Bellfield Hall, or the Observations of Miss Dido Kent by Anna Dean FIC Dea

Described as "Agatha Christie meets Jane Austen," this mystery is set in early 19th-century England.  Because I love all things Christie, and Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite books, I was eager to see if the description held true.  It did; this first book in a series is certainly reminiscent of both authors.

A young woman, Catherine, calls on her spinster (though not "aged") aunt, Miss Dido Kent, to help solve the mystery of her fiancee's disappearance and cryptic message breaking their engagement.  The two are staying at the manor house of Catherine's future father-in-law on an extended visit as per the time period, and while they are there, another mystery crops up with the murder of an unknown woman on the grounds.   Miss Kent wonders if the two things are linked, and sets out to solve both mysteries. With the typical cast of characters -- any reader of Christie or Austen will certainly recognize the stereotypes -- the story moves along well as Miss Kent scrutinizes the other houseguests and family members for any sign of their involvement in either case.  A segue here and there into romance (or lack thereof), and Miss Kent's clever letters to her sister, add some humor to the story.

While I found the mystery a bit obvious here and there, the author manages a Christie-esque twist to keep the reader on her toes. I found this a fun little read, and have put the remaining books in the series on my to-read list.