The Lady’s Guide to Death and Deception
The Secret Life of Mary Bennett #3
Katherine Cowley


Katherine Crowley’s third installation of her Mary Bennett series is an intriguing cat and mouse mystery that includes an interesting mix of historical facts and fiction including Napoleon’s escape from Elba through his defeat at Watterloo that will have readers/listeners guessing whodunit until the big reveal near the end. Ms. Crowley’s fictional characters and some really important real historical figures including Wellington and the newly seated royals of The Netherlands are all excellently played, her plot is well thought out and the narrative is Regency all the way. Mary is a delightful refreshing character much different than Austen’s Mary and she shares the stage with some really unforgettable fellow spies. There is something for everyone in this dark cozy series installation including, mystery, murder, bloody battles, family drama and a little romance between our star Mary and Henry Withrow that the author continues to develop.

Narration:
Allison Larkin’s narration is the perfect way to enjoy this novel, she makes an excellent Mary and does a bang up job of all the other characters including convincing male voices all in her eloquent King’s(Queen’s) English giving listeners a definite advantage over readers.

It’s 1815 and Mary Bennett has her hands quite full pretending to be a regular Regency single lady while in reality being a spy in service to His Majesty George 111. And she’s just learned she and her fellow spies are heading to Brussels part of the newly formed Kingdom of the Netherlands upon learning that Napoleon has escaped his exile on the Isle of Elba is heading to Belgium and hoping to put together an army against the English and reclaim his title as Emperor of France and Wellington needs their help apprehending him. Soon after arriving however the troop of spies is waylaid when an English Officer is murdered and they are charged with not only learning the whereabouts of Napoleon but now they’ve also got a murder to solve. Mary knows she and her company of secret agents under the direction of Lady Trafford are up for the job and she hopes she can continue working closely to Lady Trafford’s handsome nephew and heir Mr. Henry Withrow.

This is a wonderful Jane Austen tribute and cozy mystery series. Although it's the third book, I easily read it as a standalone. Jane Austen's characters are reimagined in a clever way. Mary Bennett is a spy, helping Mr. Withrow gather intelligence after Napoleon escapes, and ultimately investigating a murder. Meanwhile, Lydia is married to Mr. Wickham and hiding a terrible secret. Can Mary help her? And how is Mary coping with her growing feelings for Mr. Withrow?

This is a compelling combination of thriller, romance, and family drama. Mary is a fantastic protagonist who can go undercover as a man one moment and fight off a wicked husband the next. The attraction between Mary and Mr. Withrow is very well done and progresses naturally. Mary and Lydia's relationship as sisters is explored as well. The story is captivating, satisfying, and enjoyable, and Mary shines in her role of spy.. Fans of Jane Austen will delight in this new adventure with beloved characters.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.

3.5 stars rounded down. A cozy mystery set in the context of espionage and war, <I> The Lady's Guide to Death and Deception</I> is a spin-off of the <I> Pride and Prejudice</I> character Mary Bennet. I jumped into this book, the third in the series, without having read the first two, and so it did take me a little bit of time to find my footing with a few characters. That said, this held its weight as a standalone if you're like me and not necessarily planning to embark on the whole series.

Mary Bennet is a lady, but she's also a spy. And she's been tasked, along with her colleague Mr. Withrow, to solve the murder of a duke's officer. Traveling to Brussels to track down clues, sometimes dressing in disguise as a male to enter into places she cannot go as a woman, and falling in love with her colleague along the way, Mary sheds more and more of her innocence as the case progresses.

I found the writing and historical research solid and interesting, though the pacing was a bit slow to start. I'm curious to hear about Mary's start as a spy, though perhaps not enough to pick up book one. I did love the unique premise of a female spy in the early 1800s, as that's not an era you typically think of females as having much of an active role in. Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing a copy of this book for honest review.

This was such a fun historical mystery! I love that this features characters from Jane Austin's novels reimagined as spies!

This is the third book in The Secret Life of Mary Bennet series, but it can absolutely be read as a standalone. I loved the mix of mystery and romance and all the relationships between the characters. I really enjoyed Mary as a spy. I thought she was quite fun!

I would recommend this for readers who enjoy historical romance and mystery stories!

I have fallen in love with historical mysteries and was excited to listen to this story by an author new to me. I really did not know what to expect, but I can truly say I enjoyed it so much!

Since I had not listened to the first two, it took a bit for me to get into the story, but once I did, the story unfolded and painted a picture of this time in history.

Intrigue, suspense, murder and sadness (I almost cried), but also happiness that crept through. It was interesting to think of Mary Bennett and her sister as a visual in Pride and Prejudice. Even Mr. Wickam appeared, the desolate scrapegrace!

In the end, I was left feeling very interested in listening to more by this author and this series!! Thanks to Netgallery!

This audiobook was very strange. It was about spies in the era of Napoleon and was written with characters from Jane Austen backgrounds. The mix was strange. The narrator was fine enough, but I kept getting confused at the different voices she was trying to do. Many times the characters were not separated by a different style voice, but then sometimes it was. This book wasn’t my usual style, and I think I would have preferred it as a reading book.

Thank you to NetGalley and DreamScape Media for allowing me to preview this audiobook in its entirety.

I absolutely love Katherine Cowley's Mary Bennet series, and I think this may be the best book in the series. This book was exciting from the beginning, but also dealt with emotional issues in a very compelling way. I have my fingers crossed for a spin-off series focusing on Kitty.

