Jane knows she is nearing the end of her life. Her health has been deteriorating for months and the doctors give her six months to live. However, when her old friend Elizabeth Heathcote is in trouble, Jane and her nephew Edward are ready to help. Elizabeth's son, William, has been accused of murdering a schoolmate at Winchester College, a boys' boarding school. Jane's nephew Edward tells her all about the boys college and how William endured hazing and cruel pranks. But could William have lashed out at his tormentors to the extent of murdering one of them?

I thought it was really interesting to have Jane Austen entering the exclusive world of a prestigious boys' school. They have their own lingo and traditions, and a very specific hierarchy of masters and prefects. Jane is shocked to learn about the awful beatings the younger boys will receive from the older boys, and how they are forced to run errands and clean for the prefects like servants.

Elizabeth's son, William, has developed a stutter, a speech impediment that was considered by many in Austen's time to be indicative of low intelligence. Because of this prejudice, he is not believed when he insists that he is innocent of the murder of his classmate.

I really liked seeing Jane and her nephew in this book. They work together to solve the mystery, and Edward is very solicitous for his aunt's health. He is attentive and courageous and intelligent. It was delightful to see how Jane and her nephew had similar personalities. It's really interesting to imagine what their family might have been like, how they might have talked with one another, and how they would have interacted.

The murder mystery is really good! I sort of guessed who the murderer might be, but I didn't know how or why he did it, so the mystery was still really intriguing.

I love the formal writing style that mimics the Regency era language. The dialogue is fairly close to what a real conversation might have been like in that time period. It really immerses you in the history.