Love the premise for this book, with a knowledgeable sleuth, academic setting, and passion for Jane Austen. All made for a cozy read.

Katie Oliver’s A Murderous Persuasion is the second terrific installment of her delightful Jane Austen inspired contemporary cozy mystery series.

Phaedra Brighton might not lead the most exciting of lives, but she’s perfectly content with a job she loves, a spirited cat and a gorgeous carriage house on the grounds of her aunt’s inn. Other than having her own Mr Darcy, Phaedra has no cause to complain about her life until her aunt drops a shocking bombshell: she is going to sell Laurel Springs Inn!

Phaedra is absolutely devastated. She cannot bear the thought of losing her beloved home and living elsewhere and in an attempt to save the inn, she convinces her Aunt Wendy to host an immersive Persuasion murder-mystery weekend. Phaedra is sure that this event will help drum up business and reverse the inn’s ailing fortunes – until one of the participants turns up dead leaving her with no other choice but to turn detective again!

With no time to lose and no second chances, Phaedra needs to get this right if she is to catch a killer and save Laurel Springs Inn from going under!

The pages couldn’t turn quickly enough for me whilst reading Katie Oliver’s A Murderous Persuasion. Witty, intelligent, charming and deliciously readable, A Murderous Persuasion is an entertaining and enjoyable cozy mystery I read in a single sitting.

Addictive, nail-biting and so much fun, Katie Oliver comes up trumps yet again with this fabulous cozy mystery, A Murderous Persuasion.

4 stars

You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.

This is another great cozy mystery with Jane Austen vibes. While this is book 2 of the series, it's a standalone mystery and can be read without having read the first book. In fact, I've read this series completely out of order and I've still enjoyed them all.

In this book Professor Phaedra Brighton is once again right in the middle of another murder investigation. This time, the victim is a best-selling author who was attending an immersive Persuasion-themed murder-mystery weekend at her aunt Wendy's bed and breakfast. The event was supposed to gain attention for her aunt's inn to boost business, but this isn't the type of attention they wanted.

Phaedra is a formidable protagonist who is smart, capable and brave. Once she puts her mind to something, she singularly pursues it until she gets her answer. In this book, Phaedra is put in danger on more than one occasion, but remains undaunted in finding the killer. She also obtains some closure with the high school ex-boyfriend that broke her heart.

I liked getting to know Phaedra's sister and aunt better. I was able to learn more of their backstory, which added depth to the information I learned about them in book 3. Same for Mark, Phaedra's love interest in the series. If you like cozy mysteries with a Jane Austen flair, this series is a must read.

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

I am enjoying this series. I like how the sleuth is an Austen scholar who ends up in the middle of these murder case completely by accident. I love how her knowledge of all things Regency helps her in solving the case. I like that these stories are engaging and that they are the perfect cozy mystery. I also loved the cats in this story and how they helped her with solving the case. I think this is a fun series and I look forward to more stories with these characters.

I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, and or authors.  A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.

I may have broken my rule of never reading a series out of order but I am glad I did to be a part of this book tour, I was introduced to an amazing author Katie Oliver - and whose back list I am now devouring. I am a huge fan of Phaedra Brighton - she is witty, outspoken, and a professor of nineteenth century literature from Somerset University in Virginia.

the second installment in the jane austen tea society mystery series didn’t disappoint! while at times it felt like there was a lot of going on, i loved the hilarity it brought to the small town antics going on. i think you have to suspend belief here for a bit, and just get lost in the coziness of the mystery and all of the literary references!

i loved phaedra’s determine to help her aunt save the inn. it’s also this determination which moves her to help solve the mystery of the murder despite morelli’s repeated warnings to leave it alone. her interactions with detective morelli and professor seldon had my head ping ponging back and forth. i have no idea how the romance is going to go. i also loved getting to know hannah more!

overall, this was fast paced with an engaging plot that kept me guessing until the end. you don’t need to read the first book to to enjoy this cozy little mystery. it’s perfect for a rainy saturday! i’m really looking forward to book three.

thank you to berkley and austenprose for an advanced copy. my thoughts are my own.

