is up for preorder!
So….way back when Amazon had Kindle Vella, I published — in serial form — a lot of my mystery/suspense works that had never seen the light of a reader’s day. One of them was The Jane Austen Murders, which I have updated and am releasing for the very first time in print on September 1, 2026.
Blurb:
Homicide Detectives Elizabeth Bennett and Frank Churchill are called to Longbourne College when the body of student Charlotte Lucas is found bludgeoned to death. Charlotte, a scholarship student, had a healthy supply of designer clothes, jewelry, and a safe deposit box loaded with cash. Where did she get them?
During Lizzy’s investigation into Charlotte’s life, she discovers the student had an antagonistic relationship with her English professor, Dr. Darcy. Word on the street is they couldn’t stand one another and the night before she was killed, the duo had a loud, contentious argument in front of the entire class.
When more clues start popping up about Charlotte’s extracurricular activities, Darcy becomes the primary suspect.
But did he do it?
So…why write a book using the entire cast of Jane Austen characters in this day and age?
The idea came to me one day when I was re-reading Pride and Prejudice for what had to have been the fifteenth time. To say I love the story is too tame a descriptor.
I wondered, as an author will, what the characters would look like in modern times. Would the passion between Lizzy and Darcy hold up across the centuries? What scenario would force them together, because I didn’t think a woman on the hunt for a man to marry and take care of her would fly in these times.
Plus, Lizzy always reminded me of a woman born before her time – a badass; a feminist; a gal out to make her own way in the world, unapologetically.
Giving her the occupation of homicide detective seemed appropriate. Once I had that, the story unfolded itself.
This version was originally published under the Kindle Vella platform and it got such great traction there I decided to publish it as a standalone novel once the criteria and rules of Vella were completed.
Back in my 20s and 30s, before I ever thought to write romance books, I was fascinated by crime, true crime, and serial killers. I grew up in the era of Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy, and Son of Sam. All my books up on Kindle Vella show that fascination, this one included.
I hope you liked reading about Lizzy and Darcy in this format. Who knows? Maybe I’ll make them a crime-fighting duo in a series. Heehee
Happy Reading,
Peg
Peggy Jaeger, Author 