Loved, loved, loved Book 2 in this fab series with its Austenesque wit, mysteries that left me guessing, a neurodivergent sleuth (a Darcy no less!), Austen characters galore, and the hint of Regency romance. Perfect for Janeites and anyone who loves a well-done whodunit.

I truly enjoyed The Murder of Mr. Wickham, so I was glad to see this sequel from Claudia Gray. After reading it, I am eagerly watching for news of a third book in this series. I love the main characters, Juliet Tilney and Jonathan Darcy and hope to follow more of the adventures. I also enjoy the way that Claudia Gray manages to bring all our favorite Jane Austen characters together. She also does a very creditable job of writing in new characters that feel like they belong in Jane's world. Her mysteries are solid and the gentle romantic awakening between Juliet and Jonathan is delightful.

Loved the second installment of Gray's mystery set in the world of Jane Austen.

Ms. Tilney and Mr. Jonathan Darcy have a soft spot in my heart. I enjoy the uniqueness of their duo and that they break the mold in comparison to characters of that time. This one kept me guessing until the end!! Immediately after finishing I wanted to pick up the next book in the series!

If you like Jane Austen, regency period, cozy mysteries, brave women, and sensitive men, this one is for you!

If you like Jane Austen and Cozy Mysteries, this series is for you.

I enjoy all the different character motivations, and the main characters solving the murder while appeasing society norms during this time period.

Overall this is a fun unique take on cozy mysteries!

4.5 Stars

The Late Mrs. Willoughby is the second book in Claudia Gray’s Mr. Darcy & Miss Tilney Mystery series. And like its predecessor, The Murder of Mr. Wickham, the book is a delight. The series follows Jane Austen’s famous characters from multiple novels.

Gray has crafted a timeline in which all of Austen’s characters fit: Darcy and Elizabeth have a grown son, and Catherine Morland and Henry Tilney have a grown daughter, but Colonel Brandon and Marianne are recently wed. And, so too, is Mr. Willoughby.

This time around there are fewer intersecting books/characters, but the result is the same — the couples have grown, and there’s a sense that Gray’s world is an extension of Austen’s. In fact, Gray has done an admirable job adapting Austen’s writing style to her own while remaining familiar.

Though The Late Mrs. Willoughby has a fairly large cast of characters with multiple storylines unfolding at once, Jonathan and Juliet ground things. The duo interacts with characters throughout the book, making it a cohesive whole.

The Late Mrs. Willoughby is a smart, quick-moving read perfect for heading into the summer. Though the novel does stand alone, it’s much better in conjunction with The Murder of Mr. Wickham. They’re both great reads.

While not specifically a young adult novel, The Late Mrs. Willoughby is an enjoyable mystery perfect for Jane Austen fans of any age.

I really did not know what to expect but I love historical mysteries.. Ok, I am addicted. With that said, I have to say I did enjoy this light mystery.

Playing on the characters by Jane Austen made the reading even more interesting. Throw in a murder and the twist and turns begin!

I need to go back and read the first and hope there are more!

I really enjoyed the second installment in this next gen-Jane Austen fanfic of Claudia Gray's. Gray is a favorite author of mine particularly in the Star Wars fandom and it is so much fun to see her write in this extremely different space. She really understands these Austen characters and it is a thrill for me to read them in different context.

I enjoyed the previous installment although found the mystery element slightly lacking. The mystery in this book was a little more compelling even when I figured it out right away. I think this installment is better in that it is not juggling so many characters. I really love the tender friendship, slow burn between Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney even if this book ends in a particularly excruciating place for them, my guess setting up a third installment in this series.

Like other Austen fanatics I find these characters particularly precious and I have a very high bar when reading spinoffs or other work and although I have some small quibbles with this work, it was very much fun to read. This book spends most of its time with the Dashwoods (I was glad to be rid of Fanny and the rest of the Mansfield crew). Focusing more on the relationship of Jonathan and Juliet is smart and I hope to see more of them in the future. This book is very wordy and while I appreciated the research and care that went into it I can see maybe other readers being slightly turned off or bored. I, however, enjoyed this book more than the first and look forward to more.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Looking for some murder mystery, intrigue
& little Romance then this is perfect
for you.  A sequel to The Murder of Mr Wickham this adventure reunites jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney.
They work together to solve the murder
of Willoughby's wife, not knowing the danger they could be in.
You will love this historical feel & setting of this intriguing mystery. I loved this story. It kept me guessing all the way to the end. I love the adventures!

