The Late Mrs. Willoughby is the second in a mystery series filled with beloved Jane Austen characters and references. Uniquely, it gets both the mystery and the nod to Austen right. It is well-written, and the mystery is gripping. It keeps you guessing until the very end. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Thanks to Vintage Anchor, Netgalley and the author for an ARC of this book. I am leaving this unbiased review voluntarily.

This is the second book in a series that I am now officially addicted to that features all of our favourite Austen characters and a few new ones.

Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney reunite when Darcy visits his old school nemesis, Mr Willoughby and Juliet visits Marianne Bradon.

Soon the two of them are embroiled in another murder investigation and use their superior intellect and unique respectful friendship with each other to solve the poisoning death of Mrs Sophia Willoughby, the wife of the man that broke Marianne Dashwood's heart in Sense and Sensibility.

I loved reading about all the minor characters, such as Mrs Jennings, reappear. This author seems to have such a wonderful grasp on these characters that I could easily imagine this second life of theirs.

If you're an Austen fan at all you will love this series. It's witty and funny as well as being so twisty that one could not begin to guess whodunnit. I cannot wait to read the next one.

*I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Vintage Books for this ARC!*

I was such a fan of the first book in this series, The Murder of Mr. Wickham (check out my review for it here!), so I was so psyched to get a chance to read the ARC for The Late Mrs. Willoughby. Some of the same characters from the first book made appearances in this one as well, and we got to see a few more from Sense and Sensibility in this installment.

I really enjoyed the mystery in this one. Claudia Gray does such a good job of leading you down the wrong path! I totally suspected someone the entire novel, and it turns out they had nothing to do with it! (That’s all I’ll say, I don’t want to spoil anything for you!)

The paring of Miss Tilney (the daughter of Catherine Morland and Henry Tilney from Northanger Abbey) and Mr. Darcy (the son of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy from Pride and Prejudice) was just a lovely the second time around. The chemistry between these two is to die for (pun intended 😉) and I love how they work together to solve these murder mysteries.

Getting to see more behind the characters of Elinor Dashwood, Willoughby and Mrs. Jennings was also great fun. I loved how these books imagine the lives of these characters after the original Austen work leaves off. Also, getting to see characters from different books interact is such a fun time for any Austen fan ❤️

Marianne Dashwood and Colonel Brandon are couple goals and I loved getting to do a deeper dive into their relationship in this book. I hope that if Gray decides to continue with the series (which the last chapter hinted at!), that we will get to see more of them.

The story was suspenseful and nostalgic. It basically gave me everything I was looking for from this series. I cannot wait to see where Gray goes from here!!

My Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐

I gave The Late Mrs. Willoughby 4 Stars!

4.25/5⭐️

Second in the Mr. Darcy & Miss Tilney historical mystery series, this one finds the dynamic duo of Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney as they meet again as they are visiting the Willoughby residence and the Brandon residence, respectively.

Following a small dinner party, Mrs. Willoughby collapses and dies. As rumors run rampant, Jonathan and Juliet (along with Darcy’s childhood friend Bamber) discreetly commence an investigation as the village begins to suspect a supposedly jealous Marianne Brandon of the deed.

I adored the first in the series, The Murder of Mr. Wickham, and while (in my opinion) this one was not quite as wonderful it was still great fun and a delightful read. The mystery itself was fairly easy to solve, but it’s the characters, the settings, and the writing that I’ve enjoyed most about these books. It is delightful (as an Austen fan) to picture these characters from her various books interacting with each other. There’s dry humor and a hint of possible romance, but it’s the pleasure of knowing the backstories of these characters that give the stories a richness and an intimate feeling…lots to reminisce about from the original Austen books.

Both Jonathan and Juliet are endearing and lovable characters, finding in the other an intelligence and almost innate connection that is sweet to watch as it blossoms.

I definitely recommend this series and look forward to more outings with Jonathan and Juliet.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and Vintage Anchor for providing the free early arc of The Late Mrs. Willoughby for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

I really enjoyed the way Claudia Gray portrayed all our favorite Jane Austen characters in The Murder of Mr. Wickham, so when I saw that some of them were back for The Late Mrs. Willoughby, I could not wait to get my hands on it. And it did not disappoint.

