Death of a Schoolgirl

While extensive repairs are being made to Ferndean, their rural home, Jane and Edward accept an invitation from their friend Lucy Brayton to stay with her in London. Jane is reluctant to abandon their peaceful life in the countryside, but Edwards damaged vision has grown worse. She hopes that time in the capital will buoy his spirits and give him the chance to receive treatment from an ocular specialist.

Once in London, the Rochesters accompany Lucy to the Italian Opera House. But there is more drama in the audience than on stage—Jane not only unexpectedly finds herself in the presence of King George and his mistress, Lady Conygham, she also encounters an old nemesis in the form of Lady Ingram (whose daughter, Blanche, once hoped to wed Edward herself). The aging dowager deals both Jane and Lucy a very public snub; hoping to mitigate the social damage caused by this, Lucy insists on visiting the Ingrams the next day. The visit goes poorly from the start—and ends with Lady Ingram dropping dead in the midst of taking tea. It soon becomes clear that the dowagers death was an unnatural one, and Jane must set her considerable intelligence to the problem of solving it—and why the throne appears to have an interest …

“A delightful chance for Bronte fans to expand their acquaintance with Jane Eyre, who continues her modest but strong-willed ways in an ingeniously contrived return to teaching...and sleuthing.”—#1 New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris

“Death of a Schoolgirl is like returning to a familiar and comfortable place. … Slan has created an engaging mystery and peopled it with dear and familiar characters.”—Story Circle Book Reviews

“Fans of historical cozies will best appreciate Slan’s first in a new series featuring Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre … credibly recreates Regency London and the era of the Bow Street Runners.”—Publishers Weekly

“So genuine it seems like a long-lost Brontë original.”—Hank Phillippi Ryan, Agatha, Anthony and Macavity-award winning author

“A marvelous new adventure.”—New York Times bestselling author Charles Todd

"An excellent sleuth!"—Rhys Bowen, Agatha and Anthony-award winning author

“A terrific beginning to a new series. … a fully-fleshed sequel to Jane Eyre."—Jeri Westerson, author of the Crispin Guest Medieval Noir series

“This tasty blend of well-drawn characters and unexpected plot twists has all the rich flavor of England in the early 1820s.”—Kathy Lynn Emerson, author of How To Write Killer Historical Mysteries: The Art and Adventure of Sleuthing Through the Past  

“A delightful chance for Bronte fans to expand their acquaintance with Jane Eyre.” —Charlaine Harris, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“So genuine it seems like a long-lost Brontë original.”—Hank Phillippi Ryan, Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity–award winning author

“A marvelous new adventure.”—Charles Todd, New York Times bestselling author

“This tasty blend of well-drawn characters and unexpected plot twists has all the rich flavor of England in the early 1820s.”—Kathy Lynn Emerson, author of How to Write Killer Historical Mysteries: The Art and Adventure of Sleuthing Through the Past

Jane can’t help but fret when a letter arrives from Adèle Varens—Rochester’s ward, currently at boarding school—warning that the girl’s life is in jeopardy. Although it means leaving her young son and invalid husband, and despite never having been to a city of any size, Jane feels strongly compelled to go to London to ensure Adèle’s safety.

But almost from the beginning, Jane’s travels don’t go as planned—she is knocked about and robbed, and no one believes that the plain, unassuming Jane could indeed be the wife of a gentleman; even the school superintendent takes her for an errant new teacher. But most shocking to Jane is the discovery that Adèle’s schoolmate has recently passed away under very suspicious circumstances, yet no one appears overly concerned. Taking advantage of the situation, Jane decides to pose as the missing instructor—and soon uncovers several unsavory secrets, which may very well make her the killer’s next target…

When the roof caves in at their country home, Ferndean, Jane and Edward accept an invitation from their friend Lucy Brayton to stay with her in London while repairs are being made. Jane is reluctant to abandon their peaceful life in the countryside, but Edward’s damaged vision has grown worse. She hopes that time in the capital will buoy his spirits and give him the chance to receive treatment from a renowned oculist.

Once in London, the Rochesters accompany Lucy to the Italian Opera House, where they encounter Dowager Lady Ingram, who had once hoped for Edward to wed her daughter, Blanche—and who’s still rankled by his subsequent marriage to Jane. In front of a group of society people, the aging dowager delivers a vicious social drubbing to Jane, enraging both Edward and Lucy. In an attempt to rebuild good will, Jane and Lucy decide to speak to the Dowager in private. But the visit is cut short when the Dowager drops dead before their shocked eyes. The police suspect foul play, and Lucy stands accused of murder—unless Jane can clear her friend’s name…  

When the roof caves in at Ferndean, their country home, Jane and Edward accept an invitation from their friend Lucy Brayton to stay with her in London while repairs are being made. Jane is reluctant to abandon their peaceful life in the countryside, but Edward’s damaged vision has grown worse. She hopes that time in the capital will buoy his spirits and give him the chance to receive treatment from a renowned oculist.

Once in London, the Rochesters accompany Lucy to the Italian Opera House, where they encounter Dowager Lady Ingram, who had once hoped for Edward to wed her daughter, Blanche—and who’s still rankled by his subsequent marriage to Jane. In front of a group of society people, the aging dowager delivers a vicious social drubbing to Jane, enraging both Edward and Lucy. In an attempt to rebuild good will, Jane and Lucy decide to speak to the Dowager in private the next day. But the visit is cut short when the Dowager drops dead before their shocked eyes. Lucy is poised to take the blame—unless Jane can clear her friend’s name…

While extensive repairs are being made to Ferndean, their rural home, Jane and Edward accept an invitation from their friend Lucy Brayton to stay with her in London. Jane is reluctant to abandon their peaceful life in the countryside, but Edwards damaged vision has grown worse. She hopes that time in the capital will buoy his spirits and give him the chance to receive treatment from an ocular specialist.

Once in London, the Rochesters accompany Lucy to the Italian Opera House. But there is more drama in the audience than on stage—Jane not only unexpectedly finds herself in the presence of King George and his mistress, Lady Conygham, she also encounters an old nemesis in the form of Lady Ingram (whose daughter, Blanche, once hoped to wed Edward herself). The aging dowager deals both Jane and Lucy a very public snub; hoping to mitigate the social damage caused by this, Lucy insists on visiting the Ingrams the next day. The visit goes poorly from the start—and ends with Lady Ingram dropping dead in the midst of taking tea. It soon becomes clear that the dowagers death was an unnatural one, and Jane must set her considerable intelligence to the problem of solving it—and why the throne appears to have an interest …