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Susan: A Jane Austen Prequel

Warleigh Hall Press Jane Austen Series

By Alice McVeigh

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

SUSAN is a brilliant imagining of what the lethal Lady Susan - aged 35 in Austen's masterpiece, might have been like when only sixteen.

Sixteen-year-old Susan Smithson – pretty but poor, clever but capricious – has just been expelled from a school for young ladies in London.

At the mansion of the formidable Lady Catherine de Bourgh, she attracts a raffish young nobleman. But, at the first hint of scandal, her guardian dispatches her to her uncle Collins’ rectory in Kent, where her sensible cousin Alicia lives and “where nothing ever happens.”

Here Susan mischievously inspires the local squire to put on a play, with consequences no one could possibly have foreseen. What with the unexpected arrival of Frank Churchill, Alicia’s falling in love and a tumultuous elopement, rural Kent will surely never seem safe again…

BookLife Quarterfinalist. Gold medal in the Global Book Awards. First Prize in the Pencraft Book Awards. Finalist for the Wishing Shelf, Goethe Award, and Rone audiobook Award at In D'Tale magazine. Category #1 seller on Amazon.

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Word on the Street

““This Austen-inspired novel echoes the master herself. McVeigh’s prose and plotting are pitch-perfect, and many readers will forget they’re reading a contemporary novelist… Emma mingles with Pride and Prejudice in a delightful confrontation between the two books’ worlds… While this title will be catnip to dedicated Austen fans, even new initiates into her work will be captivated by this lively tale.”
– Publishers Weekly’s BookLife Prize 2021 (quarterfinalist, rated 10/10)“

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Publishers Weekly

““Though there have certainly been other attempts to imitate Austen’s narrative and storytelling, none have been so skilfully and masterfully executed as Alice McVeigh has achieved. The storytelling and plotting make for a truly immersive experience. Fans of Mr. Darcy, Charlotte Collins and Frank Churchill will enjoy adventures of their beloved characters woven throughout the work… Susan also serves as a bridge between the worlds of Emma and Pride and Prejudice, realizing on the page a space that no doubt many readers have long imagined… McVeigh’s impeccable prose transports readers so convincingly it is difficult to remember this work was not penned by Jane Austen herself.” – IndieReader“

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IndieReader

““Fans of Jane Austen will be easily enraptured by Susan: A Jane Austen Prequel by Alice McVeigh. Honoring the original voice of characters more than two centuries old and capturing the subtle tension and emotional complexity of youthful independence, this stylistic gem is an ambitious and memorable homage… McVeigh has set a strong foundation for a stunning six-book series and has the writing chops to deliver a hugely challenging undertaking, which will thrill fans of Jane Austen, and historical fiction fans in general.” – Self-Publishing Review“

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Self-Publishing Review

“An engaging historical novel set within Jane Austen’s classic universe. A young woman of no fortune and immense wit maneuvers her way into the good graces of landed gentry in Alice McVeigh’s novel of manners. Characters from Pride and Prejudice appear or are mentioned in passing. Their incorporation is clever: Mr. Collins is Susan’s uncle; Colonel Fitzwilliam had the misfortune of having killed Susan’s father in duel; and Lady Catherine becomes her benefactress. Susan’s personality does break through the rigid strictures of Regency society, helping to make Susan an engaging historical novel with classic influences.
– Foreword Clarion Reviews.“

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Foreword/Clarion Reviews

“An intelligent prequel packed with enjoyable Austen references… McVeigh displays a brilliant, spot-on command of Austen’s diction and tone.
– Kirkus Review“

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Kirkus Review