Jane Steele

By: Lyndsay Faye

Narrated by: Susie Riddell

Nominated for the 2017 Edgar Award for Best Novel

The reimagining of Jane Eyre as a gutsy, heroic serial killer that The New York Times Book Review calls “wonderfully entertaining” and USA Today describes as “sheer mayhem meets Victorian propriety.”

“A thrill ride of a novel. A must read for lovers of Jane Eyre, dark humor, and mystery.”
—PopSugar.com

“Reader, I murdered him.”

A sensitive orphan, Jane Steele suffers first at the hands of her spiteful aunt and predatory cousin, then at a grim school where she fights for her very life until escaping to London, leaving the corpses of her tormentors behind her. After years of hiding from the law while penning macabre “last confessions” of the recently hanged, Jane thrills at discovering an advertisement. Her aunt has died and her childhood home has a new master: Mr. Charles Thornfield, who seeks a governess.

Burning to know whether she is in fact the rightful heir, Jane takes the position incognito and learns that Highgate House is full of marvelously strange new residents—the fascinating but caustic Mr. Thornfield, an army doctor returned from the Sikh Wars, and the gracious Sikh butler Mr. Sardar Singh, whose history with Mr. Thornfield appears far deeper and darker than they pretend. As Jane catches ominous glimpses of the pair’s violent history and falls in love with the gruffly tragic Mr. Thornfield, she faces a terrible dilemma: Can she possess him—body, soul, and secrets—without revealing her own murderous past?

A satirical romance about identity, guilt, goodness, and the nature of lies, by a writer who Matthew Pearl calls “superstar-caliber” and whose previous works Gillian Flynn declared “spectacular,” Jane Steele is a brilliant and deeply absorbing book inspired by Charlotte Brontë’s classic Jane Eyre.

Skipped Netflix Binge To Finish This Story

Extremely well read and inventively written. A complex story that could easily have been a trilogy (three acts). Interesting characters frequently making unorthodox choices; equal parts daring-do, romance, mystery and gothic drama. Funny and riveting. I strongly recommend to fans of the time period who sometimes wish the strong heroines (such as they were) had a little more cunning at their disposal.

Stellar Writing and Solid Performance

The writing in this book is stunning. I am a writer myself, and so I often find it difficult to find books that I enjoy. This book is a gem.

What a Remake Should Be

Oh, there was so much to love about this book! The Jane Eyre analysis, wry humor, engaging characters, adventure, and a dash of romance--nevermind the gorgeous, gleaming prose. I adored it. I enjoyed the very talented narrator as well. Highly, highly recommended.

Great Read, so good I've listened to it many times

I love this story! Humor, wit, sarcasm, clever dialogue, a little bit of history, references to a classic novel, detailed description of fashions of the time - this book has it all. Susie Riddell did an amazing job reading this novel, she really brings the cleaver dialogue to life, every character has a very distinct personality, I will definitely be looking into more books she reads.

Worth a credit! I will be recommending this book to many friends.

Never got dull & fabulous narrator

The story was so engaging. At every change of setting I was worried my interest would lag, but it never did! The characters were rich and the narration was a delight.