Claudia Gray

Following the events at Donwell Abbey as recounted in The Murder of Mr. Wickham, Juliet Tilney has been invited to visit Colonel and Marianne Brandon at Delaford. Meanwhile, Jonathan Darcy and several of his former classmates have been invited to spend a month at Allenham Court with Mr. Willoughby and his new bride. Mr. Darcy and Miss Tilney are surprised and pleased to see each other at a dinner party at Barton Park, but the evening ends in tragedy with the sudden death of Mrs. Willoughby, apparently from poison. Mr. Darcy and Miss Tilney have successfully investigated a murder before. Can they do it again?

I like Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney as sleuthing partners. Jonathan has personality traits characteristic of autism or Asperger’s. Juliet accepts Jonathan’s differences, and she is very protective of him in social settings where others might not be as understanding. Even so, the book drags on too long. I listened to the audio version, and there is nearly an hour more of the recording left after the murder is solved. The author seems compelled to include all of the major characters from Sense and Sensibility, but one set of characters has a story line that is completely independent of the murder plot. Since it doesn’t advance the murder plot, it doesn’t belong in the book, and the author and her editor(s) should have resisted the temptation.… (mais)

Well.... It wasn't that the writing was all so very awful. It really wasn't. It was just all the stereotypical teen angst that was so annoying. Bianca is supposed to be in high school, but she certainly acts like a middle school aged brat. Then there's this: she has a brief encounter with a guy once and by the next day, he is her soul-mate - they are connected at the core. Their hearts beat as one. The suddenness of the overwhelming feelings these two almost immediately have for each other was unbelievable. I had to stop reading to take a glucose tolerance test. I really cannot stand that kind of nonsense. I thought I knew exactly how the rest of the story was going to pan out...

But then - BAM! - a surprising plot twist. Then I was glad I had not stopped reading. I thought to myself, "Self...this is getting good!" Then - little bam - disappointment. Just as the story started to get interesting, it fell back into the old teen angst and nonsense. Undying love for someone you just met - to the point of possibly choosing this person over your own family. I think the only characters I liked were Raquel and Vic - the two humans. Maybe I'm just not into vampire novels. To be fair, I don't normally read them. So, if you like vampire stories, you may enjoy this. It's an interesting idea - the vampire school that helps vamps acclimate to the world outside - the world of humans. There's also the "rarity" of the "born" vampire - Bianca. And then there are the members of "Black Cross" who are out to rid the world of the blood suckers. I suppose it could be interesting - I suppose I should have liked it. I just didn't. For me, there was too much super-sappy teen romance and not enough story.… (mais)

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?

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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… (mais)