annieb123
Written on Jul 14, 2022
The Burglar's Ball is the second Jane Austen Investigation by Julia Golding. Released 22nd Oct 2021 by Lion Hudson, it's 176 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats.
This is such a fun homage with the revered author herself as a young girl in the role of amateur sleuth. It's an engaging and well written story. Aimed at older middle grade readers, it's easy to read and action filled. The East India Company figures to a significant degree and the author handles Jane's awakening to the less savory realities of colonialism sensitively but realistically. The themes of racism, exploitation, slavery, and animal abuse are discussed in an age appropriate manner.
The characterizations are precise and believable, and the settings descriptions and general prose very well wrought. The dialogue is somewhat (but not overly) reminiscent of the speech patterns of the time which adds verisimilitude without being overly intrusive.
Graphically it's appealing with easy to read typeset text and enhanced by line drawn chapter headings and inserted illustrations throughout.
Four stars. It's a delightful addition to the series and would make a good selection for school or public library acquisition. There's a third book due out in late 2022.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.