She’s back! Professor Phaedra Brighton is once again involved in a murder investigation, but, this time, during a Jane Austen Murder party. After Pride, Prejudice, and Peril, Phaedra and her Jane Austen Tea Society are reading Persuasion, so it seems just appropriate to organise a Jane Austen Murder Party based on it at her aunt’s hotel to help and save it from closure. Among the guests, a historical romance author and her husband, a journalist, a failed writer, a custom designer, a real estate agent and his assistant, and a certain striking Shakespeare professor from Oxford, who makes Phaedra’s heart skip a bit despite their very different opinion on literature. Things are right off to a wrong start when the historical romance author is not happy about the character she is going to play and things take a turn for the worse when she is found murdered outside the hotel. Since no one seemed to like her, the cast of suspects is quite long and, despite Detective Morelli’s warnings, Phaedra sets out to investigate on her own.

After Pride, Prejudice, and Peril, A Murderous Persuasion is another entertaining read. Most of the characters from the first book return, including Phaedra’s possible love interest, Oxford professor and Shakespeare scholar, Professor Mark Seldon. I love the chemistry between her and Mark. I guess if you can fight over English literature it could be true love, right?

There is an intriguing mystery, suspense, romance, family drama, and lots of Jane Austen references, besides a cast of engaging characters, two unusual cats, and a list of suspects full of secrets to uncover. I adore the character of Jane Austen scholar and English professor Phaedra Brighton, with all her quirks and unique characteristics, and I truly enjoyed this second book in the Jane Austen Tea Society Mystery series and I am already looking to the next one!

This book is SO GOOD! Whenever I picked up "A Murderous Persuasion", I put on my sleuthing hat, and simply could not put this book down!

This is the second book in Katie Oliver's "Jane Austen Tea Society Mystery" series, and I hope there will be many more! While I do think this book can absolutely be read as a stand-alone novel, I do think that having read the first book will help one deeper understand the relationship's that continue to develop in this book, as well as to see how references to events that took place in the first book connect to this sequel, and / or continue. However, with this said, the author does a phenomenal job of filling the reader in as well!

I love so many of the literary references in this book, and how they tie-in to the plot is so unique! From Jane Austen to Shakespeare!

(Possible Spoilers!)
As Phaedra's Aunt feels she will need to sell her beloved inn, Phaedra decides she must try one more thing to save it, and plans a Murder Mystery Weekend surrounding Jane Austen's novel "Persuasion". It will be centered around activities, food, etc. from the Regency Era, and each guest will be given a character to play from the novel. Soon, however, someone is actually killed, and Phaedra tries to find out who the murderer is. As more horrific things begin to occur, and Phaedra finds herself getting closer to the truth, will she be able to find out who is responsible? Are seemingly non-connected events actually closely related? You will just have to read to find out.

Oh goodness, this book kept me guessing! A few moments had me screaming in my head "PHAEDRA...WHAT ARE YOU DOING? DON'T DO THAT!". While I guessed part of the mystery correctly, I truly thought I had everything figured out, and I most certainly did not.

I do feel that the ending of the book felt a bit rushed in some respects that are tricky to discuss without giving too many spoilers. However, even with this said, I sincerely could not put this book down, and look forward to reading the next book in the series, and hope it will continue for a very long time!

If you enjoy Cozy Mysteries, and / or anything relating to Jane Austen, I highly recommend this book!

Thank you so much to Austenprose PR, NetGalley, and Berkley Publishing Group for the review copy of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Phaedra Brighton is happy with her life. She teaches at the local college, lives in the carriage house on the ground of her Aunt Wendy's Laurel Springs Inn, and has a wonderful group of friends who also love Jane Austen's works. Then she learns her aunt plans to sell the inn. She talks her into having a Persuasion-themed murder mystery to fill the inn with customers to stave off disaster and save the inn. It should be easy as she's a Jane Austen scholar and fan. With the help of her friends, it is quickly set up and the inn is fully booked.

It doesn't take more than the first evening to realize that there are some previously unknown connections between those who have come for the weekend. It also seems some of those connections are definitely not of the friendly sort. So, when one of the participants in the mystery weekend is found dead by the kitchen garden there are a number of possible suspects.

Trying to solve the murder when every guest is a suspect and the police are zeroing in on her Aunt Wendy makes it crucial that Phaedra solves the case and quickly. But there's also a budding romance or two, a conman, a rash of break-ins and theft in the town, some colleague rivalry, and a lot of secrets on all sides.

I found the mystery and the characters very believable. I had a few problems with the setup of the mystery but it certainly looked like a lot of fun. My problem is all the guests were assigned parts to play in the mystery—up until then I would have loved to attend the weekend (I'm shy…really, really shy).

If you enjoy Jane Austen there are a lot of sly references to the various books but mostly Persuasion, of course. If you're not a fan of Austen, you'll still like the tightly written plot and the interesting collection of characters.

A Murderous Persuasion is the second book in the Jane Austen Tea Society series. I enjoyed this book just as much as the first one!

The basics: In order to save the inn where she lives with her aunt, Phaedra and her Aunt Wendy host a Murder Mystery event based on Austen's novel Persuasion. Everything is going great until a guest turns up dead. Can she save the inn and catch a killer?

I love this light hearted series. Phaedra is a fun main character and I love the Austen theme! The stories are a nice mix of cozy mystery, humor and Austen fandom. Very entertaining!

I'm definitely eagerly awaiting the next book in this series!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Berkley Publishing. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

📖My Thoughts📖

Cozy mysteries are always fun to read, and this one did not disappoint. From Jane Austen to a murder mystery weekend, some light romance, obviously a murder, and some amazing and witty characters, this book has it all. While this was the second book in the series, it can be read as a standalone, though I will be going back and reading the first one. I really enjoyed the Regency period aspect of it. The only downside for me was that there were a lot of characters to keep straight, so that can be a tad overwhelming. Overall it was an entertaining and enjoyable read.
Thank you Netgalley, Katie Oliver and Berkley Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and review this book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I had such a fantastic time reading this book! I loved the first one, and it sounded like a great sequel, spending more time with these characters, as they dealt with another case! It was another really great read, and I had such a great time!

Phaedra's plan for having a Persuasion murder mystery weekend in an attempt to save the inn, sounds great in theory, and less great in practise. Especially when one of the participants ends up dying. Not exactly the publicity you'd want!

Watching the investigation was a lot of fun, because plenty of the guests had motive to want the victim dead, and finding them out, figuring out if any of them had the opportunity, it was all just so entertaining to read! Loved watching the mystery play out!

The first book set up two potential love interests. With the murder, that had her interacting with Matt. But of course she still has her job as a professor, which meant time with Mark. I enjoyed that time that we got with them, getting to know them better!

This was a really great read, and I can't wait for more!

So here for this cozy mystery series. Phaedra is still teaching Jane Austen at the university and helping her Aunt at the B&B. When her aunt has money problems, she suggests holding a murder mystery Jane Austen themed weekend. And of course, murder happens. Along with mysterious breakins in town, Phaedra finds herself involved in more than just fictional murder. A worthy entry to the series.

Phaedra is a college professor and noted Jane Austen scholar. Her aunt runs a bed and breakfast that provides Phaedra with a cottage to live in. But her aunt has decided that its time to sell out. Phaedra can't let that happen. So, she organizes a Jane Austen themed week.

All is going well, until the local Regency period romance novelist is killed. The bad publicity could kill the bed and breakfast. Plus, the killer has decided that Phaedra knows too much. And they come for her also.

This is a charming book. The characters are well developed. The dialog is witty. The ending was a bit predictable. But, overall, the plot was a good one. I highly recommend this book.

Professor Phaedra Brighton spends her days studying and teaching the writings of Jane Austen. So when her aunt Wendy was worried about her Bed and Breakfast needing more guests for the summer, Phaedra came up with the idea of a Jane Austen Murder Mystery Week. She helped get things set up and even found some notable guests for the week, including romance writer Harriet Overton and her husband and Charlottesville reporter Rollo Barron.

Phaedra has worked hard to plan out a Regency themed week of activities. She’s gotten together with the local theater director and costumer to create a murderous play for the guests to perform. There are teas and concerts, painting and archery, and even a masquerade ball at the end of the week.