Title: A Lady’s Guide to Death and Deception (The Secret Life of Mary Bennet #3)
Author: Katherine Cowley
Narrated by: Alison Larkin
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Length: 10 hours and 36 Minutes
Source: Dreamscape Media & Netgalley as part of the Austenprose PR Book Tour. Thank-you!

Who is your favorite underdog in literature? Mary Bennet is definitely not the favored sister in Pride and Prejudice, but I am glad to finally see her get her own story. The Secret Life of Mary Bennet series has done an excellent job giving Mary a well-rounded personality and story of her own.

Book three of this series, has an excellent title, A Lady’s Guide to Death and Deception. Mary has accompanied Lady Trafford and her heir Mr. Withrow to Brussels. Napoleon has escaped the island of Elba. The Duke of Wellington and his forces are in Brussels readying for their last battle with Napoleon. When one of the Duke of Wellington’s officers is murdered, Mary and Mr. Withrow are on the case to discover the identify of the murderer. Will they catch the murderer before he strikes again? Will Mary and Mr. Withrow realize their feelings for each other?

I greatly enjoyed this novel. Mary continues to develop as a character and spy and I’ll admit, I really got a kick out of her dressing up as a man and investigating the murder with Mr. Withrow. I also loved the balls and how Mary seemed to have captured the eye of the Prince of Orange. My favorite part of this novel was the inclusion of Lydia and Mr. Wickham. It was a very strong story. Mary realizes that her family abandoned Lydia due to the scandal, but never bothered to check on her, happy to have her away from them. She has become a victim of domestic abuse with no one to turn to. This storyline causes Mary to grow up in a way more deeply than anything else. As she experiences the Battle of Waterloo, she comes to realize what is most important in life.

I enjoyed the historical note at the end of the novel. It was a great conclusion to the trilogy, but I’ll admit to wanting more. I want to see what new adventures Mary has yet in store.

I was delighted to discover that Alison Larkin was the narrator of this audiobook. She is one of my favorite audiobook narrators. I love her English accent, smooth voice, and narration style. She was an excellent narrator of this audiobook.

So I read this one as a standalone and commemorate this author, she took characters from a well-loved Pride and Prejudice and made them her own. That on its own was absolutely amazing! Then, her mystery and development of the characters are outstanding. I really enjoyed this book a lot!
Mary is a spy working with Mr. Withrow and while they have worked together in the past this time is entirely different. Mary at first was in denial about her feelings toward Mr. Withrow, but soon she realized that she held a deep regard for him. However, while investigating murders and helping the Duke of Wellington her emotions and feelings have to be put on the back burner.
I do have to say that this novel was the perfect mixture of romance, mystery, and dramatic events to keep the reader engaged along with on the edge of their seat! The mystery had me on my toes until I was blindsided by the actual murderer and the reasoning behind the murders! Sooo good! I am definitely looking into the first novels in this series because I am hooked!
I received the audiobook from Dreamscape Media and Netgalley and this definitely was a treat! The narrator was stunning and had the best pace and voice for the story! I definitely recommend this book and the audiobook! It doesn't matter which one you pick up you will not be disappointed!

I haven't read the earlier books in this series and I would say, readers definitely should. I found this book making me feel embarassed and awkward. We have the Bennett sisters training as spies, which honestly I am very into. However, they are not painted as being competent, as I was hoping. Instead, Mary is just as awkward and inexperienced as she appears in Pride and Prejudiced. Maybe in the other books Mary's character is fleshed out and so in this book her vulnerability is explored? However, this book felt like awkward fan fiction and I couldn't get into it.

This book was just okay I wanted to quit it numerous times but I pushed through it and made it through and still kind of wish I had quit it earlier

This is the first time reading this author. It takes one back to Jane Austin’s time and her writing. One will feel like they are reading another one of Austin’s books. It was nice to read about Mary and how she would have been during that time frame. The author does a wonder job of bring Mary alive and becoming a heroine. Lydia is also portrayed as one would have thought. I highly recommend this for Austin fans while heartedly.

DNF
The first few pages made me extremely uncomfortable. I tried to push on but couldn’t gel with the character or story.

I hadn’t read books 1-2 but I don’t think that is the problem. Although I am not a huge fan of Little Women, I did like the “fan fiction” concept here about writing a new and interesting life for overlooked Mary. I also love period pieces, historical novels, and lady spies. This just didn’t work for me.

Thanks netgalley for my ARC

The Lady's Guide to Death and Deception by Katherine Cowley and audiobook Narrated by Alison Larkin is a great historical fiction that is the third book in the awesome series: The Secret Life of Mary Bennett.

I really enjoyed this HF. It has mystery, suspense, action, smoldering romance under the surface bubbling up from time to time, and is based off of several of the main characters from my beloved Pride & Prejudice.

I have not yet read the first two books, but I was easily able to follow along, and will most certainly catch up by reading the first two books. I like how Mary finally gets her day tp shine as a secret agent…and I love how she gets to come into her own…experience life, love, and find her inner strength.

There is action, intrigue, mystery, true events…all excellent. I also love the inclusion of her younger sister, Kitty, as a new agent and look forward to that development.

The narration was also spot on. Looking forward to seeing where this goes.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Dreamscape Media for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 9/6/22.