The Late Mrs. Willoughby Published by Vintage Books by Claudia Gray
on June 1, 2023
Genres: European Literature, British Literature, Mystery, Romance, Historical, Retellings
Pages: 400
Source: Netgalley
Format: ARC, eBook
Find the Author: Website, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Instagram
Also by this author: The Murder of Mr. Wickham
Find the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
ISBN: 0593313844
Rating:
The suspenseful sequel to The Murder of Mr. Wickham, which sees Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney reunited, and with another mystery to solve: the dreadful poisoning of the scoundrel Willoughby's new wife.
Catherine and Henry Tilney of Northanger Abbey are not entirely pleased to be sending their eligible young daughter Juliet out into the world again: the last house party she attended, at the home of the Knightleys, involved a murder—which Juliet helped solve. Particularly concerning is that she intends to visit her new friend Marianne Brandon, who's returned home to Devonshire shrouded in fresh scandal—made more potent by the news that her former suitor, the rakish Mr. Willoughby, intends to take up residence at his local estate with his new bride.
Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley are thrilled that their eldest son, Jonathan—who, like his father, has not always been the most socially adept—has been invited to stay with his former schoolmate, John Willoughby. Jonathan himself is decidedly less taken with the notion of having to spend extended time under the roof of his old bully, but that all changes when he finds himself reunited with his fellow amateur sleuth, the radiant Miss Tilney. And when shortly thereafter, Willoughby's new wife—whom he married for her fortune—dies horribly at the party meant to welcome her to town.
With rumors flying and Marianne—known to be both unstable and previously jilted by the dead woman's newly made widower—under increased suspicion, Jonathan and Juliet must team up once more to uncover the murderer. But as they collect clues and close in on suspects, eerie incidents suggest that the killer may strike again, and that the pair are in far graver danger than they or their families could imagine.
A VINTAGE ORIGINAL.
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.
About Claudia Gray
Claudia Gray is the pseudonym of Amy Vincent. She is the writer of multiple young adult novels, including the Evernight series, the Firebird trilogy, and the Constellation trilogy. In addition, she’s written several Star Wars novels, such as Lost Stars and Bloodline. She makes her home in New Orleans with her husband Paul and assorted small dogs.
Great review, Christine! A murder-mystery always sounds intriguing to me. And it sounds like this one was very good!
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I like Claudia Gray’s YA books, didn’t know she wrote these too! I do enjoy a good retelling, so this sounds good. Great review!
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