The perils of Lady Catherine de Bourgh, the third book in the Mr. Darcy and Miss Tilney series is a fun dramystery in which the lead characters Jonathan and Juliet race to find a would-be murderer before the murder can actually take place. The story is paced well and everyone is invested in preventing a murder this time around.

If you haven't guessed from the names, this series is based on Jane Austen's novels. Revisiting old characters adds to the charm of the book and series, though of course, it is naturally difficult to completely capture the essences of someone else's characters, written a long time ago. That said, I did find that Claudia Gray brings across some of the characteristics we've come to know and expect, and I enjoyed seeing these caricatures again! We see quite a bit of drama as the mystery unfolds, and a deeper friendship between Jonathan and Juliet.

Claudia Gray's writing style, not quite Austen-like, does a great job in interlacing drama and mystery with humour. All in all, this series is recommended for fans of cross-over genres and if you're interested in seeing Jane Austen characters in an Agatha Christie setting.

The rating which is 3 1/2 stars is rounded up to an integer 4 as the book delivers what it promises.

[One star for the premise and the whole book; Half a star for the characters; One star for the story arc; Half a star for the writing; Half a star for the world-building - Three and a half stars on the whole.]

Thanks to NetGalley, Knopf Pantheon Vintage Anchor Publishing and Claudia Gray for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I recently read the first two books in this series, so I was delighted to get the opportunity to read this book. As with the others, I thoroughly enjoyed this one. The author did a great job portraying life in the Regency period and how drastically different life was then compared to now. Although I don't see the necessity for the many rewritings/knockoffs of Austen's works, I enjoyed the continuation of the characters in this different genre. It was entertaining to see the amateur sleuths try to solve the attempted murder of Lady Catherine de Bourgh despite the restrictions of their society. Overall, it was a fun and light read which I recommend, and I look forward to reading the next installment in the series.

I am so invested in Juliet and Jonathan's story! They are the perfect team to solve these mysteries among my favorite Jane Austen characters. This third book was just as fun as the first two books. (I would definitely recommend reading them in order)

Aside from the slowest of slow burns, I thoroughly enjoyed a closer look at life at Rosings Park under the tyranny of Lady Catherine de Bourgh. She is one of those characters you just love to hate, so it's no surprise that someone is trying to murder her. Juliet and Jonathan use their talent for sleuthing to find the suspect. I loved getting a look at Mr. and Mrs. Collins, Anne de Bourgh, and the Darcy family.

I definitely recommend this series to anyone who loves Austen and her beloved characters.

Thank you to NetGalley, Claudia Gray, and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

Mr. Jonathan Darcy and Miss. Juliet Tilney each receive urgent letters from Johnathan's great aunt Lady Catherine to come to her immediately. She is demanding the pair find who is trying to kill her, as the pair have been successful in solving two previous murders. Jonathan and Juliet's fathers each accompany them and neither father wants the pair to have anything to do with each other except find the attacker of Lady Catherine, even tho the pair would like nothing more. There are many suspects, tho none stand out as being guilty. Time seems to be running out as there are several more attempts are made to end Lady Catherine's life. Will the sleuths be successful in finding the attacker before they are successful in their mission?

The third volume in a Jane Austen universe romantic murder mystery series this volume visits Rosings Park. The romantic story of Catherine Tilney and the young Jonathan Darcy resumes as does their joint murder investigations, although this time with a living victim of failed attempts.

While there are a few hastily written scenes, all in all this is a good fun romp that ties in discussions of gendered expectations, social prejudices, sleeping sickness (epilepsy), ableism, and without naming it as such autism/neurodivergence.

It's fun and if you haven't read the two prior volumes this could stand alone. However, readers would be better off reading them in order as later books in the series do spoil reveals and resolutions from the earlier books.

Fans of the series might be disappointed by the lack of development in Jonathan and Juliet’s relationship. It’s frankly depressing at this point.

Austen fans might be confused as to why Mr Darcy reverted to his behaviors from twenty years before. And disappointed that Mr Tilney hasn’t matured at all.

Mystery fans might be let down by the pacing. Our villain should have been introduced earlier and other suspects’ grievances better justified.

I’m all three so this wasn’t my favorite. I’ll be on board for book 4, but if it’s like this one, I’m out.

As a positive, Lady Catherine is just as you’d expect her to be … and yet you don’t want her to be harmed. Mr. Collins’s children’s names are the best.

