Inspired by the characters of Jane Austen, The Late Mrs. Willoughby is really quite clever. Bumping off lesser, or least liked characters from classic novels is something everyone has thought of—and this author does it very well.

I will say that it may help the reader to have read Austin’s books, simply because trying to keep all of the characters and their relationships straight could get confusing.

A fun read.

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A sequel to The Murder of Mr. Wickham, The Late Mrs. Willoughby is just as wonderful a story. The characters just as rich, the plot just as clever, and the setting is just perfection. 

Not all works based off of Jane Austen's novels hit the mark, but so far, Claudia Gray has found a niche that works without any hiccups. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that Austen, herself, would approve of these sometimes-comical, always intriguing stories based on some of her most beloved characters. 

Like it's predecessor, The Late Mrs. Willoughby is a murder-mystery, where are characters must find out whodunnit. One of the best aspects of these novels is that the actual murderer has surprised me each time. That's incredibly impressive, seeing as how I know I'm not the only reader who feels this way.

The writing was fantastic, the character arcs were true to the characters and the original works that this book comes from. If you haven't read this series and are an Austen fan, I really do suggest you give it a go. 

My review will be live, at the link given, on May 9, 2023.

I rarely choose to read spin offs of my favourite classic authors, but I was intrigued with Claudia Grays' take on Elizabeth and Darcys' eldest son. I must say that I enjoyed this book much more than I expected, the narrative is well balanced and the style in keeping with Austen. The story bounces along well and although this is a second in a series, I found that it was easy enough to catch up with the principal characters. I look forward to seeing how this series develops. My real thanks to Netgalley, the publishers and the Author of course for an advance copy of The Late Mrs. Willoughby.
#TheLateMrsWilloughby #NetGalley

I had read the previous book in the series and was intrigued enough by it to request for an arc of The Death of Mrs Willoughby. I loved the characters and the setting using Austenian characters was so well done. I won't say that the mystery part was extraordinary because i could guess who the killer was quite early in the book. Nonetheless, this didn't detract from my reading experience because i was lost in the world of the novel.

Definitely recommended for those who like reading Jane Austen originals and crave more of her characters.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and Vintage Anchor for the ARC!

So much fun being back with Juliet and Jonathan again! I figured out the killer very earlier on, but that didn't affect my enjoyment of the book at all. The tone and writing are super readable, and I love imagining what our Jane Austen characters got up to in later years. Can't wait to see what they get up to next.

Minus one star because it was a little long (could have cut 50 pages IMO), but I still highly recommend this series.

I don't think this is the style for me. DNF'ed at 20% Maybe it's because I didn't realize it was a part of a series when I requested it.

The Late Mrs. Willoughby by Claudia Gray finds young Juliet Tilney and Jonathan Darcy caught up in another well-wrought mystery when the notorious Mr. Willoughby's new wife dies a violent death at a house party. Jane Austen fans will enjoy the setting and nuances, as Gray captures the essence of both the well known and newly constructed characters. The mystery itself is twisty and fun, as Jonathan and Juliet must once again balance propriety with their amateur sleuthing.

This delightful pastiche is a must read for any fans of Jane Austen. Gray does a fantastic job of carrying Austen's characters from Sense and Sensibility into this charming mystery novel, while remaining true to Jane's style. With the complexity of Regency area societal decorum hampering their investigation, Johnathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney set out to solve the murder of Mrs. Willoughby. The characters were well written, and their undeniable chemistry creates extra tension. I think this novel could be enjoyed even by those unfamiliar with Jane Austen's work, but is sure to delight any fan.

This one's even better than The Murder of Mr. Wickham! Gray's handling of Austen's characters is spot on (except for Margaret, who I refuse to believe could ever be THAT naive), and her original characters are fantastic, as is her feel for the period and its conventions and ideals. There was the hint of another sequel at the end, so I look forward to more!

(Review cross-posted to Goodreads.)

I had the pleasure of reading "The murder of Mr. Wickham" back in February. I loved it and have been recommending it to everyone. Imagine my wide-eyed surprise when I learned that there was a sequel! While our library has already pre-ordered a copy of "The late Mr.s Willoughby", I was so eager to read it that I was thrilled when I was approved to read the advanced copy!

Claudia Gray stays true to Austen's characters while she gives them new life. It's like getting to see your favourite characters after the "happily ever after" of the original books.

