Reading Regency Novels With Vanessa Kelly

by Vanessa Kelly

Georgette Heyer was a prolific author of both historical and detective novels, and her Regency-set romances are among the best ever written. I’ve adored her books since I was a teenager, and have reread my original copies until they’re almost falling apart. It’s hard for me to pick a favorite, but I’ll mention two: Arabella and Frederica. Both novels are hilarious as they pair up unusual heroines with wealthy, jaded heroes pushed far outside their comfort zones by these determined young women. They’re classic fish-out-of-water stories, and often feature comically absurd scenarios that only someone as talented as Heyer could pull off. I’m also adding bonus points, since both novels include very funny, badly behaved dogs as integral parts of the plots.   

Heyer introduced me to the Regency period, which then led onwards to my favorite author, Jane Austen. Naturally, my favorite Austen novel is Emma—and I would say that even if I wasn’t writing a mystery series based on that iconic book! Emma is a fantastic coming-of-age tale, an incisive and witty portrayal of small town life, and a very wise book on the vagaries of the human heart. It also features Mr. Knightley, one of the best romantic heroes in fiction. Northanger Abbey, Austen’s comic take on the Gothic novel, is flat-out hilarious, with a tomboy-heroine transforming into a plucky young woman to root for.

Finally, I could name several Loretta Chase books as among my favorite Regency-set novels. Lord of Scoundrels is an incredible novel with the ultimate tortured, alpha male hero, and has rightly landed on numerous best-of-all-time lists. I also adored every one of the Carsington Brother novels, with Lord Perfect being a real standout. Chase’s books are beautifully written, with charismatic, witty characters—a winning combo for me!


First in a captivating new series, Jane Austen’s Emma Knightley entertains a different role in Highbury—going from clever matchmaker to Regency England’s shrewdest sleuth.

“Clever and charming, Vanessa Kelly brings Austen’s world in Highbury village to life with beloved characters, twisty hijinks, and a mystery that will keep you guessing.” —Madeline Martin, New York Times bestselling author of The Keeper of Hidden Books

Less than one year into her marriage to respected magistrate George Knightley, Emma has grown unusually content in her newfound partnership and refreshed sense of independence. The height of summer sees the former Miss Woodhouse gracefully balancing the meticulous management of her elegant family estate and a flurry of social engagements, with few worries apart from her beloved father’s health . . .   

But cheery circumstances change in an instant when Emma and Harriet Martin, now the wife of one of Mr. Knightley’s tenant farmers, discover a hideous shock at the local church. The corpse of Mrs. Augusta Elton, the vicar’s wife, has been discarded on the altar steps—the ornate necklace she often wore stripped from her neck . . .   

As a chilling murder mystery blooms and chaos descends upon the tranquil village of Highbury, the question isn’t simply who committed the crime, but who wasn’t secretly wishing for the unpleasant woman’s demise. When suspicions suddenly fall on a harmless local, Emma—armed with wit, unwavering determination, and extensive social connections—realizes she must discreetly navigate an investigation of her own to protect the innocent and expose the ruthless culprit hiding in plain sight.