ARC through Netgalley and found this one even better than the first.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Buglar's Ball is the second book in Jane Austen Investigates series; I've read the first one and I loved it and I was eager to read this one with a young intelligent Jane who finds herself solving mysteries with her dog Grandison and this time with her sister Cassandra involved in the story. It was such a delight after a special Jane Austen July Readathon, I could not not start this book. I liked it because in this new adventure Jane met some new interesting characters with the names from Sense and Sensibility which make us thing that after meeting these people, she got inspired to write her book. I have to say that the first book was my favorite but it doesn't mean that I didn't like this one. I love the author writing style, she is amazing in keeping the same style as jane's.

In this adventure Cassandra is invited to a ball of her and Jane's old school in Reading. Jane finds herself obliged to go with her sister. In Reading, our heroine met with her friend Deepti and her father (from the first book) at their new open bakery, also she befriended Brandon, an ex slave now a free musician and then, at the school, she made the acquaintance of two sisters Elinor and Marianne who have just returned from India. The night of the ball, Elionor's diamond necklace is stolen and Brandon is unjustly accused of the theft. The Austen sisters start to investigate in order to help their new friend and at the same time resolving some other interesting mysteries.

It was enjoyable to read and I had such a good time with all the twist and turns while Jane is trying to solve this new case. It's a cozy mystery kind of story that might please readers of different age and if you like to read books inspired by J.A's personality this might be a good choice.

I love JAFF and I really enjoyed this book. The author did a good job of keeping their speech (phrases, words, etc) the same as that of Jane Austen's style.

This is a great book for the young and older YA reader. While Jane in the story was young she was not portrayed as childish nor was she portrayed as someone too mature for her age. I am looking forward to reading more from this author, she is one I will not hesitate to recommend.

Thank you, NetGalley for the chance to read this book!

Jane Austen Investigates: The Burglar’s Ball, is a book full of mystery. 13 year old Jane, along with her older sister Cassandra, are invited back to Reading Abbey Girls’ School for a ball that is schedule to take place. The school is ran by Madame La Tournelle, she invited Cassandra back because she was one of her star pupils and is trying to impress the family of two would be students. Elinor and Marianne Warren. The Austen sisters meet the Warrens when they arrive, as well as a dance instructor named Mr Willoughby and his flute player Brandon. As Elinor and Cassandra gush over Willoughby; Jane and Marianne are interested in playing cricket. In preparation for the ball Elinor request that her diamond necklace, tiara, earring, brooch and bracelet be brought from home for the occasion. Things take a turn for the worse when the necklace is stolen the night of the ball. Jane Austen’s investigation begins, her goal is to clear an innocent friend and find the true culprit. This book was interesting with all the twist and turns especially the secrets Jane uncovers while trying to solve the case. People are not who they claim to be but that doesn’t always make them guilty. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves mystery and Jane Austen and her various characters.

Have had the pleasure of reading both installments and loving rh series. Hightly recommnd to all Austen-entusiasts as well as mystery lovers. Funm, fun read.

Note: I received an ARC of the book from NetGalley. A huge thanks to the publishers and author.

This is the second book in the Jane Austen Investigates series that follows a young Jane Austen on another of her adventures to solve a mystery. Cassandra Austen is invited to attend a ball at her old school and asks Jane to come along. The headmistress of the school has a soft spot towards Cassandra, her favourite pupil. However, Jane's presence is quite unexpected and received with some reluctance.

What follows is a series of friendships, some cricket and a theft that leads to Jane stepping in to investigate once again. We also meet Arjun and Deepti again, characters from Book 1 who are delightful and add some wonderful color to the book. I enjoyed the different perspectives in the book and everyone's lives. 

I found that this book was a little less impactful when compared to Book 1, but I still enjoyed it thanks to some of the newer characters, a talking parrot and some circus friends. The mystery was well thought out with a simple plot of theft which moves quickly ensuring the reader is engaged. In an attempt to solve the mystery, Jane uncovers many truths that shed light on the various characters of the book including the headmistress. This is the perfect book for middle graders and will give them a thrill to read it. Let's not forget the cricket match that has to come to some kind of conclusion with the girls all showing off their amazing skills in a "boys game"! Not to be outshone, the boys also show off their skills in dancing at the ball! It's all fun and more fun until things go wrong!