Based on the story structure of the first book, I was able to guess whodunit early with this book. But that didn't stop me from wondering why. I thoroughly enjoy the characters of Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney.; just one line in this book hints at a third book in the series and provides no conclusion to their storyline just yet.

I found the pre-murder portion of the book where the scene is set and the various characters are introduced was slower in this book but builds tension just the same. And reading this book makes me grateful that romantic relations in the Western world are not as restricted by gender roles and propriety as they were back in the Regency era; at least now, people are more free to declare their feelings for each other.

Another good read that I will be recommending highly! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

Oh the joy for us Janeites out there, (we ardent lovers of Jane Austen novels), continues with this sequel to, "The Murder of Mr. Wickham". This book was such a delight, as a number of characters from at least three of Jane's novels, were found in Barton. The creatively imagined progeny of the Darcys and Tilneys are the wonderful protagonists of this series. Although intentionally not delivered in the voice of Jane Austen, (after all, there is only one Jane Austen), the dialogue was most apropos for the time and setting of the story.

Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney had met in the previous book, "The Murder of Mr. Wickham" where they were in secret collusion investigating the murder. They had hoped that they might meet again and sure enough, they do in this second book. Darcy is invited to Willoughby's recently inherited estate, Allenham, for a bit of vacation with Willoughby, Willoughby's wife and other schoolmates. Miss Tilney is spending time with her dearest friend, Marianne Brandon, (Willoughby's former love interest), and Marianne's husband. The Willoughbys and the Brandons reside in Barton. Interestingly, Sir John and Lady Middleton also reside in Barton and hold a soirée welcoming the Willoughbys to Barton. Everything is lovely until the toast and Mrs. Willoughby dies on the spot. Darcy and Miss Tilney are almost more eager to investigate than decorum allows. Yet, with no magistrate yet appointed, their efforts will just just have to suffice. Afterall, they have experience with such things.

Ms. Gray has done a fabulous job of renewing and continuing our affection for these Austen characters. She writes exquisitely and in perfect form for the period represented. The character development is steady throughout and we slowly learn of each character's thoughts, concerns and motivations. The tension increases gradually throughout the story drawing to a peak and then relaxes to a satisfying conclusion. The friendship between Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney is sweet and chaste and perhaps someday, a little bit more than that. This reader is ever hopeful that yet another sequel is forthcoming where their relationship can be even further developed. If a Jane Austen style mystery is your jam then this may well be the perfect book for you.

I am grateful to author Claudia Gray and her publisher, Vintage Books, for having provided a complimentary uncorrected proof of this book. Their generosity, however, did not influence this review - the words of which are mine alone.

Publication Date: May 16, 2023
Pages: 400
Publisher: Vintage Books
ISBN: 978-0593313831

I loved The Murder of Mr Wickham, and was excited to hear the series continues with this second installment where once again Jonathan Darcy (son of Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam) and Juliet Tilney (daughter of Catherine and Henry) seek to investigate the sudden death of Mr. Willoughby's unhappy wife, formerly Miss Sophia Grey. The premise—that all the characters in Austen's six major works are all somehow in each other's social orbits—continues to be audacious, but this book was such good fun for Austen fans and mystery lovers.

Wonderful flashback to Jane Austen's most beloved books! I really enjoyed visiting some of my favorite and not so favorite characters again. I think the book stayed true to the manners and feel of the era. The mystery of course gave us a reason to see all the characters and the new younger individuals. I thought the mystery was well thought out and kept up a mild mannered adventure for the "detectives". After finishing the book I want to read the next one and see where it takes us. I have not read the first book but will go back and read that one. I enjoyed it and a much needed escape to the Regency era.

The second in Claudia Gray's series based on Jane Austen's characters. This book may be easier to follow if you have read the first book. I greatly enjoyed the two main characters - Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tinsley - and watching them solve the mystery as their relationship deepens. The mystery itself took a while to get going for me and it felt like we were covering some of the same points repeatedly. But the ending was interesting, and the characters are well-drawn. The author has fleshed out the characters from Jane Austen's novels and made them believable in these mysteries. I will definitely read the next book in the series and hope there are many more on the way.

What a great read especially for all the Jane Austen fans wishing there was a sequel to her beloved novels. This is just that but with a murder mystery twist. Think Jane Austen meets Agatha Christie.