Look, if you're looking for a complete whodunit that keeps you up all night with twists and turns and no one is safe, this isn't the book for you. There's too many beloved characters that it obviously wouldn't have poisoned someone in cold blood. There's a lot of plot/character armor in this series. But that's not what it's trying to be, It's trying to be a fun story of the son of the Darcys and the daughter of the Tilneys solving murders and being cute together and it does that perfectly.

Jonathan is sweetest soul and the choice to make him autistic in such a proper and rigid world makes you feel for the real boys who also had to deal with that society (not that ours is necessarily much better). Juliet is spunky, smart, and kind and it's so fun for her to be friends with Marianne (Dashwood) Brandon and the way she accepts (and maybe is coming to love? ;) ) Jonathan is lovely.

Now to wait for the next book!

Thank you to Netgalley and Vintage Books for an advanced reader's copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.

** “One cannot let one’s actions be dictated by the cruelest and most foolish among us, but one must equally accept that our reputations precede us, whether just or unjust.” **

Jane Austen meets Agatha Christie in Claudia Gray’s “The Late Mrs. Willoughby,” the second installment in her Darcy and Tilney series.

Taking place shortly after the first novel, in which Marianne Dashwood was forced to kill scalawag Mr. Wickham, the young Jonathan Darcy (son of Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy) is invited to John Willoughby’s estate, along with two other school chums, Ralph Bamber and Laurence Follett.

Juliet Tilney, with whom he joined forces to solve the Wickham death, is also invited to visit the neighboring Col. Brandon and Marianne.

When Willoughby’s bride is horrifically killed, the young Darcy and Miss Tilney once again join forces to determine who killed Mrs. Willoughby — and why.

“The Late Mrs. Willoughby,” which is due out May 16, is a fun and intriguing read that will appeal to fans of Regency novels and authors like Austen, as well as cozy mysteries and authors like Christie. It is also filled with some good themes like dealing with unrequited love; managing expectations; resentment is extremely powerful and dangerous; even small misunderstandings can misdirect the course of life; and the impact of greed (“Greed can sully the finest human feelings”).

Five stars out of five.

Vintage provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

THIS SERIES IS DEFINITELY ONE TO WATCH OUT FOR!

The first book in this series had me kind of on the fence. But now I am caught. After finishing this book I could not stop thinking about it and I am super pumped for the next installment.

👍 What I Liked 👍

Slow burn: Will they/won't they? Usually that is used to talk about Ross and Rachel on Friends. But Jonathan and Juliet are gaining in on the OG slow-burn couple. I just love how their relationship is slowly allowed to unfold, how they are fast friends slowly discovering that perhaps they could be more. It just works so well, especially in a Jane Austen universe.

Jonathan: My man Jonathan. I really liked him in the first book, but now I feel like I've peeled back another layer of the onion. And it's just fluff on the inside. I absolutely adore Jonathan. I love his awkwardness and directness. He is such a great and different character. Not the usual Historical Romance hero, which is definitely a plus in my world.

Jane Austen: Honestly, pretty much anything Jane Austen related is a hit with me. While I did have some issues with Gray's portrayal of some of the characters in the first book, I didn't have any concerns this time around. It was just lovely to be back with some of my favourite characters.

👎 What I Disliked 👎

Twists: Overall, this was minor issue for me, but the book did feature two major twists that I had been able to work out long before they actually unfolded. It was a bit of a letdown from the first book, where I really didn't have a clue how it would unfold. But overall, I don't read this series for the mystery. I will come back for the characters.

I was thrilled to receive an ARC of "The Late Mrs. Willoughby." I enjoyed the first volume of this series, "Who Killed Mr. Wickham?," so much. Both books are so charming and feel like they were written by Jane Austen herself.

Even though the most alluring thing about Mrs. Willoughby might seem to be her 50000 pounds,
surely no one would wish her harm. But such is not the case. Mrs. Willoughby dies at a party in front of all her neighbors.

Juliet Tilney and Jonathan Darcy reprise their roles as investigators. Will they do a better job than the adults?

