Clwyd Castle by Jayne Bamber

Welcome, Dear Readers, it has been a while since I took up my blog, but I am always tempted to gush about whatever Jayne Bamber is doing, I just can't help it! If you loved "Home Alone at Longbourn," you are going to adore Jayne's upcoming release, "Clwyd Castle," which becomes available October 31, 2025 on Amazon!

For our reading pleasure, Ms Bamber has produced another binge-worthy page-turner. Who wants to join me in exploring the fresh content we are all about to enjoy?

Synopsis:

Elizabeth Bennet is asked to accompany Sir Edward Gardiner on a journey to Wales, though he has been vague in explaining their purpose. When she arrives at Clwyd Castle, she meets new friends and an old nemesis, as well as many new companions just as secretive as Sir Edward.

When their charming host announces his plan to free his guests from the burden of blackmail at his father’s hands, good intentions quickly lead to an increasingly grim situation - and then the murders begin.

Elizabeth must decide who to trust, and Mr. Darcy quickly proves to be amongst the few people she can rely on when the castle is locked down and the murderer strikes again. And again.

Alliances form and allegiances are tested, and Elizabeth, Mr. Darcy, and those they trust are forced to take matters into their own hands, putting their lives at risk to expose the truth in the nick of time.

As we all know, I am a sucker for a clever crossover, and the "Comedienne of JAFF" NEVER disappoints! Darcy, Lizzy, and intrigue? I am all anticipation. The author joins us today to talk about the upcoming release...

Jayne, what can you tell us about "Clwyd Castle?"

Hello, Caroline!

I’m excited to make Spooky Season a little spookier with my upcoming release, “Clwyd Castle!” 

Elizabeth, Mr. Darcy, and a horde of other Austen characters find themselves inveigled in a whodunnit inspired by the cult classic film, Clue!

A dozen guests – including Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth Bennet, and characters from all the other Austen novels - are invited to Clwyd Castle (pronounced “clue-id”) by Henry Tilney, who uses the alias “Mr. Butler.”

What do all these Austen characters have in common? They’re being blackmailed by General Tilney, and they all have something to hide! Muslin expert Henry Tilney has a plan to end his father’s extortion and other crimes… a plan that goes off the rails Day One!

With a visit from royalty looming, and an air of secrecy amongst the guests at the castle, there is at least one thing going well, and that’s the friendship between Elizabeth Bennet and Catherine Morland, who is living for the mystery!

And so, here is an excerpt of the two intrepid heroines on the evening they become acquainted….

“Is it not charming to share a cozy little parlor, Miss Bennet?”

“It is very snug, with the fire blazing,’ Elizabeth admitted. 

Miss Morland held up a bottle of wine and two glasses. “Mr. Tilney sent this, with a note that said I am to share it with you, that we might grow better acquainted.”

“I suppose he must have a little pity for us, knowing us to be amongst the four who harbor no dark, mysterious secret.” 

Miss Morland gestured to the sofa, and Elizabeth sank heavily into it as her new friend poured them each a glass of wine. She arched an eyebrow. “How old are you, Miss Morland?”

“I will be nineteen next year,” the girl said boldly, before shaking her head with a wry laugh. “I will be eighteen in December.”

“And I think you are not insensible to the charms of Mr. Tilney. Do you think it wise, given the circumstances?”

“Probably not,” Miss Morland sighed. “But he is the handsomest man I ever saw! And so affable! And do you not think it is terribly clever and noble of him to go against his father, and free everyone from whatever blackmail they have endured?”

Elizabeth considered, for it was very likely that her uncle was amongst that number, and she shuddered to think what that might have to do with her. “I suppose it depends. If anybody has actually done some great wrong, for which they deserve punishment rather than extortion…. Perhaps he ought to have handled it all through the appropriate legal procedures.”

“But we are to receive two children of the King! Are they not the highest law?” Miss Morland sipped at her wine, and then frowned. “Do you suppose there is any chance that Lady Allen and Sir Edward are the other two innocents?”

Elizabeth let out a heavy sigh and refilled her glass before doing the same for her friend. “I am sorry to say that I do not think it likely, else why would they have brought us here? No, when I think of it, I must consider the others that have some connections present. Miss Woodville, I think her name was, the haughty blonde in the white dress….”

“Miss Woodhouse, I thought she was quite nice.”

“Well, I suppose I can excuse her behavior at such a time. But Mr. Tilney said that she came with her aunt and a companion, so perhaps one amongst them has no horrible secret of their own. And then there was the married couple, the Rushworths, and that lady’s brother. One amongst them, perhaps? It cannot be anybody who came alone.”

Miss Morland nodded thoughtfully. “Your uncle seemed to know Lady Allen - either that, or they were instantly smitten. Perhaps there is some great secret from their past!”

Elizabeth laughed. “My mother and her sister have teased my uncle for being quite an enthusiastic beau in his younger days, but I cannot think how that would be a damaging revelation. Forgive me, I hardly wish to think what my uncle might have done that could warrant the disquiet that fell over him as we traveled here.”

