Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas    by Stephanie Barron Order:  USA  Can Soho, 2014 (2014) Hardcover, CD, e-Book     Reviewed by Bob Walch This is the twelfth novel in the Jane Austen series and in this adventure the author puts her sleuthing skills to the test while snowbound for the holidays. It is 1814 and Jane is spending Christmas with family and friends. When one of the house guests of her hosts ends up dead, Jane suspects the man did not necessarily die from natural causes. Told from Jane's point of view through diary entries, this locked-room style mystery not only poses the opportunity for Jane to use her considerable mental and deductive powers, but it also acts as a platform for the author, Stephanie Barron, to share a traditional 19th century country Christmas and the twelve days celebration that culminates with a masquerade ball. As with the past novels, the cast of characters encompasses Jane's family and friends (some of them are quite remarkable) and touches on Jane's budding literary career and the historical events of the age. Jane Austen fans have embraced this series as have many mystery buffs. If you enjoy atmospheric, period English suspense stories, this should be a novel you'll enjoy from start to finish. And if you have been following this series, by all means don't miss this one! Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews