Rating: 4 out of 5.

I thoroughly enjoyed this historical fiction mystery involving the Jane Austen characters we love, and love to hate. This is the second book in the series, but there was enough backstory provided throughout the book for me to understand the history of the characters’ relationships and their actions. However, this is a standalone mystery, and can be read without having read the first book.

This book finds eligible young woman Juliet Tilney and socially inept, but wealthy, young bachelor Jonathan Darcy together again to solve another mystery. Juliet is visiting new friend Marianne in Devonshire. Julie’s timing couldn’t be better as Marianne is distress that her former suiter, the rakish Mr. Willoughby, intends to move into a nearby estate with his new wealthy wife. Coincidentally, Jonathan has been invited to stay with a former schoolmate in Devonshire who bullied him mercilessly. To please his parents, he accepts the invitation and dreads the stay, until he discovers Juliet is also staying nearby. They are both delighted to see each other again.

Soon after their arrival, everyone is attending a dinner party to celebrate Mr. Willoughby’s residence at his estate, when Mrs. Willoughby dies a horrible death from drinking poisoned wine. With suspicions flying and Marianne under new scrutiny, Julie and Jonathan don their investigator hats once again and are determined to solve the mystery.

Let me just say, I loved Juliet and Jonathan! They are both so earnest, but in different ways. It’s endearing rather than annoying. The author’s writing style is similar to Jane Austen’s, which is enjoyable to read, but she includes her own touches as well. I loved reading about all of the social norms and expectations, which thankfully, are a thing of the past. Juliet and Jonathan’s friendship has moved passed some of these norms, much to their delight. There is a will-they-or-won’t-they tension to this book that was fun, and frustrating, to read.

The mystery is very well done, with plenty of suspects and twists and turns. A number of red herrings are sprinkled throughout the book to frustrate the reader into questioning their previously held belief in who the killer is. I like being toyed with by an author, and always try to “outsmart” them by solving the mystery before it’s revealed. Here, Gray proves a worthy “opponent” and kept me guessing. The book has a satisfying ending, and there is a tease of more books to come, which is exciting. I will definitely read any future books in the series.

If you like Jane Austen, and like mysteries, this series is not to be missed. The writing is engaging, well-paced, and the book is a fun read. I recommend you pick up this book, as well as the first book in the series, The Murder of Mr. Wickham, right away.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Austenprose PR and Vintage. All opinions are my own.