But what Phaedra didn’t plan on is the actual murder of Harriet Overton.

Phaedra is stunned to find the body of the writer in the kitchen garden, by the rosemary, shot by a crossbow. Homicide detective Matt Morelli shows up to take over the police work, but Phaedra can’t help but wonder who could have done such a thing. She certainly wasn’t winning over a lot of friends with her judgments and criticisms, but was that enough for someone to shoot her?

Meanwhile, there is another professor staying at the inn to finish some writing, Shakespearean scholar Mark Seldon, who Phaedra finds attractive, as well as rumors of her ex-boyfriend seen around town. Her aunt Wendy is also seeing an ex, a realtor who has recently come back to town, and her sister Hannah is back from her job as pastry chef at the British Embassy in Washington D.C., brokenhearted at the sudden departure of her boyfriend.

Even though Detective Morelli tells Phaedra to leave the investigating to him, she can’t stop herself from gathering information and secrets, looking over crime scenes, and trying to piece together who the killer could be with her two best friends, at their monthly Jane Austen Tea Society meetings.

But when the killer comes for Phaedra, will she figure out a way to get herself out of danger, or will someone decide to add “The End” to her story?

A Murderous Persuasion is the second book in Katie Oliver’s Jane Austen Tea Society Mystery series. Set in the small town of Laurel Springs, Virginia, this cozy offers a lot of Austen fun along with the charm of a traditional murder mystery. Fans of Jane Austen’s Persuasion and of the Regency era will find a lot to enjoy in this book.

I struggled with A Murderous Persuasion. I liked the Jane Austen references, but I thought the writing was uneven. Some scenes were well written, and the descriptions of the fashion were detail-oriented. But other scenes were rushed, or were just unrealistic, like when Detective Morelli got the handwriting analysis results of several people overnight. There are lots of red herrings with the mystery, but there were also a lot of characters to keep track of, and I did struggle with remembering who people were. This book isn’t perfect, but there is a lot to like about it. Fans of cozy mysteries and Jane Austen should see if they could be persuaded to take a chance on it.

Egalleys for A Murderous Persuasion were provided by Berkley Publishing Group through NetGalley, with many thanks.

I enjoyed the mystery, characters and the setting. I don't remember reading others by this author, but will look for more.

Thank you to the author, publisher, NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

When Phaedra Brighton planned a Persuasion-themed murder mystery week, she never expected the “murder mystery” part to be literal. When a guest of her aunt’s inn winds up dead, Austen scholar Phaedra trades in her bonnet for a deerstalker cap and gets sleuthing in A Murderous Persuasion. Author Katie Oliver’s second Jane Austen Tea Society mystery is entertaining, has plenty of suspects, and enough Austen touches sprinkled to delight Janeites.

Phaedra is trying to convince her aunt to keep from selling her inn, but she has to compete with low business and a very persuasive realtor. Having a guest murdered on the grounds also doesn’t help. I enjoyed watching Phaedra connect the dots while juggling a potential suitor, some slight family drama, and a house full of suspects. There are many people who had a reason to see the deceased dead and I liked learning all the motives as Phaedra tried to figure out whodunit. Oliver keeps all the plates Phaedra has spinning moving in an organic manner for the most part and I enjoyed seeing the puzzle come together. This is Phaedra’s second outing as an amateur sleuth, but you don’t have to have read Pride, Prejudice, and Peril in order to enjoy this book. All in all, I really enjoyed this cozy mystery. The characters are entertaining, the mystery satisfying, and the Jane Austen references delightful.

I had not read the first book in the series but I didn't feel lost jumping into this second book. The only jarring bit was that Phae and the detective knew each other already and the Jane Austen Tea Society is comprised only of Phae and her two best friends who are relegated to a minor role. The Tea Society doesn't even come into the story until the mystery is well under way. I was not super crazy about the Austen paralells. It was kind of silly for Phae, Wendy and Hannah to be living out the plots of Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion and not realize it. I rolled my eyes a few times.