This is the third book in Claudia Gray's Mr. Darcy & Miss Tilney series of Jane Austen character with this book being a focus on the Pride and Prejudice character. I like seeing the post novel lives of these character as well as how Gray is growing the detective team of young Darcy and Miss Tilney.

Another fun installment of what I call "The Marvel Universe of Jane Austen." Juliet and Jonathan are summoned by Lady Catherine De Bourgh (that lovely lady from P&P), to investigate attempts on her lift. She's as imperious as ever, and the duo find themselves mired in drama of the household. We also get a little more insight into their burgeoning relationship which is quite lovely. Highly recommend.

This is the third in the Austenesque mystery series featuring Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney. Written in the style of Jane Austen, Jonathan is the son of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy and his wife, the former Elizabeth Bennet. Juliet is the daughter of residents of Northanger Abbey. Challenging the mores of the time, they have worked together investigating and solving two prior murders. This time, they are called to the home of Jonathan’s great aunt, the formidable Lady Catherine de Bourgh, who has been the victim of two attempts on her life. As further attempts are made, the pair, somewhat stymied, work diligently to solve the mystery while shying away from what may be a budding romance between them. Other characters familiar to Austen readers play roles in the story.

This is a delightful book! I enjoy the young characters….both of them with their intelligence, unique charm, and Juliet’s willingness to accept Jonathan’s somewhat neurodivergent behaviors. The mystery is well plotted and kept me guessing. Gray remains true to the Austen writing style and employs a good sense of humor. I can’t remember the last book that made me laugh out loud a few times as this one did.

Although I did read and liked one of the prior novels in this series, this one works well as a standalone. They are so charming, though, I would suggest reading all three to thoroughly enjoy the characters. You do not have to be overly familiar (or remember!) Austen’s writings to appreciate these books for their plots and reflection of the society at that time. My advice is to read them slowly to savor the language and nuances.

I am looking forward to the next installment.

I am grateful to NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy, as I do not think I could have waited for an official release. I gobbled each of the three books in this series in one sitting, wandering from reading chair to bathroom to kitchen with book in hand.

In this installment, Lady Catherine De Bourgh is upset because someone has made several attempts to hurt or kill her. Far from being frightened she is angry! It is unfortunate enough to attract the attention of a villain, yes, but how unbecoming to have attracted such an ineffective one! (This will NOT be borne!) She has summoned Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney to Rosings Park to put an end to this intolerable skullduggery.

The mystery is well-crafted and the details are well-suited to the time period. It is fun to see how Mr. Collins and Charlotte have fared, both with each other and under the heavy attentions of Lady Catherine. Anne De Bourgh, worried about being a (fabulously wealthy) spinster at age thirty, has married Colonel Fitzwilliam and had a son. Behind the scenes, Fitzwilliam Darcy continues his snobbish tut tuttery about Juliet’s father, a mere clergyman with more wit than tact or deference, as well as Juliet for pursuing unfeminine interests. Will he never cease match-blocking??

I was so thrilled to receive an advanced review copy of this book; I have been eagerly anticipating the newest adventure of Mr. Darcy and Miss Tilney!

This is my favorite in the series so far. Gray's writing is once again superb, imitating Austen's style and wit, and the mystery was carefully crafted. The plot was engaging, and had me racing to the end to see "whodunit" - the ending was satisfying, especially with a little suspension of disbelief regarding circumstances that I can't explain without spoilers.

With most of the characters already established in the previous books, Gray's plot and character development are at their strongest here. Her portrayal of Lady Catherine de Bourgh is excellent, and I appreciated her thoughtful, nuanced portrayal of Colonel Fitzwilliam and Anne. I was only a little disappointed by one of Mr. TIlney's choices. I really enjoyed seeing Mr. Tilney and Mr. Darcy together, as they are two of my favorite Austen characters; I do wish they'd gotten along better and that Mrs. Catherine Tilney could have joined Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy to smooth over their differences, but that's how life goes! Of course, the friendship (perhaps more?) between Mr. Jonathan Darcy and Miss Juliet Tilney is the piece de resistance of the novel, and has kept me coming back for more throughout this series. They have, perhaps, the slowest slow-burn ever - but that's not a criticism; it feels completely right for Jonathan Darcy. You can bet I'll be back to read Claudia Gray's next book in the series!

I'm grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for this free eARC. I am cross-posting to Goodreads and will post this review on Amazon closer to the book's publication.

Thank you to Edelweiss and Vintage Books for this book.

Lovers of Jane Auten will love this book.

I throughly enjoyed the characters, plot, setting and storyline.