I am delighted to have read the books in this series so far and am looking forward to reading more of Jane's adventures and her witty, sarcastic letters. She had a gift for writing and the author of this series does her justice in my opinion!

Jane is back and this time her sister is helping her. They return to their old school for a ball and end up investigating a theft. They are helped by her old friend Deepti, as well as new friends and some boys form a local school.
Overall the book is a delight, Jane is the sort of heroine I loved as a girl - doesn't confrom, likes books and mysteries and not too girly. I particularly loved the references to future characters and their personalities and adore the idea that Kane could have got ideas in this way.
A fabulous book ideal for all who like a little bit of mystery and a good story.
Thank you to the publishers for sending me a copy to review

The Burglar's Ball was another great addition to the Jane Austen Investigates series, which images the witty and often saucy, author we know and love as a plucky youth who finds herself in mysterious situations that need sleuthing. I love seeing how Golding incorporates the names of characters from Jane Austen's actual novels into her own books, giving a nod to how these recognizable figures may have been conceived.

I received the ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

“The Burglar’s Ball” by Julie Golding is the second book in the Jane Austen Investigates series. I read it without reading the first one but it wasn’t a problem. What happened in Jane’s first case is clearly stated here when someone from the first book appears. Jane and her sister Cassandra are the main characters and every story is stand-alone.

Cassandra is invited to the mid term ball of their old school in Reading. Jane is not excited as her sister, but goes with her anyway. In Reading Jane can meet with her friend Deepti and her father, and she meet Brandon, a musician and ex slave.
During the ball, a diamond necklace is stolen and Brandon is unjustly accused of the theft. Jane, with Cassandra’s help, starts to investigate and manages to find many interesting things.

I was very curious about the idea of Jane Austen as a young detective, observing all kind of people and their behavior. The fact that this literary device comes from some letters Jane wrote to her brother is amazing!
Jane as a detective is inquisitive and a little nosey, brave and fearless.
She is funny and clever, she love her sister even if they’re very different. Furthermore, she hates injustices and fight tooth and nail to defend the ones who are accused of a crime just because of their origins.
What I liked most about her is that she is able to accept when she is wrong, to admit that she is privileged and what she believes of her country is influenced by that. And then, when she discovers the truth she doesn’t cower, but tries to understand more and better.
I appreciated how Julia Golding talked about colonialism and slavery, helping Jane to open her eyes.

Regarding the plot and the crime, I really liked how the author wrote many character that could have been guilty; the reader suspects them all and is not sure of the real responsible until the end.

I would love seeing a TV show of these books; it would be amazing!

When Jane and Cassandra Austen are invited back to their old school in Reading for a ball, they quickly realise that the school is in financial trouble and the ball is an attempt to secure some well-heeled pupils to keep the school running. Fortunately, the wealthy heiresses Elinor and Marianne, seem interested in joining the school, until Elinor’s diamond necklace is stolen during the ball. With the help of her dog Grandison, some friends from her previous adventure, The Abbey Mystery, and her reluctant assistant, Cassandra, Jane must unmask the real thief and clear her friend Brandon’s name.

As a long-time Austen fan, I was captivated by this charming and entertaining portrayal of Jane Austen at 13—getting into mischief and solving crimes. But even without understanding the Austen references, ‘The Burglar’s Ball’ is an engaging, twisty mystery with a determined protagonist contemporary children can relate to. Lots of fun!

I am impressed on how many things Jane Austen keep inspiring even years and years after her death. What adelightful surprise was this story(and the suspicious veracity of the plot like this would happened in reality) It was well written and the feeling of be following the young Jane in her ride about the mistery of the stolen diamond ina simple and clear way makes this narrative so fun for everyone in early or old age could enjoy a lot .

Young Jane Austen is proving to be an accomplished detective in this isecond series entry. This time she has the help of her beloved older sister Cassandra as well as Deepti, her Indian friend from the first book. While there are plenty of Easter eggs for Jane Austen fans, middle grade readers too young to know the famous author won't be put off. A welcome addition to Golding's stories is diversity that was not always visible in Austen's own novels. Recommended for middle grade lovers of mysteries and historical fiction.