The mystery is tight but really long. I thought I figured out whodunit and the motive pretty much right away. It seemed obvious to me, but it wasn't! Even after the clues pointed to a person of the opposite gender, which narrowed the suspect list a lot, I didn't believe it. I thought for sure I was right.

I have mixed feelings about Phae. I want to like her because she's a literature professor who loves Jane Austen and feels comfortable enough to wear Regency style clothing most of the time. I appreciate how she lacks self-consciousness in that respect. I also respect her for being a good person and helping the boy, Brian, when he needs help. However, sometimes she can be TSTL. Sometimes when she gets into trouble, it's not her fault, but other times it absolutely is. She goes against her instincts and is nearly killed. I know that's a trope of the genre but it's one authors are moving away from and I find it annoying. Phae has a snooty, spoiled cat, Wickham. She frequently interprets his thoughts and he is most displeased when she doesn't do his bidding right away. There's another cat, Bella, who is also spoiled but has a knack for leading Phae to clues - or red herrings.

Phae and Mark's romance is reminiscent of Lizzie and Darcy of course. Even the recap of the meet cute shows Phae overhearing Mark's rude comments about her appearance. He's a Shakespeare scholar who doesn't like Jane Austen! Well that's just silly because she loved Shakespeare and reinterpreted Much Ado About Nothing into Pride and Prejudice. Fundamentally I think Mark is a nice guy. He's a dedicated scholar who burns the midnight oil writing tedious monographs only other academics will read. He's kind and caring most of the time. Of course he does one Darcyish thing and that was kind of uncalled for.

Aunt Wendy may have been the fun aunt but now she's older and she's more prickly. She seems to have given up on the inn and lacks imagination for ideas on how to keep it going. She makes Phae do all the event planning and hosting while she handles the running of the inn side. It's a little weird that she's keeping a secret from Phae. When it comes out, it's no big deal. I also found it strange that Wendy suddenly falls for slimy Brian Callahan, an old flame. He's SOOOO obvious! He wants his hands on the inn and wooing Wendy is the way to do it. Hello Mr. Elliot! Phae can see it and I'm sure everyone else can. Plus I'm sure he's sleeping with Tory and I believe Harriet was about to expose Brian as a married man. Tory may be young and ditzy but she should know better than to run around with Brian, even if it is professional. I don't know how much she knows about him but I think she's involved in his schemes.

Harriet Overton, Regency romance writer, may be a bestselling author but that doesn't give her reason to be rude and obnoxious. She nitpicks every inaccurate detail - and to be fair, I would but only to my family and friends at worst and at best, in my head. I did nitpick the teas Phae chose and how she didn't research teas available in Georgian Britain. Harriet was rude on purpose and arrogant too. She sexually harassed a waiter/footman/actor and he was polite enough to decline and not press charges. That was TOTALLY uncalled for and he was well within his rights to slap her with a lawsuit. It's really no wonder she ended up murdered.

Suspects include Harriet's mild-mannered husband Tom. Who benefits from Harriet's will? Will Tom get all her money? Did he finally have enough of her belittling him and hitting on other men? Did Tom snap? Phae sees a darker side of Tom that indicates he could be a murderer. Maybe it was Chef Armand, who quit when Harriet criticized his cooking AND his knife skills. Oh la la! Did he decide to get retribution? What about Rollo Barron, a journalist and book reviewer who pans Harriet's latest novel and then publishes a completely different review after her death? He was certainly catty and went after Harriet in front of everyone. He seems like the perfect suspect to me. Did Harriet have some dirt on him that would ruin his reputation? How very Regencyish!

Dave Kowalski was sexually harassed by Harriet who seemed to feel he would and should recriprocate. He had every reason to loathe her but why stoop to murder when a lawsuit would be better? His wife, Eve, was none to happy about Harriet hitting on her husband. Eve just suddenly decided to run through the kitchen garden changing her route and thus finding the body? She changes her alibi story too, making her a good suspect. I don't want it to be her because she's pregnant and that would be awful. Then there's Felicity Penrose, a technical editor with a passion for all things Austen. She's pretty easy going and doesn't much care which role she plays. She's mostly in the background and doesn't really participate in the festivities. I don't think it was Felicity, or Elaine. Elaine is the costumer and manager of the Laurel Springs Players. She seems nice even if her costumes aren't 100% accurate. Her motive to murder Harriet is pretty strong and I feel bad for her. I hope she didn't do it because she's a friend of Phae's.