I recommend this book. It is so well-written and is a real page-turner. I had to know who did it, and I had to know how the budding romance progressed between Juliet and Jonathan.

I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

This sequel was just as entertaining and thrilling as its prequel.

Jonathan Darcy is dismayed when he is given a month long invitation to stay with classmates from school. Classmates that used to taunt and bully him., but it excited his parents. So he decided to make an effort.

Julie Tilney is thrilled when she is invited to spend time at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Brandon. She is excited to travel and to see her new friend.

Little do each of them know their paths are about to cross again and again they need to solve the murder of another person.

Last year, I had the opportunity to read and review #TheMurderofMrWickham by #ClaudiaGray and found it to be a very satisfying murder mystery. Now a sequel is at hand, with The Late Mrs. Willoughby being released in a few weeks. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Vintage/Viking Books in exchange for an honest review; all opinions expressed are my own.

Even though this is a sequel to The Murder of Mr. Wickham, this novel can be read as a standalone. There’s enough explaining the earlier events that one not need have read the first book. Once again Juliet Tilney and Jonathan Darcy are thrust together for another murder mystery investigation.

There’s been an effort from the author, I think, to put Jonathan on the high functioning end of the autism spectrum. I think this was done in a tasteful way, and no way demeans those with autism. In fact, some explaining is done from Jonathan’s perspective to help the reader understand his actions. Certainly, his former classmates picked on him for his peculiarities. Others, like Juliet Tilney, don’t fault him for his idiosyncrasies and help him navigate the social world in which they live in.

Mrs. Willoughby is given a tainted glass of port following their welcoming dinner and dies a horrible death. The local doctor declares it poison. The local magistrate position is currently unoccupied, the constables have never investigated a murder, so Darcy and Tilney decide it would be in everyone’s best interest if they conduct their own investigation on the sly. The list of suspects isn’t long, but there are clues leading them in several different directions.

I figured out quite early who was the murderer, and unlike the last book, I found the subsequent path to get to the big reveal was a bit tedious. I know this book was written in the style of Jane Austen’s works, yet I do not feel that lends itself to a murder mystery. Too much “other stuff” got in the way of the murder investigation, like all the proper social niceties, that I found myself skimming the book to glean clues. The end result was satisfactory, but it was kind of a slog to get there.

The Murder of Mr. Wickham seemed hard to top but, somehow, Gray manages it. Another delightful murder mystery featuring some of Jane Austen’s characters with the newcomers from the first volume, Juliet Tilney and Jonathan Darcy solving the clues. Sense and Sensibility is probably my favorite Austen so I loved how the Brandons are front and center now, as well as Elinor, Edward and the rest of the gang. I figured out the two main twists, but I didn’t mind it at all, because I was enjoying the book enormously. The dialogues are witty and the characters charming, even the unlikable ones and the baddie. One scene set at a party is so funny that it made me laugh out loud. The author’s version of the original characters hold up, which made me love my eternal literary dream man Colonel Brandon even more. But the real accomplishment is that I cared more about the newbies. I was truly invested in the budding relationship between Jonathan Darcy and Miss Tilney. It seems like there will be another book and I’m as excited to read it as Juliet is about Ivanhoe.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Vintage Anchor!

I had a lot of fun reading the next book in the series of Mr. Darcy & Miss Tilney. The Murder of Mr. Wickham was one of my favorite books of the year, so I was especially excited to break into the sequel. As with before, Jonathan and Juliet are real highlights of the novel and a worthy addition to the characters from Jane Austen's works. I also loved that this book focused more on the characters from Sense and Sensibility because Colonel Brandon and Marianne were two of my absolute favorites from Mr. Wickham.

