Mid nineteenth century London and Juliet Tilley, daughter of Northanger Abbey characters and Jonathan D’Arcy, son of Pride and Prejudice characters are reunited to solve another murder (or 2). This is a fun series that uses the next generation of Austen characters for the plot. Jonathan is neurodivergent and Juliet accepts and admires him at a time when most others thought him peculiar at best. They are a crime solving duo and would be a perfect couple but their families do not agree. Sadly, while these two spend a great deal of time together during their investigations, their relationship moves VERY slowly…because of the controlled and stilted behavior of their times and because particularly Mr. D’Arcy doesn’t think that Juliet is good enough for his oldest son. Hopefully in future books in this series, there will be movement towards their happiness while also solving crimes. The continued separation of the two of them becomes less realistic and more frustrating.

“The Rushworth Family Plot” is Claudia Gray’s fourth installment in the Mr. Darcy and Miss Tilney mystery series. If the last names are unfamiliar to you, Mr. Darcy is the son of Fitzwilliam Darcy of “Pride and Prejudice” and Miss Tilney is from the “Northanger Abbey” family. Jane Austen characters who never knew each other in her books meet in Claudia Gray’s stories.

Main characters Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney are highly intelligent and they think analytically. Both are valuable qualities when solving the murders that always seem to pop up in their presence.

Each thinks very highly of the other as well. Gray presents their relationship in such a charming way, and I enjoy seeing them grow closer in each book.

If you enjoy the Flavia de Luce series by Alan Bradley, Claudia Gray’s series may be just your cup of tea. If you enjoy Jane Austen (what am I saying?!-- of course you enjoy Jane Austen), you’ll no doubt find Gray’s books a treat.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance reader’s copy. This is my honest review.

Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney, the children of Jane Austen’s heroes and heroines, are back to solving another murder when Mr. Rushworth (from Mansfield Park) is found dead. Is his unfaithful ex-wife responsible? Or the man she left her husband for? Or someone else? In the meantime, Caroline Bingley, now Allerdyce, is trying to secure Jonathan for her own daughter while Jonathan clearly shows interest in his partner-in-investigating. I enjoyed this fourth book in the Darcy and Tilney series. While Mansfield Park is not a favorite, I liked its treatment in this book, and I appreciate the sensitivity the author has in portraying Jonathan’s neurodivergence in a nineteenth century setting.

sweet and well-written detective book. i didn't read book 1 or 2, although i did read 3, but i didn't feel like it was required for me to read 1 or 2, because just from this book it's well-contained. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

I have found an unexpected new favorite pairing over the past few years: 19th century girl detectives and their love interests! First Enola Holmes and Tewkesbury, and now Juliet Tilney and Jonathan Darcy!

I've been a fan of this series from the beginning and I think it's getting better and better. The earlier books were of course a fun novelty with all the Austen characters popping up together, but I think these later books are getting stronger and more able to stand on their own merits.

I loved this book and, while the relationship of Juliet and Jonathan didn't progress as much as I would have liked, it did make some very significant progress and I look forward to their next encounter! Why is Mr Darcy such a pain?! Although I suppose it was ever thus. 😂

The writing in this book is excellent and does such a fine job of capturing the authentic voice of the period! I enjoy it immensely every time.

Carrying on with the Mr. Darcy and Ms. Tilney series, Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney this time find themselves brought together for the London season. Darcy is staying with the Bertram family, and so this book reckons with the slavery connections in Mansfield Park in an adept way. Gray also masterfully capture the voice of Austen's characters, especially Aunt Norris and Lady Bertram. This novel also had added intrigue that recalled a Bridgerton plot. An excellent installment in the series.

Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel. I have really enjoyed this series as it teaches me more about the characters in the Austen novels than I would have known otherwise while also being a compelling murder mystery. The portrayal of Jonathan Darcy and his modern-day autistic diagnosis is well done especially with Fitzwilliam's rejection of it and thinking his son just needs to try harder. Juliet and Jonathan are so sweet together and they REALLY need to be allowed to court in the next book. This can only go on for so long and if there are going to be six books to match the six Austen wrote, I want the last to be a successful engagement and marriage. Gray can only hold out on us for so long right? If you like Austen, you will like these. 4.5 stars.

