Was Isabella Thorpe Murdered on Initiation Night?

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Source: Review Copy from Author

TYPE OF NOVEL: Contemporary Austen-Inspired Mystery Involving Characters from Multiple Austen Works

THE PREMISE: Caty Morland’s roommate, best friend, and sorority sister is found dead, and Caty, a true-crime lover, believes it to be murder. So she launches an investigation and discovers that Isabella had connections to many people Austen University – was her death related to the Marla Bertram scandal, was it because she was tarnishing the sorority’s reputation, was it because she knew something she shouldn’t, or was it something more sinister such as blackmail or a jealous lover…

WHAT I LOVED:

• Greek Life, Austen, and a Murder: What a diverting and unique combination! I love the integration of various Jane Austen characters, and it makes perfect sense that sororities and fraternities would group such characters like Caty Morland, Anne Elliot, Karoline Bingley, and Emma Woodhouse or Henry Tilney, Frank Churchill, Fo-hian Darcy, and Jay Rushworth together. And if someone had to be killed off, Isabella Thorpe is not a bad choice… 😏

• Homages to Austen: From the name of the university to the personalities of all the characters involved – this tale is brimming with fun nods and updates for Austenites to discover – such as Caty Morland being obsessed with true-crime podcasts, George Knightley being the older, more serious graduate RA, Emma Woodhouse being the sorority president, Mrs. Norris being the house mother and so on. I love and appreciate how Elizabeth Gilliland cleverly matched her contemporary reincarnations with the personalities of their Regency counterparts.

• The Mystery: This mystery had me guessing. I had my hunches, but they were wrong. But not as wrong as Caty’s…lol. She definitely veered hard in a wrong direction. 🤦🏻‍♀️ But I love it when I don’t solve a mystery before the end, and I think Ms. Gilliland did a fabulous job of giving so many possible suspects – who didn’t Isabella Thorpe make enemies with? In addition, the scandal around Marla Bertram and her diary was also an intriguing puzzle that kept me guessing. I enjoyed all the twists and developments the author devised.

• A Series?: With a preview of The Portraits of Pemberley in the back of the book it looks like we can return to Austen University soon! I’m so excited. This was a big cast of characters, and while some of their storylines got page-time and focus in this novel, there are many other relationships and characters that have the potential to be in the spotlight next.

WHAT I WASN’T TOO FOND OF:

• Sometimes Hard To Follow: The story takes place in present day and flashes back to events that occurred earlier in the year. I typically love when an author uses this type of story-telling device, but sometimes I  found it difficult to know for sure if we were in the past or present. Some of the events and parties had similar people at them, and Caty was investigating both before and after Isabella’s death so sometimes it was hard to keep track of whether the scenes were present-day ones or flashbacks (even if the occasional indicator at the beginning of the chapter).

• Sometimes Cringe: I think it was intentional for Caty to be this misguided, but I couldn’t help feeling some secondhand embarrassment for her. Poor girl leaped into so many wrong assumptions without thinking them through. Also, I’m not typically one to complain about the use of strong language, but I felt a little bothered by how so many characters found it acceptable to use a derogatory slur for Isabella. I can understand it being the word choice of one very crass character in particular, but I would have liked to see more characters offended and not tolerate that word being used to describe someone they know.

NOTE: Due to the use of strong language and adult situations, I’d recommend this novel for readers over the age of 14.

CONCLUSION: 

What Happened on Box Hill is an engaging and diverting Austenesque mystery featuring our investigating ingenue, Caty Morland. The Austen University Mysteries series begins with a promising array of characters, relationships, dramas, and intrigues, and I look forward to seeing what crimes or collusions these characters face next!

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