Thank you so much for an advanced copy of this one! I loved it.

I'm a sucker for any "new" book that takes me back to characters I've known and loved in the past, and this book does just that! I love that this series combines the characters we love with the ones we love to hate.

I think what I enjoyed most about this book was the pacing. The story was never rushed or hurried; it unfolded the way it was supposed to, and the author nailed the timing. It kept me engaged from beginning to end!

I'm so glad I read this one!

Rating: 4⭐️

This is the second book in the series and was another fun read. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. Mr. Darcy and Miss Tilney find themselves again investigating s murder when they encounter one another at the residence of Lord Middleton celebrating the local tradition of drinking port to a new home. Mr. Darcy is there visiting the Willoughbys, and Miss Tilney is there visiting the Bartons. All is going well until Mrs. Willoughby collapses and dies after drinking the port.

With suspects aplenty, the duo again investigate. They must navigate the complexities of societal norms while narrowing the list. The other characters are navigating their own concerns, making for a more complex plot. The characters are interesting, their relationships engaging. The mystery is not overly complex. I do like these characters and the meshing of Austen's novels. This is a light, fun read. I look forward to more in this series.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Vintage Books for this opportunity to review “The Late Mrs. Willoughby.” All opinions and comments are my own.

Mr. Jonathan Darcy of Pemberley and Miss Juliet Tilney of Gloucestershire are back, after the exciting adventure of “The Murder of Mr. Wickham.” The two aspiring sleuths will be tasked to put their newfound investigative skills to good use in “The Late Mrs. Willoughby,” author Claudia Gray’s second homage to Jane Austen and her fictional characters in a “detective story” setting.

This time, we have “Sense and Sensibility” to thank as our source. And soon, yes, indeed, horrid Mr. Willoughby is introduced, and yes, Mrs. Willoughby, Sophia Gray as was, is dead. Poisoned. Of course, Jonathan and Juliet will do their best (they have been brought together in a lucky happenstance) to find out why Mrs. Willoughby was murdered -- and indeed, was she the intended victim?

It definitely helps to have a knowledge of Jane Austen and her works to make reading “The Late Mrs. Willoughby” fully enjoyable, I suppose. Jonathan and Juliet are “new to the scene,” as it were, but the others named throughout will be familiar to any who have read Miss Austen’s books. Be that as it may, each character is fleshed out and made real, especially the unpleasant ones. And there are quite a few of those.

“It is a truth, universally acknowledged” that Jonathan and Juliet will get to the bottom of this, and they do, in quite an interesting and well thought-through fashion, which our author knows to keep within the societal conventions of the time, while allowing for some dramatic license. In between we get the introspective passages that are such a part of the book, such as Miss Austen would have done. One that is especially applicable to much that goes on within these pages is Juliet’s assertion that “…every village is centered up on one constant, irrepressible force: gossip.” And so important for murder mysteries! We also learn more about Jonathan’s personality and “quirks,” which modern readers can probably recognize as being on the autistic spectrum.

The book ends with a hint for a future story. Which is a good thing, because Jonathan is coming to grips with how he feels. We have come to know how Juliet feels. “The Late Mrs. Willoughby” is a delightful homage to the works of Jane Austen, with an intriguing mystery which will keep you guessing until the exciting finish.

This book was wonderful! If you’re a fan of Jane Austen, you’ll probably like this one and the first book in the series. The author does a fantastic job capturing the essence of Austen’s classic characters.

Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney are back and have another mystery to solve. Someone has killed Mrs. Willoughby. But who? The book is a delightful read and keeps you guessing about the murderer. I truly enjoyed it. It comes out May 16. Thank you to Vintage Books and Netgalley for my copy.

Claudia Gray's Mr. Darcy & Miss Tilney series is such a creative mashup of two things I love: Jane Austen characters and Agatha Christie locked-room style murder mysteries. I REALLY enjoyed the first book, The Murder of Mr. Wickham. The two main characters, Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney are a wonderful duo. After rooting for their likely courtship in the first book, I was very excited to jump back in and follow along as they solve another murder mystery while pining for one another.

