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.
The Late Mrs. Willoughby by Claudia Gray Available May 16, 2023 by Vintage Books
I’m ready to spend more time with neurodivergent Pemberley heir Jonathan Darcy and young but perceptive Tilney daughter Juliet. Jonathan is enduring a house party with his childhood bully and she’s eager to visit her friend Mrs Brandon, who is struggling with the repercussions of what happened in the Murder of Mr Wickham.
This is best read by Austen fans and those who read book 1. There’s no summary or cheat sheet about the changes the author made to Austen in the first book or to remind you of the events of Sense and Sensibility.
This was a good mystery with some redirection, although the solution didn’t have much emotional impact for me. The whodunnit was clear early, if not the why. The personalities of Austen’s characters was well done. Those Ferrars are awful and Willoughby is just as you’d expect him to be. I’m really here for Jonathan Darcy and how he navigates and interprets the world. Jonathan and Juliet’s relationship isn’t a slow burn yet, more of an ember, but I’m eager to see them investigate the death of whatever unlikable minor Austen character gets bumped off next.
Have your read this series? What do you think of Austenesque sequels focusing on the next generation?
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