The world Claudia created was perfect. I became totally engrossed in this novel.

When it came time to.put it down I found I could not and read into the wee hours of the morning to finish.

Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.

oh. my. goodness. this book was absolutely incredible!!!! i had so much fun reading this book. it was lovely and wonderful and amazing. thank you so much to netgalley for letting me read this book before the publication date!!!

This, the 3rd book in the series, was another fun mystery. I enjoy the way that Claudia brings some of our favorite Austen characters to life. I wasn’t as invested in this plot as the others. I think, in part, due to the lack of motives and discoveries throughout the book. But it’s fun to live in the world and is a cozy read. I hope we visit Permberly soon!

The third book in this clever series about the next generation of Austen characters, The Perils fines Lady Catherine (of Pride & Prejudice) surviving several attempts on her life at Rosings, her estate. After the success of Juliet Tilney and Jonathan Darcy working together to solve several murders, Lady de Bourgh summons both of them to Rosing to find the person attempting to murder her. Austen fan will love reading about characters some 20 years after the end of the action in the original books and historical mystery readers will enjoy the intrigue. There is a budding romance between Jonathan and Juliet but it is a VERY slow burn…in part because of the strict social morals of the period and the suggestion that Jonathan is neurodivergent. I truly hope this series continues but I also hope that this relationship is developed more fully sooner rather than later.

When I started this I had no idea it was tied in with the famous Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. So I was pleasantly surprised, especially as one of the sleuths is their son, Jonathan. But that’s pretty much where my pleasure faded away. I feel this “mystery” went nowhere. I felt it just went round and round, over the same material until the end and then suddenly they have it all figured out. Then it abruptly ends with the perpetrator leaving and every one goes home and everything goes back to normal. I didn’t know this was part of a series but it is decent as a stand alone story, I think. But if one does want to find out what becomes of the younger Mr. Darcy and his sleuth partner, Miss Tilney, one must read further. Definitely not a sit on the edge of your seat read.

Review of Uncorrected Proof

Despite her disapproval of their detective activities, Lady Catherine requests the presence of Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney at Rosings. After several unsettling incidents, she believes that her life is in danger.

When Jonathan's mother protests [because of the danger to her son], it is decided that Jonathan’s father and Juliet’s father will accompany them to Rosings. Mr. Darcy is there to support his aunt; Mr. Tilney is there to chaperone his daughter.

Who would want to kill Lady Catherine? Will Jonathan and Juliet be able to find the culprit and save Lady Catherine?

=========

In this, the third book in the series, readers will find sufficient backstory for the book to work as a standalone.

The unfolding story, a delightful cozy mystery, keeps readers guessing. There are secrets galore; the mystery is compelling. The characters are well-developed, true to their original appearances in Jane Austen's novels.

Bringing together the various Jane Austen characters will surely delight readers. In addition, the regency romance plays well, keeping readers invested in the telling of the tale. Both Jane Austen fans and those who enjoy mysteries and/or historical stories will find much to appreciate here.

Recommended.

I received a free copy of this book from Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, Vintage and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
#ThePerilsofLadyCatherinedeBourch #NetGalley

Claudia Gray does a fantastic job in writing this historical setting, the characters felt like they were strong characters. I enjoyed getting to read this and how the story worked with this series, it was a strong third entry in the Mr. Darcy & Miss Tilney Mystery series. The mystery element worked well overall and thought the concept worked beautifully.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, and Vintage for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The author set herself up for two very big challenges with this book:

1) writing a cozy mystery using Jane Austen characters without feeling cheesy or cliche, and

2) making Catherine de Bourgh (one of Austen’s most vile characters) someone you did not want to see come to harm

And she succeeded with both of these tasks! The book feels like a fun continuation of Jane Austen’s classic works within a new genre, making it a very cozy read. She also managed to write Catherine de Bourgh in a way that still very much resembles the disdainful woman we met in Pride and Prejudice, but gave her enough heart that the reader doesn’t end up rooting for the villain to succeed in their murderous plot.

However, the book did still have a few issues that hindered my enjoyment. Specifically, the pacing felt a bit slow at times and made it hard for me to stay engaged with the story. Additionally, I don’t think they really dove into each suspect’s potential motives enough, which meant the villain reveal at the end wasn’t enough of a payoff in my opinion.

Overall, I enjoyed this one and will likely read more in the series as well.

I continue to love this series and the way Claudia Gray weaves Jane Austen’s characters together. This is another delightfully cozy mystery packed with wit, charm, and a sweet regency romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the advance copy.