This mystery kept me guessing until about 75% into the book when I had a strong suspicion of who the murderer was, though I couldn't figure out the why until it was told. But as with Mr. Wickham, the mystery feels less important than the dynamics of the characters and their individual struggles. Juliet and Jonathan's relationship takes a step forward even as I was screaming at them to move a little bit faster. Colonel Brandon and Marianne's relationship remains a highlight as they muddle their way through former feelings for their first loves and their love for each other. Elinor and Edward were a great addition, as was Beth.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am continuing to love this series. Mr. Jonathan Darcy and Miss Juliet Tilney are reunited in Devonshire where they are once again thrust into a murder mystery when Mrs. Willoughby is poisoned at a welcome party. I continue to enjoy the way all of Austen's characters are intertwined together. I also love the slow romance building between Mr. Darcy and Miss Tilney. I cannot wait to see which characters the next book in the series focuses on.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book!
I have heard so much of the first book of this series but I didn't get the chance to read, so I was very looking forward to reading this one. And surprisingly, it was not a problem not to have read the first one, on the contrary, everything was explained and pretty clear.
I loved the mix between cosy murdery and the Jane Austen universe, it makes a really good mix! I had the pleasure of encountering the characters from Austen's novels that I love very much in a challenging universe that kept me hanging.
I unsterstand I read an uncorrected proof, so I will be more indulgent about the content, although I noticed some unnecessary repetitions. And what's more, I don't know if I am the only here but I already knew who was the killer before I get to the half of the book. Maybe there could be some work on the book to make it less obvious.
Otherwise it was a nice entertainment, especially thanks to the additional plot, which is to the say the relationships between the characters, like that of Jonathan and Juliet. I really wish to see more of them in a third opus, as I understand there will be one, for one could not be as cruel as make the two of them part in the end when they are so obviously in love with each other.
I will wait until I get to read the sequel for sure!

#TheLateMrsWilloughby #NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an E-Arc copy of this novel.

Janet Tilney and Jonathan Darcy have the fortune to meet again as both have been invited to visit different friends in the same village. What is unfortunate is they both witness a murder and are determined to find the murderer as they were successful in their efforts before. This time as the pair collect clues incidents start happening that put them in danger. They must figure out who is guilty before something happens to one or both of them.

Another fun mystery set in the world of Jane Austen, this time taking us to the country of Sense & Sensibility. It's a fun and suitable place for the drama to play out, especially given that by Gray's timeline of events, this murder is closest to the actual storyline we've read in Austen. The wounds are fresh enough to prick us and we have good reason to find Willoughby detestable and cruel, as time has not tempered events.

What we see feels like a smaller cast, as we are not divvied up between the starring couples of Austen as we were in the first book, but it's enjoyable to see Mrs. Jennings and Sir John Middleton take their part as accessory characters, the way they were always meant to. This second installment felt like a stronger mystery, too, as we saw continued perils and threats as a known murderer, one far more deliberate than the last, prowled the pages. (It's a murder mystery and I like when there are MORE murders. Sue me.) There were more red herrings and better-placed, and the addition of potential suitors for Juliet does a good job of sustaining the tension between her and Jonathan so as not to resolve their relationship too soon according to the formal expectations of courting.

I like to see the characters through the eyes of this writer, but let it be known: if the Authoress is listening, give us Mr. Tilney, please!

.
I did miss some characters from the first story, but I like seeing the relationship between Juliet and Darcy evolving. The mystery is engaging, and the portrait of societal conventions make for an interesting, although slower paced, story. The author presents new characters, gives a bit of background, especially on Darcy, and makes a great job in making us dislike Willoughby; all of this makes it a very entertaining read, I'll definitely read the next book!

A manor death and amateur detectives investigate all the while flirting and spending time together. Who does anyone really think is the murderer?

I’m ready to spend more time with neurodivergent Pemberley heir Jonathan Darcy and young but perceptive Tilney daughter Juliet. Jonathan is enduring a house party with his childhood bully and she’s eager to visit her friend Mrs Brandon, who is struggling with the repercussions of what happened in the Murder of Mr Wickham.

This is best read by Austen fans and those who read book 1. There’s no summary or cheat sheet about the changes the author made to Austen or to remind you of the events of Sense and Sensibility.

This was a good mystery, although the solution didn’t have much emotional impact for me. The whodunnit was clear early, if not the why. The personalities of Austen’s characters was well done. Those Ferrars are awful and Willoughby is just as you’d expect him to be. I’m here to spend more time with Jonathan Darcy and how he navigates and interprets the world. Jonathan and Juliet’s relationship isn’t a slow burn yet, more of an ember, but I’m eager to see them investigate the death of whatever unlikable minor Austen character gets bumped off next.