“Oh dear, it was the same for Lady Allen, and she is generally so cheerful. But she has always been such a kind and attentive neighbor, and has taken such an interest in me, especially now that I am quite grown up. I ought to feel ungrateful for speculating like this, but I am vastly curious.”

“I am, and yet I am not,” Elizabeth admitted. “I wish I did not know that there was something I do not know.”

“Yes, exactly,” Miss Morland agreed. “But I suppose if we follow Mr. Tilney’s plan, and allow him to stall his father until the royals arrive, we may never know. It will all go away, but I suppose it is happy news for them.”

“Was it not odd that Mrs. Rushworth complained so loudly, but then declined to leave until the royals arrive?”

“I suppose it would be an inconvenience.”

Cathy waggled her brows. “I suppose it had something to do with the plain, short man that was so attentive to her, though he is not her husband.”

Elizabeth smiled sadly before finishing her glass of wine. She nearly poured another, but stayed herself. She could not summon the same levity as her new friend, and feared she would not be entirely herself until she spoke with her uncle. Perhaps he hoped that whatever secret the general held over him might be hushed up, for Mr. Tilney had promised that once the prince and princess were apprised of the general’s other misdeeds, he would be beyond extorting those he held such power over. If this was the case, he could have nothing to say to her, nothing to distress her with.

“Perhaps it is for the best,” Elizabeth sighed.

“But then what a merry time we shall have! I hope we might stay awhile, for I am sure this castle is deliciously haunted, and of course I should like to know Mr. Tilney better.” Miss Morland fidgeted with the fringe on her dressing gown for a moment, then gave Elizabeth a bright, devious smile. “Mr. Darcy is very handsome.”

“I suppose he is, but I know very well he would not say the same of me.” Finally indulging in a third glass of wine, Elizabeth moved a little closer to her friend as she imparted the tale of her first encounter with Mr. Darcy, and given the current circumstances, she took the liberty of comedic embellishments that were surely appreciated.

“And have you never seen him since his friend married your sister?”

Elizabeth scoffed. “In truth, my new brother is a little put out about it, for they have lately welcomed a baby girl, and wished him to act as godfather. But I suppose he was too busy committing whatever secret misdeeds the general holds over him, and could not be bothered to revisit the town that displeased him the first time.”

Miss Morland arched an eyebrow at Elizabeth. “If you are going to tease me about Mr. Tilney, I must pay you back in kind and observe that you would not be half so cross about his insult if he were not quite so handsome.”

Elizabeth felt her face grow hot, and she swatted at her friend. “No, indeed! Even if he had warts and a leer, I should object to him disparaging me where any of my neighbors and relations might have heard! And I have other reasons to dislike him, trust me. I am sure I think him very ill-featured!”

“Do you think his secret is a very bad one?”

Elizabeth had heard enough of Mr. Darcy’s character from poor Lieutenant Wickham, before he was reassigned to a post as aide to some colonel or general. She was quite certain that Mr. Darcy was capable of anything. Perhaps she only wished some distraction from whatever it was that her uncle was hiding, for Elizabeth found herself troubled indeed by the notion of Mr. Darcy. He was not only the handsomest man she had ever met, but also the most brooding and mysterious, and she had drunk just enough wine to find it an intriguing thread to pull. 

What a tangled web! I have had the privilege of an advance copy, Dear Readers, and here is my review... "A Delightful Whodunit with a Dash of Darcy"

Clwyd Castle is an absolute triumph—a witty, suspenseful, and deliciously clever fusion of Pride and Prejudice and Clue. Imagine the wit of Austen colliding with the manic intrigue of a murder mystery, all set within the echoing halls of a Regency-era castle where no one’s alibi—or reputation—is safe.

The story brings together Elizabeth Bennet, Mr. Darcy, and a suspiciously colorful array of houseguests for a stormy weekend at Clwyd Castle. Between the mysterious deaths, secret passages, and weaponry more varied than Lady Catherine’s opinions, the book manages to balance high-stakes tension with sparkling social comedy. Darcy’s dry wit meets its match not only in Elizabeth’s sharp intelligence but also in the absurd chaos of the investigation—each clue unearthing both scandal and laughter.

Ms Bamber’s tone is pitch-perfect: elegant yet endearingly slapstick, Austenian in style but infused with the brisk energy of a delightful Rom-Com Mystery. Readers will delight in how seamlessly the manners and motives of the Regency elite translate into a game of suspicion and survival. The final reveal had me gasping and grinning in equal measure.

In short, Clwyd Castle is a masterstroke of literary playfulness: equal parts candlelight, red herrings, and courtship. Whether you come for the romance, the mystery, or the razor-sharp humor, you’ll find yourself thoroughly entertained—and perhaps a bit suspicious of every teacup and candlestick along the way.

About the Author:

Jayne Bamber is a life-long Austen fan, and a total sucker for costume dramas. Jayne read her first Austen variation as a teenager and has spent more than a decade devouring as many of them as she can. This of course has led her to the ultimate conclusion of her addiction, writing one herself.

Jayne’s favorite Austen work is Sense and Sensibility, though Sanditon is a strong second. Despite her love for Pride and Prejudice, Jayne realizes that she is no Lizzy Bennet, and is in fact growing up to be Mrs. Bennet more and more each day.

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