I absolutely loved this installment! The focus on scandal and romance was so interesting and a slight deviation in the series but I enjoyued it. I also really thought the focus on social issues was important and added weight to the series. Would definitely recommend for older students and fans of classics/Jane Austen!

While I enjoy the main characters and love their relationship, the issues that keep them apart are becoming a little excessive.
We are introduced to more people from the original novels and get to see a future version of what might have been, which is always exciting! And the murder mystery part of the story is entertaining.

this was a strong fourth entry in the Mr. Darcy & Miss Tilney Mystery series, it had that elmeent that I was wanting and enjoyed form this type of book. The characters had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed in this type of book. It had that mystery element that I was hoping for and enjoyed how it was used in the Jane Austen universe. Claudia Gray always writes a strong story and the characters were everything that I wanted and enjoyed. I'm glad I got to read this and can't wait for more from Claudia Gray.

"The fourth book in New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray's Jane Austen sequel series, which finds amateur sleuths Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney caught up in the whirlwind of the London Season - and in a murderous scheme involving the family of Edmund and Fanny Bertram

Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney understand each other perfectly; it's a pity their families do not. A series of misunderstandings, misplaced pride, and - indeed - prejudice, has led their parents to deem the pair unsuited to wed. Now, with the Season approaching, Juliet's grandfather, General Tilney, has sent her to London with a new wardrobe and orders to prove herself worthy of someone better than the snobby Darcys. Meanwhile, Jonathan has been forced to accept an invitation to stay in town with old friends Edmund and Fanny Bertram at the house of Edmund's brother, Sir Thomas. Oblivious to and undesiring of female attention outside of Juliet's, Jonathan is at risk of being ensnared by Caroline Bingley's previously rebuffed plans to make herself - or her daughter - mistress of Pemberley.

But when Mr. Rushworth, the former husband of Edmund's sister Maria, is discovered dead in his home, Jonathan and Juliet find themselves with problems far weightier than the marriage market. In one of the greatest scandals of its day, Maria abandoned her new husband in favor of the notorious rake Henry Crawford, and when he wouldn't marry her, was forced to flee to the continent in disgrace. Now Maria is back, accompanied by a daughter she claims Mr. Rushworth fathered after their divorce - and who he wrote into his will just before his death. To spare Edmund and Fanny further social shame, Jonathan and Juliet must unmask a killer before the drama surrounding the Rushworth family fortune claims another victim."

Damn, Mr. Rushworth dead!?! I've always felt sorry for him. I too want his killer caught.

Many thanks to NetGalley, PRHAudio and Vintage for the preview. All opinions are my own.

4+ stars

Going into this one, I was a little wary because MP is my least favorite Austen AND I kind of hated Fanny and Edmund in the first book. Thankfully, my utter DELIGHT with Jonathan and Juliet overrode my issues with the Bertrams.

Jonathan and Juliet had me kicking my heels in gleeeeee! I squealed when they were reunited, and every time they were on the page together or even thinking about each other, I was in raptures. So essentially, I'm going to need Lizzie to work on Fitzwilliam Darcy a lot more to get his prejudiced butt over his issues with Juliet. I loved that we got Catherine Tilney as the chaperone for Juliet this time, and I also loved her letters to Henry basically saying "wtf was your issue my man."

So as for the Bertrams. They were all just as insufferable as ever. Though Lady Bertram had me rolling in laughter with her head in the clouds at all times. Aunt Norris is still the worst villain in all of Austen's books. The Crawfords were similarly terrible, as was Caroline Bingley. It's a marvel that Gray is so easily able to step into Austen's characters and maintain their core. The culprit wasn't entirely surprising to me, and the end was really satisfying in that regard.

