An Austen_Inspired Evening with Katie Lumsden and Jessica Bull

The Trouble With Mrs Montgomery Hurst by Katie Lumsden

1841. Mr Montgomery Hurst is getting married. To the great consternation of Wickenshire, he is not marrying the daughter of an earl, but an impoverished widow with three children, whom nobody hasever heard of. Society is both appalled and intrigued. Nobody is more curious than Mr Ashpoint, a wealthy local brewer, who had thought Mr Hurst might choose his daughter, Amelia, as his bride. Only, Amelia has no interest in marrying Mr Hurst - or indeed marrying at all. Mr Hurst’s marriage kicks off a series of events, as it becomes clear his business is everyone’s but his own...

Miss Austen Investigates by Jessica Bull

When a young woman's body is discovered during a ball on a Hampshire estate, the county is in uproar. For Jane, it is personal. Firstly, she is acquainted with the victim. Secondly, her brother, Georgy, is accused of the M**der. Jane has always been a watcher, and a listener. Might she use her powers of observation to save her brother from the scaffold? Miss Austen Investigates will sweep readers away to Regency England where manners are more important than M**der..

Key information about booking:

• Please purchase a ticket for each person attending; each ticket is £5.
• Refreshments provided.
• Both author's books will be available to purchase on the evening (with thanks to Goldfinch Books in Alton) and signing opportunities after the main part of the event
• Booking is essential, so be quick to avoid disappointment.
• Please arrive 10 minutes early.

Information about the authors

Katie Lumsden

Katie Lumsden read Jane Eyre at the age of thirteen and never looked back. She spent her teenage years devouring nineteenth century literature, reading every Dickens, Bronte, Gaskell, Austen and Hardy novel she could find. She has a degree in English Literature & History from the University of Durham and an MA in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University. Her short stories have been shortlisted for the London Short Story Prize and the Bridport Prize, and have been published in various literary magazines. Katie’s YouTube channel Books and Things has more than 28K subscribers. She lives in London and works as an Editor. Her debut The Secrets of Hartwood Hall received praise from Stacey Halls, Emma Stonex and Susan Stokes-Chapman. The Trouble With Mrs Montgomery Hurst is her much-anticipated second novel.

Jessica Bull

Jessica Bull grew up in South East London, where she still lives with her husband, two daughters, and far too many pets. She's addicted to stories and studied English Literature at Bristol University, and Information Science at City University, London. She began work as a librarian (under the false impression she could sit and read all day), before becoming a communications consultant. Miss Austen Investigates is her debut novel and the first in a series.

If you have any additional needs or require any special assistance, please let us know prior to the event by contacting [email protected] (this inbox is managed Mon-Fri 9am-5pm).

If you are not able to or do not wish to provide us with any contact details (landline or mobile number and email address) you won’t be able to purchase a ticket online. Please visit the library that is hosting the event to purchase a ticket in person.

Host or Publisher Surrey Libraries' Events