Miss Charlotte House will not admit impediments to marriage, not even when those impediments include scandal, blackmail and murder. With the help of her particular friend Miss Jane Woodsen, she knows all that happens in Bath — both good and ill — and together they ensure that true love’s course runs smooth, even though both friends have suffered tragedies that prevent their own happiness.

These stories are suggested by the works of Jane Austen and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, although they do not include the creations of either author (with perhaps occasional lapses), and also “borrow” from other authors of classic literature, including Charles Dickens, Mary Shelley and even P.G. Wodehouse.

This is a work in progress and in the first story, The Poison Pen Affair, House and Woodsen must protect a young lady’s honour after letters accusing her of promiscuity threaten her betrothal. But things are not always what they seem.

Click to read My Particular Friend in the Flash reader or as html pages or for mobile devices.

NEW! Another novel in development, a wholly unathorized sequel to Lost in Austen, that I call Stuck in Austen. Follow the adventures of Harriet Smith, an American ex-pat of Indian descent who finds herself stuck in the plot of Emma, and not in a leading role. Click to read Stuck in Austen in the Flash reader or as html pages or for mobile devices.

These free, online books are — ahem — borrowed from the Project Gutenberg library, which is an online repository of public domain books. I strongly encourage you to donate at least once to Project Gutenberg.

These eBooks are for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org.

In addition, the Flash and html readers used in this website will be available for anyone to use at their own website. For more information about the readers, click the email link at the bottom of this page. I will be happy to show you how to install them.