Secondary Character Saturday: Aunt Winnie (Murder at Longbourn)

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WHO: Aunt Winnie

FROM: Murder at Longbourn, Murder on the Bride’s Side, Murder Most Persuasive. (She is in Murder Most Austen too, but I haven’t read that yet)

BY: Tracy Kiely

PUBLISHED: 2009

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PROS: Aunt Winnie is feisty, smart, and she knows her mind. Since I am now eligible for an AARP card I really appreciate heroines (and heroes) who have a few  years on them. Aunt Winnie has me beat by several decades, but she still knows how to have fun (even if she doesn’t always know how to dress.) She’s her own woman and I like that. She’s devoted to her niece, which an aunt ought to be if she can. And she loves Jane Austen.

CONS: She’s stubborn, and her “throw caution to the wind” attitude some times gets her in trouble.

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MOST SHINING MOMENT:  Murder at Longbourn takes place at Winnie’s B&B, so she is most intricately involved in that plot, but I think her most shining moment comes in Murder Most Persuasive when she puts her sister-in-law, a Scarlett O’Hara wannabe, in place on several occasions.

WHY I CHOSE AUNT WINNIE: Well I couldn’t choose Elizabeth, because she’s the MAIN character   …and I would have chosen Peter, but Peter is  a stand in for Darcy — and if I was going to pick Darcy I would have PICKED DARCY! So Aunt Winnie was a good next choice. She’s the type of gal I hope to be when I grow up.

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In this book series Tracy Kiely manages to channel Austen and Agatha Christie at the same time. I’m not a big fan of the Mystery genre, but Kiely throws in plenty of Austen references and an abundance of self deprecating humor and manages to make each of these books a fun, easy read. I’m looking forward the fourth novel, Murder Most Austen.

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Related Sites: http://www.tracykielymysteries.com/