### Clue: Detective acquires basic skill after month with English novel (4,4)
### Answer: JANE EYRE 
 ### Explanation: Definition: novel
 EYE(slang for a detective, as in "a private eye") **containing**(acquires) R(one of the 3Rs/the basic skills of 'reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic) **placed below**(after, in a down clue) [JAN(abbrev. for the month of January) **plus**(with) E(abbrev. for "English")]