Format: 400 pages, Paperback
Release Date: March 31, 2026
Publisher: Pan
Source: Publisher
Genre: Mystery, Suspense
Cozy, quirky and utterly enthralling, A Crime Through Time is the debut from Amelia Blackwell – the start of a series where crime, time travel and Jane Austen collide.
Pemberley, 1799. When Miss Georgiana Darcy attempts to escape an unwanted marriage proposal, she isn’t expecting to end up quite so far from home. But after encountering a mysterious object in the nearby woods, she finds herself transported almost two hundred years into the future.
Saltram, 1995. At a grand country house where a film crew are busy shooting the latest Jane Austen adaptation, a terrible crime has been committed. And Miss Darcy – newly arrived, impeccably dressed and thoroughly confused – is the only witness.
It soon becomes clear that, somehow, Georgiana was meant to solve this riddle. With the help of a distractingly handsome Irishman named Quinn and a border collie named Watson, she sets out to stop the killer before they can strike again. But meanwhile, trouble is brewing back at Pemberley and time, it seems, is not on her side . . .
Pemberley, 1799. When Miss Georgiana Darcy attempts to escape an unwanted marriage proposal, she isn’t expecting to end up quite so far from home. But after encountering a mysterious object in the nearby woods, she finds herself transported almost two hundred years into the future.
Saltram, 1995. At a grand country house where a film crew are busy shooting the latest Jane Austen adaptation, a terrible crime has been committed. And Miss Darcy – newly arrived, impeccably dressed and thoroughly confused – is the only witness.
It soon becomes clear that, somehow, Georgiana was meant to solve this riddle. With the help of a distractingly handsome Irishman named Quinn and a border collie named Watson, she sets out to stop the killer before they can strike again. But meanwhile, trouble is brewing back at Pemberley and time, it seems, is not on her side . . .
Amelia Blackwell's A Crime Through Time is the first installment in the author's Miss Darby Investigations series, and the author's debut novel. A Crime Through Time is a quirky, escapist debut that blends Jane Austen sequel vibes, cozy crime, time travel, and light romance into an entertaining (if uneven) romp. It launches the Miss Darcy Investigates series and centers on Georgiana Darcy (Mr. Darcy’s younger sister from Pride and Prejudice) as an unlikely time-traveling amateur sleuth.
The novel is set primarily between Pemberley in 1799 and Saltram House in Devon in 1995. Georgiana, now around 20 and still recovering from the near-scandal involving Wickham, faces an unwanted marriage proposal from the unappealing Baron John de Halighwell. Seeking solitude in the woods, she discovers a mysterious object—a Motorola pager—that transports her nearly 200 years forward. She lands on the grounds of Saltram House, where a film crew is shooting a Jane Austen adaptation (linked to Sense and Sensibility).
There she witnesses (or stumbles upon) a crime involving a groundsman’s death, becomes the only key witness of sorts, and teams up with a distractingly handsome Irish security guard named Quinn and a border collie named Watson to investigate while shuttling back and forth through time. Parallel troubles brew at Pemberley involving family (including Elizabeth’s difficult pregnancy) and social pressures. The premise is the book’s strongest asset: a clever collision of Austen’s world with 1990s Britain, fish-out-of-water humor, and cozy mystery tropes.
Georgiana’s reactions to modern life, technology, language, casual manners, music, and the chaos of a film set provide much of the comedy and charm. Blackwell (a Cornwall-based author with a deep affection for Austen, an MA in Creative Writing, and personal touches like naming a suitor after a family connection) shows clear research and love for the source material. She expands Georgiana beyond her more passive original portrayal into a curious, increasingly confident young woman who gains agency through her adventures.
Familiar figures such as Darcy, Elizabeth, Lady Catherine, and Anne appear with recognizable traits while allowing room for new dynamics. The dual timelines create a sense of two stories in one, and the short, often amusingly titled chapters help the pacing in places. Romance develops between Georgiana (“George” to Quinn) and the down-to-earth Quinn, offering a contrast between Regency constraints and modern possibilities, though the time gap creates inherent tension and an open-ended quality suited to a series.
The mystery involves murder(s) on the estate and the need to stop a killer, with Watson adding a touch of loyal canine companionship. As a series starter, it successfully plants seeds for future adventures (a sequel involving the Brontës has been mentioned in related materials) and leaves some questions open. It works best for readers who enjoy light, concept-driven fiction rather than rigorous locked-room puzzles or deep historical immersion.
Fans of Austen-inspired stories, time-travel romances, or gentle mysteries with humor (think elements of Thursday Next-style literary playfulness mixed with cozy vibes) are the clearest audience. Those seeking a meaty, clue-driven crime novel or strict fidelity to Austen’s tone and characters may find it lighter and more uneven than hoped.
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