In this novel specifically we catch up with the Sense and Sensibility group as Juliet Tilney is visiting Marianna and Captain Brandon. Jonathan in turn is visiting an old schoolmate, whom he absolutely detests however “society dictates” an invitation cannot be turned down without proper reason. A murder occurs and well the rest you must read for yourself.

I couple of things to note. I did not read the first book of the series but felt that this one stands alone pretty well. I also think that you can get away with ready this book without having read Sense and Sensibility. There is plenty of back information to help set the stage.

I like that Gray really tapped into Jane Austen’s style of writing. She emulated it so well. For me the mystery was ok — I kind had a suspicion about who did pretty early on but that didn’t take much away from the entertainment of it. I also liked that Gray explores the complexities of Jonathan’s character.

I highly recommend this. It was a pretty light read. I plan on picking up the first book and look forward to the next one whenever it comes out. I would read the books in order if you plan on reading the series as this book does reveal the identity of the killer from the first book.

Thank you NetGalley and Vintage Anchor for my advanced copy.

4.5 stars

As a lover of mysteries and Jane Austen, this series is exactly the kind of book that appeals to me! I really enjoyed the first book, The Murder of Mr. Wickham, so I had high hopes for The Late Mrs. Willoughby, and I'm glad to say that I loved this book as well. I find Juliet and Jonathan so endearing and love their dynamic. I loved that this book focused more on characters from Sense and Sensibility, and thought that Gray did a wonderful job of expanding upon the dynamics between the characters. I thought the investigation was really well done, and I absolutely loved the plot twist at the end.

If you enjoy a good historical mystery, I highly recommend this series!

I thought this book looked and sounded like something that I might enjoy, so I was pleased to be approved for a review.

I liked the writing style, and warmed to the characters and setting. I found the tone of the book light and pleasant, and it seemed like something that would be easy to read in one sitting - a good choice if you want a book that will help you to relax.

I didn't realise that this was actually the sequel to another book - The Murder of Mr. Wickham. It may have made more sense for me to read that one first, but I still liked this, and I would probably be interested in reading more books by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

Juliet Tilney and Jonathan Darcy are happily reunited with each other and the Brandons until, once again, a murder shocks their group. I adored the first novel in the series and very much enjoyed this sequel. It was fun to encounter the Ferrars and some of the secondary characters from Sense and Sensibility. Gray keeps the reader guessing and provides just the right amount of red herrings to keep you and the young detectives on the hunt. Gray does a great job with capturing the language and prose of the Austen novels. I do think that the plot meandered a bit more in this one, compared to the first, however. Most importantly, I am relieved that the ending suggests that there will be a third novel in the series because I very much need the Tilney-Darcy relationship to continue!!

Overall, this is a sequel that will delight fans of the first novel and those looking for new stories inspired by Jane Austen.

In the sequel to "The Murder of Mr. Wickham" , Juliet Tilney and Jonathan Darcy are thrown together again, when they both wind up invited to stay in Devonshire - Juliet having been invited to stay with Marianne Brandon, and Jonathan was invited by a former schoolmate, John Willoughby. Willoughby was not a friend, but rather a tormentor, but Jonathan's parents don't know that, and are anxious for him to make social connections, so he goes to please them. He anticipates it being a miserable few weeks, but was delighted to discover that Juliet was staying nearby and they would have the opportunity to socialize often. Willoughby had recently married, not for love, but for fortune. His marriage was a miserable one, and his heart was still with Marriane Brandon, who had washed her hands of him completely and found that having to constanlly rebuff his advances was tiresome. When everyone in the area was invited to a dinner party, and Mrs. Willoughby winds up dead before the end of it, Juliet and Jonathan do what they do best - team up to solve a murder.

I loved "The Murder of Mr Wickham" so I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of this sequel. Although I enjoyed the first book slightly more, this book was still excellent, and I have hopes that there may even be another book in Juliet and Jonathan's future. They have to wind up together, after all! This is a fun mystery that will keep you guessing, with a mish-mash of Jane Austen characters all thrown together to make one delightful storyline. I highly recommend this one!

This is such a phenomenal historical mystery book! This series has really been a joy to read. I was excited to dive back into this world. It felt like being greeted by an old friend. I'm putting this on my book club list!