Ok so Fanny. I still found her unlikeable; overly religious characters really turn me off. HOWEVER, this book really serves as a Mansfield Park apologist, and it works. We dive into why Fanny is the way she is (thanks, Aunt Norris!), and how Fanny survived in that household and how it shaped her. I do have more sympathy for her now. We also have a satisfying fight about that plantation.
But no one will ever convince me that Edmund doesn't suck!

Highly recommended! I cannot wait for the next book. I'm getting impatient with these roadblocks to true love, ma'am!

Miss Juliet Tilney and Mr. Jonathan Darcy first met at a house party on the estate of Mr. Knightley and his wife Emma. Miss Tilney is the daughter of Catherine Tilney (Northanger Abbey) and Mr. Darcy’s parents own the fine estate of Pemberley. As the two people nearest in age at the party they got to know one another. When something horrific happened the two curious young minds puzzled out what happened and thus began a wonderful friendship.

The Rushworth Family Plot concerns the family from Mansfield Park, the Bertram’s, they are in London for the season. Tom the new baron is searching for a wife. The Darcy’s have come to town because they wish Jonathan to see other young ladies besides Miss Tilney. The Darcy’s are not sure they like the connection between the two. Investigating murders is not the done thing for a member of the ton. However, General Tilney has also sent his granddaughter to town for the season as well.

The Bertram’s past comes to town as well causing problems. The estranged sister Maria shows up stirring up scandal and nearly ruining Tom’s martrimonial plans. When Maria’s ex-husband is murdered and the police are too busy to investigate properly, Edmund asks Mr. Darcy and Miss Tilney to find the culprit and see justice is done.

Away from the disapproving eyes of his father Jonathan takes care to formally court Miss Tilney and make his wishes to marry her known. Scheming mommas who want to snag such a prime catch will throw barriers in his way. Will the young couple ever find their happily ever after when they are so good catching murderers. We can only hope dear readers.

The fourth installment in the Miss Tilney Mr. Darcy mystery series does not disappoint. This time our hero and heroine find themselves caught up in the excitement and overwhelm of London during the height of the social season. Gone are the cozy country house setting of the first three novels, and no one misses the tranquil idyll more than Mr. Jonathan Darcy. However our neurodivergent hero is determined to push through his discomfort and use this season away from the overbearing reach of his parents to pursue Miss Tilney. His unlikely hosts are the Bertrums and the Rushworths of Mansfield Park, and of course they couldn’t be hosts in this series without usefully providing a murder to bring Juliet Tilney and Jonathan Darcy together again to find a killer.

I am a fan of this series for its setting and characters. If you’d ask me if I needed a mystery— sure, it’s nice, but my true love here is the Jane Austen of it all. I honestly think Miss Tilney and Jonathan Darcy are so well written. The setting of regency England in this novel is so rich, it informs the characters sensibilities— what they can and cannot do as detectives is sometimes frustrating to a modern reader like myself! Why can’t they be in a room together without a chaperone!? But it all adds to the feeling that I’m reading a real Jane Austen novel. I fully trust this authors voice and opinions— it’s easy to believe these novels could be a part of the Austen cannon. That being said, I don’t think the mystery element of this story is always the strongest. It feels more cozy than a page turner.

I once heard a professor talk about Austen and how her books aren’t romantic in nature, they are first and foremost cultural critiques. I think Kiera Knightly and Matthew Macfadyn might disagree, but Claudia Gray, it seems, is trying to emulate what Austen is up to besides just romance. Yes— there is a slow burn romance in this series that makes me kick and scream when they as much as brush fingertips, or in Jonathan Darcy’s case, realize that brushing fingertips with Juliet Tilney might in fact be an enjoyable experience. You’d think they were far more explicit by the amount of squealing I’ve done! But Gray is also commenting on the societal shifts of the time, in this book specifically the Bertram family grapples with selling the family’s plantation and having benefitted from owning enslaved people. This part of the story fit nicely with the murder mystery as we tried to figure out who is a killer and who is just a morally contemptible human being.