And yet, I didn't quite love The Late Mrs. Willoughby as much as the first book. I found this book to be more slowly paced, I predicted the murderer quite early and I found the romance/chemistry between Juliet & Jonathan to be largely absent. Usually when I read a murder mystery I love discovering clues throughout, allowing me to actively try to crack the crime. In this respect, the first book kept me guessing and guessing the murderer's identity. I felt like that wasn't the model for this book. There weren't many clues to be revealed or discovered, it was mostly the characters speculating and it made it less fun for me. It didn't feel like a puzzle I needed to solve.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I do recommend this book for Jane Austen fans and readers who love Regency era novels.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

The Late Mrs. Willoughby is the sequel to Claudia Gray's The Murder of Mr. Wickham, which sees our lead characters Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney once again team up to solve a suspicious murder at a party.

I think this book will be a fun read for fans of The Murder of Mr. Wickham; the pacing and mystery are definitely on par with that first book, and if you loved the characters then, they're just as fun to run around with now. The mystery is twisty but not impossible, and though it may in some ways read as Austen fanfiction, overall it's an entertaining read, especially for Austen and mystery fans.

I am LOVING this series that has character from Jane Austen's novels running around together and solving mysteries like the Scooby gang.
This time we see Juliet Tilney off to Devonshire to visit her friend, Marianne Brandon in Devonshire. Meanwhile, Jonathan Darby is off to visit his old school bully, John Willoughby , (not that he wants to), who also happens to be Marianne's former suitor. Luckily, Jonathan is delighted to see Juliet and when the new Mrs. Willoughby is murdered at a party in her honor, Jonathan and Juliet are on the case!
Absolutely delightful! And adorably funny. I hope this series continues.


*Special thanks to NetGalley and Vintage Anchor for this e-arc.*

Dear reader, do you worry when an author takes the characters of your beloved novels and puts them in new books, two hundred years later? Me too, so I was a little nervous when I requested the ARC of The Late Mrs. Willoughby by Claudia Gray

Well rest assured, there was no need to fret, this mystery, the second in Gray’s series is delightful! Gray has created a dynamic mystery solving duo in the model of some of my favorites like Deanna Rayborn, Laurie R. King, Anna Lee Huber and Andrea Penrose

Our detectives, the daughter of Northanger Abbey and the son of Pemberely, are both in Barton, visiting Marianne Dashwood and Willoughby respectively, when at what is a super awkward dinner thrown by Sir John Middleton, Mrs. Willoughby is poisoned 🤢

A few months prior, Juliet Tilney and Jonathan Darcy, had successfully discovered who killed Mr. Wickham and now they decide they must find out who killed the former Sophia Grey if for no other reason than to clear the name of Marianne Brandon.

The mystery isn’t necessarily groundbreaking but it’s a fun romp, Gray presents the reader with a number of viable number of murderers. What I loved is the interaction between our detectives. If you read detective series, I suspect you do it for the same reason as me, you love visiting with these characters so the mystery is just an excuse to spend time with them (I mean my yearly visit to Three Pines is essential to my well being)

I didn’t read the first book in the series and I do wish I had, so if this one sounds interesting, I recommend reading that one first. I wasn’t totally lost but this book references that one a bit. I’m excited for the third installment in this series.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Claudia Gray for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Late Mrs. Willoughby coming out May 16, 2023. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Catherine and Henry Tilney of Northanger Abbey are not very pleased to be sending their eligible daughter Juliet out into society again: the last house party she attended involved a murder—which Juliet helped solve. However, Juliet intends to visit her new friend Marianne Brandon, who's returned home to Devonshire in scandal—made more potent by the news that her former suitor, the rakish Mr. Willoughby, intends to take up residence at his estate with his new wife.

Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley are thrilled that their eldest son, Jonathan has been invited to stay with his former schoolmate, John Willoughby. Jonathan is not the most social inept and is less taken with the idea of having to spend time with his old bully, but that changes when he finds himself reunited with his fellow amateur sleuth, the brilliant Miss Tilney. Shortly thereafter, Willoughby's new wife—whom he married for her fortune—dies violently at the ball meant to welcome her to town.

With rumors flying and Marianne—known to be both unstable and previously jilted by the dead woman's widower—under increased suspicion, Jonathan and Juliet must team up once more to uncover the killer. But as they collect clues and close in on suspects, strange incidents suggest that the killer may have another victim and that the pair are in far graver danger than they or their families could believe. 

