Jane Austen Investigates

Julia Golding is a multi-award winning children's author who has been awarded both the Waterstones Children's Book Prize and the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize. A former British diplomat and Oxfam policy adviser, Golding also has a doctorate in English Literature from Oxford University, and was writer-in-residence at the Royal Institution in 2019. Anavid Jane Austen fan, her Jane Austen-themed podcast 'What Would Jane Do?' offers a 19th century take on modern life. Golding is the successfulauthor of The Curious Science Quest series, The Tigers in the Tower andthe Jane Austen Investigates series.

Set in the early industrial revolution and the great canal building age, a young Jane Austen takes on the role of detective as she seeks to solve the mysterious events at the Oxford canal terminus.
Nearing completion, convicts work on completing the wharf overseen by the charming secretary Mr George, who shows Jane around. A rude convict Gardiner does not make a good impression though. When Gardiner goes missing and canal funds turn up short, an exciting manhunt ensues but Jane begins to expect something suspicious about the secretary and the reasons why Gardiner was in prison. Were Janes first impressions very wrong about the relative merits of the convict and the secretary? With the ever-present Austen spirit, Jane with notebook in hand, boldly overcomes the obstacles to finding the truth and expose the secrets. Inspired by Austens third novel Pride and Prejudice (working title First Impressions).

A third young Jane Austen adventure to uncover the mystery of a missing convict.