Rating: 4 out of 5.

If you’re a Jane Austin fan, you will love this historical fiction cozy mystery series. As the story begins, Jonathan Darcy is recovering from the gunshot wound he received during his duel and Juliet Tilney is suffering from her ruined reputation after an artist’s scandalous fake portrait of her. Jonathan’s parents continue to hover over him and demand he stop his association with Juliet. Juliet’s parents mourn the possibility that Juliet could have married into the Darcy family.

As fortune has it, Jonathan’s uncle Charles Bingley’s brother-in-law, Mr. Hurst, is found murdered at Netherfield Park. Jonathan’s family is desperate for answers, and in the end, they ask Miss Tilney to Netherfield to help solve the mystery. The couple is thrilled to be together and immediately dive into the mystery. In addition to the mystery, the couple must also deal with scheming from other relatives intent on snagging Jonathan as a husband.

I love the way the couple think and they way they approach the investigation. They play off each other well and slowly move the plot forward. The side characters are exactly what you’d expect in an Austen-like novel. The proprieties of society and class separation are on full display. I liked how shocked Jonathan was when he had doubts about his aunt and uncle’s innocence, something that he’d never thought he’d do. The ability of the couple to sense when people were lying or holding back was great and their instincts were spot on.

This is such a fun series to read. You have the stand-alone mystery that is solved in each book, but the continuing storyline of the growth of Jonathan and Juliet’s relationship runs through all the books. This book ended on a fantastic cliffhanger regarding their relationship and I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book!

I received a complimentary e-copy of this book from NetGalley and Vintage Publishing. All opinions are my own.