Homicide Detective Matt Morelli seems tough but fair. He doesn't give Phae a hard time about removing potential evidence from a crime scene. (a total no-no even if she's wearing gloves). He also doesn't give her too much of a hard time about interfering in his investigation. He accepts her clues and her guesses.

Other secondary character are forgettable. I like the sound of Phae's dad who runs a bookstore named The Poison Pen. He's intelligent, a former lawyer and he has a passion for antique books. I like how close Phae and her dad are and how they discuss the finer points of law together and how they share a love of books. Phae's mom is horrible. She's a nosy gossip and a stereotypical southern mom. She gets mad at her daughter for not revealing private information about the murder she was told not to tell! Phae's sister Hannah is not like Jane Bennet. Hannah is a drama queen who needs to learn how to communicate with her partner, Charles. Billy, a teen boy with a difficult home life, is the most memorable. He's a good kid but lacks mature judgment sometimes.

Hardly in the story are Phae's two best friends. Lucy Liang and Marisol Dubois. They're all in the Jane Austen Tea Society but not having read the first book, I don't know if they love Jane Austen as much as Phae and why they call a murder mystery investigation "club" a Tea Society. They seem to spend their time gossipping and trying to solve murders. Lucy has a small subplot that feels out of place and Marisol is a mystery to me.

I liked this book well enough to recommend it to Janeites who love cozy mysteries. It wouldn't work for a general audience though. I also requested the first book at the library so I can get caught up. I might give this one a skim once it is published and see if there are any changes.

This charming cozy featuring Phaedra Brighton hits almost every important cozy note: a bread and breakfast; a Jane Austen weekend; an aunt in trouble; a single woman in search of love; bookstore owning parents; a haughty cat; and an adorable small town. As the book opens, Phaedra is alarmed that her aunt is thinking of selling the beloved B & B Phaedra has viewed as a second home. She pleads with her aunt who argues back that business is down, and so Phaedra plans (almost on the fly) a Jane Austen weekend.

One of the weekend highlights will be the attendance of a well known romance writer, Harriet Overton. The weekend is based on Austen’s novel Persuasion – all the attendees are assigned one of the characters from the novel and encouraged to dress in period costume, and participate in Austen-y events like archery, tea, watercolors, and a night-time carriage ride. The B & B is fully booked and it seems like the week will be a success, but Harriet proves to be not only a meticulous and picky Austen-ite, she’s also a bully, terrorizing her husband and several of the other guests.

Harriet is so unpleasant, in fact, that of course she’s murdered (in a very Jane Austen type manner), and the hunt for the killer is on. There are a wealth of suspects to choose from, and Oliver deftly keeps the characters crisp and separate, so the reader remembers them. This is not something all writers are good at, in my opinion, and I appreciated it here.

While this is themed around Persuasion, Phaedra’s love life is very much Pride and Prejudice, with the part of Mr. Darcy being played by a local Shakespeare scholar. He and Phaedra teach at the same university. She’s also beset by other admirers – an old flame who turns up unexpectedly and the local police detective. Her fellow professor gets into a misunderstanding with Phaedra about her sister’s love life, and she misjudges his intentions (sound familiar?) These are successful tropes for a reason, and they work for this story just as they worked for Jane Austen all those years ago.

While I was annoyed that Phaedra did in fact venture alone towards literally a dark cabin in the woods, I will say that while I thought I had the ending figured out, I was ultimately surprised by the killer’s identity. This was a pleasant and fun read, with a good variety of characters and situations, and I loved that Phaedra has a cat named Wickham. The book is filled not only with Austen call outs and details, but it’s infused with the author’s obvious love and reverence for her as well. And that’s something I can totally get behind

A Murderous Persuasion by Katie Oliver is definitely a winner for me.
Phaedra is an interesting character, and her unique personality really captured my attention.
I loved the murder mystery event and se of the characters had me laughing out loud.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.
#AMurderousPersuasion #NetGalley