Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Investigator

“Delightful … Refreshingly, Gardiner and Kumar don’t sand down Caroline’s less agreeable qualities, and instead use her flagrant classism and stubbornness to infuse the narrative with a welcome degree of friction. That character depth, plus a well-oiled whodunit plot, help this stand out in a crowded field.” – Publishers Weekly

“A critique of colonialism that still reads with the coziness of a cup of tea. Caroline Bingley proves herself worthy of her own mystery series.” – Library Journal

Kelly Gardiner writes historical fiction for all ages. Her books include The Firewatcher Chronicles; Goddess, based on the life of Mademoiselle de Maupin; 1917: Australia’s Great War, which was shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s Young People’s History Prize and Asher Award; the Swashbuckler pirate trilogy; and a picture book, Billabong Bill’s Bushfire Christmas. Her young adult novels include Act of Faith, which was shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards, the ASA’s Barbara Jefferis Award, and Gold Inky; and The Sultan’s Eyes which was also shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards. A former journalist and editor, Kelly now teaches creative writing at La Trobe University.

Sharmini Kumar is the founder and Artistic Director of 24 Carrot Productions and a producer of AustenCon, an annual Jane Austen celebration, now in its fifth year. She has adapted Persuasion and Pride and Prejudice for the stage, Emma for online performance during Covid, and she mostly recently co-wrote and directed the original musical adaptation of Sense and Sensibility. She is currently working on a stage adaption of Mansfield Park. Sharmini has written, directed, and produced many performance pieces and short films including Shakespeare in Therapy and The Regina Monologues, as well as radio documentaries for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. When she’s not writing and directing, she works as a doctor and teaches medicine.