I read the first book and adored it! I desperately wanted the second book and I’m so glad I got it. I’m giving this 4 stars because I love the series and would love to see it continue. However, there were things I didn’t enjoy about this story. I think the main plot was put on the back burner a lot. Firstly, it didn’t seem like the police were really involved. Darcy and Juliet were really the only ones working on solving the case and then it seemed like the killer just fell into their laps. They didn’t really solve the case. It was handed to them. Darcy seemed to have a different personality than he did in the first book. Wiloughby certainly isn’t my favorite, so I didn’t love this one as much as the first book.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys Jane Austen inspired stories!

The Late Mrs. Willoughby is the second book in a most delightful historical mystery series featuring Jane Austen's characters. If you have never read even one book by Jane Austen, have no fear. Reading both authors will only increase your enjoyment of this series.
When we last spent time with Mr. Darcy and Miss Tilney they had teamed up to solve a murder most foul. When they later find themselves as the guests at a country estate there is a killer in their midst.
Mr. Willoughby has inherited the house and is ready to settle down with his new bride. At dinner the lady in question drops dead in a very gruesome manner....she has been poisoned. Now the problem becomes figuring out not just what was the poison, who did the poisoning but who was the intended target? Mr. Willoughby has quite the reputation so the case might be made for either of the Willoughbys being the target and that increases the list of suspects. Mr. Darcy and Miss Tilney are soon on the case. Will they be able to repeat their success of their previous case?
The reader is presented with a well constructed puzzle to unravel and a cast of characters to meet and to judge - which is the killer? After having enjoyed these two books of the series, I hope there will be many more.
My thanks to the publisher Vintage and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

In this second book of the series, I felt that the author was finding more of her own voice while maintaining the period tone. I did have a bit of trouble with the premise of Jonathan Darcy traveling to stay with a school friend who was not really a friend, but it was a minor concern. Said friend is John Willoughby, fairly newly married and moving into the Devonshire estate he recently inherited. Amongst his neighbors is Marianne Brandon (nee Dashwood), who's heart Willoughby broke in Sense and Sensibility. Marianne is now married to Colonel Brandon, who is not sure that his wife is over her first love. Marianne has invited Miss Juliet Tilney to visit. In the first book, Juliet and Jonathan had worked together to determine who had killed Mr. Wickham, so when Mrs. Willoughby is poisoned in the middle of a gathering of the local families, the two young people feel they may be better suited to figure out who the poisoner was than the local constables. Narrowing down the suspect list is complicated by their not knowing for sure whether Mr. or Mrs. Willoughby was the intended target of the poisoner and many motives for killing either of them. Some twists were more unexpected than others, but being pretty sure I knew what was going on before the main characters figured it out never detracted from my enjoyment of the story. The plot is carefully crafted, but for me the characters are what really drive my enjoyment of the story and I was pleased at the teaser that Jonathan and Juliet will be brought together again soon.

Thanks to Vintage Anchor Publications and NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC in return for my honest review.
I have never read any of Jane Austen's novels, but thought I would give this blended Jane Austen/Agatha Christie styled book a look and I came away very pleased. Claudia Gray is primarily a YA author who has made a partial transition into historical mystery with the help of most all of the characters of Jane Austen's novels. This book uses most all the characters from Sense and Sensibility as we delve into a murder of a newly married woman at a welcoming dinner party. Horrors, aghast and social norms be damned. The poor woman both vomits and loses control of her bowels at the home of Lord Middleton. Despite having two constables available to investigate this murder we are lucky to have Mr. Jonathan Darcy and Miss Juliet Tinley in attendance. These two young people, both apparently under the age of 20, had worked together just a few months ago to help solve another murder, and now they are thrown into this case. Darcy is in town at the invitation of his boarding school nemesis John Willoughby, whose wife was murdered, and he was joined by two other boarding school acquaintances, Ralph Bamber and Laurence Follett, neither of who either liked John Willoughby. So there are suspects galore, action taking place in numerous locales and all in all you get a highly satisfactory read. This is the 2nd in the series and I hope more are on the way. Even though I know nothing about Jane Austen, her books or characters, this is an extremely readable book, one that Austen fans should enjoy, and folks like me will find interesting and filled with plenty of societal rules that make this one fun read.