The Late Mrs. Willoughby

Claudia Gray

May 2023 · MR. DARCY & MISS TILNEY MYSTERY Book 2 · Sold by Vintage

About this ebook

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.

“An absolute page-turner full of well-plotted mystery and hints of simmering romance.... More of the Jane Austen characters we love (as well as those we love to hate).” —Mia P. Manansala, author of Arsenic and Adobo

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.

Ratings and reviews

Another creative mystery in the Mr. Darcy & Miss Tilney series! In this mystery, the villain focused on is John Willoughby, the rake who broke Marianne Dashwood’s heart in Sense and Sensibility. Instead of him winding up the murder victim, it’s his wife. This crafty, slow burn whodunit combines the wit of Jane Austen with the clever deductions of Agatha Christie as the second generation of Austen’s characters works to expose a murderer.

I did not see the twist at the end of this book coming! This is definitely a page-turner. The setting is familiar and interesting, the characters are three-dimensional, the plot is well paced and carried out, the writing style is smooth, and the friendship and romance is sweet. "The Late Mrs. Willoughby" will appeal to so many readers! Not only will Jane Austen fans and readers of Austenesque fiction enjoy this, readers of historical fiction and mysteries will too. I highly recommend!

About the author

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, and is one of the story architects of the High Republic series. She makes her home in New Orleans with her husband Paul and assorted small dogs.