I struggle to find a critique for this book because I loved it so much. Sure, the murder didn’t always hold my attention over the slow burn romance, but did it really bother me? Not at all. Maybe my critique is that the ending left me TOO desperate for the next installment! BEWARE THE CLIFFHANGER.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, and Vintage for this ARC.

I really could not have been more excited to receive an ARC of the newest Mr, Darcy and Miss Tilney murder mystery, and I enjoyed this newest installment. We have officially moved into stories involving characters that I don't know at all-- never read Mansfield Park but I know the general premise and the main characters--and I thought the author told their backstory well while also setting forth events that had happened since then. The murder in this book was well conceived and unclear until the end. I love the romance between Jonathan and Juliet. Claudia Gray is really adroit at mixing characters from different stories into the plot, and this story includes the Bertrams and some of the TIlneys, the Darcys, Caroline Bingley from Pride and Prejudice, and Lawrence Follett from the Late Mrs Willoughby. I cannot wait for another book and can only hope that one day one of these stories will include Lady Susan (IYKYN)

I have been reading the Darcy and Tilney novels since the beginning and I think this one might be my favorite! The amateur sleuths are at it again, this time in London, with the Bertram family. I have never been a fan of Maria Bertram Rushworth or Mrs. Norris so I was not saddened when one of them was murdered. But poor Mr. Rushworth! He definitely deserved better. Fanny and Edmund make an appearance and have their own sorrows, which are eventually healed. It was fun to revisit Austen's characters and to further explore Jonathan and Juliet's futures. I hope there is more to come!

4.5 out of 5 stars

A fantastic book from start to finish. I was so invested in this mystery that brings the extended Bertram family from Mansfield Park together with Mr. Darcy and Miss Tilney. Thoroughly enjoyed the new setting in London as well as the development of their relationship throughout the course of the book. Very eager for more in this series!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Vintage books and Austenprose PR for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.4.5 out of 5 stars

A fantastic book from start to finish. I was so invested in this mystery that brings the extended Bertram family from Mansfield Park together with Mr. Darcy and Miss Tilney. Thoroughly enjoyed the new setting in London as well as the development of their relationship throughout the course of the book. Very eager for more in this series!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Vintage books and Austenprose PR for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Gray has done it again with her cozy regency-era murder mystery featuring two young detectives, Mr. Jonathan Darcy and Ms. Julia Tilney. Gray delivers a lighthearted who-done-it with clever clues and subplots that develop as each book progresses. One only wonders: how many books in this series does the author plan on writing?

This series always delivers, and manages to up the ante, especially in the romance department which has fully kicked into gear in the latest entry.

Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney haven't seen each other since the events of the previous book, which left both of their families certain that Jonathan and Juliet are badly suited for each other - a point that Jonathan and Juliet could not disagree more on. The latest mystery that brings them back into each other's orbit revolves around the family at the center of Mansfield Park, who Jonathan is staying with during his stay in London.

What I really enjoyed in this novel was Fanny's storyline of her struggles with infertility and coming to motherhood in a different way. This was especially poignant for a character like Fanny, who was not raised by her parents and was always treated as the unwanted member of the family. Her fears that those same resentments could be enacted by her was a really poignant and moving aspect of the story.

Jonathan and Juliet continue to inch closer to each other but this was the first book in the series that felt like they were fully on the same page as each other and their problems moving forward will be from outside forces rather than their own uncertainty of the other's feelings. Can't wait to read the next one!

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Another winner in the series, with one caveat. Can't spoil it but there was one part of the plot that never did make sense having to do with money. Anyway, otherwise, I really enjoyed this book every bit as much as the previous ones. If you are new to the series, I recommend starting at the beginning to get the most out of it. If you are not familiar with any of the Jane Austen books, I recommend you also read those (or at least some of them and summaries of all of them.) Read if you enjoyed Jane Austen and Agatha Christie. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. I look forward to many more in the series.