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Book Summary and Reviews of The Late Mrs. Willoughby by Claudia Gray

The Late Mrs. Willoughby by Claudia Gray

The Late Mrs. Willoughby

A Novel (MR. DARCY & MISS TILNEY MYSTERY)

by Claudia Gray

  • Readers' Rating (2):
  • Published:
  • May 2023, 400 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

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.

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.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"[A] superior blend of humor and detection... . Gray makes her endearing leads' sleuthing both plausible and entertaining while evoking the wit and feel of Austen's classic novels."  —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Wonderfully reimagines the lives of Austen's characters yet stays faithful to the spirit of the classic works... . It's fun to anticipate the other Austen characters the young sleuths might encounter in future novels." —Library Journal

"Absolutely delightful! Fans of Jane Austen and historical mysteries will fall in love with this series. Gray remains true to Austen's style and intent for her beloved characters while still adding her own spin on them and their progeny—one that is both refreshing and absorbing. I'm already looking forward to the next installment."  —Anna Lee Huber, USA Today bestselling author

"What a terrific concept—to take a cadre of beloved literary characters, wrap them up in a murder, and extract a wonderful investigative duo from the bunch! Claudia Gray's The Late Mrs. Willoughby is a clever, delightful treat for Jane Austen lovers. Ms. Austen would be thrilled!" —Colleen Cambridge, author of Mastering the Art of French Murder

This information about The Late Mrs. Willoughby was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

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Author Information

Claudia Gray

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.

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