Gray doesn’t disappoint in this newest release that features the beloved stories of Jane Austen’s classic characters. Gray does an impeccable job at keeping to the heart of Austen’s characters all the while expanding on them and creating new characters that are just as complex and likable (Miss Tilney and Mr Darcy are incredibly delightful.) Foremost, Gray’s mystery plot is well balanced with plenty of red herrings, clues and suspects to keep you guessing the whodunit ‘til the last page. Be sure to check the CWs. This is the second book in the Mr Darcy & Miss Tilney series and be warned the plot of book one, Murder of Mr Wickham, will be spoiled if you haven’t read it already. I can’t wait to see where this series is going next!


I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Vintage Anchor, Vintage in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

• Thank you to #Vintage and #NetGalley for providing this #ARC Advance Reading Copy. Expected publication date is May 16, 2023.

The Late Mrs. Willoughby is a suspenseful sequel to The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray. It sees Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney reunited, and with another mystery to solve: the dreadful poisoning of the scoundrel Willoughby’s new wife. The amateur sleuths get another murder to crack when they’re both guests at the Devonshire home of Sense and Sensibility’s John Willoughby, a former schoolmate of Darcy’s. Darcy, however, is not fond of his host who bullied him at school.

In this solid sequel to The Murder of Mr Wickham, Jonathon Darcy and Juliet Tilney are reunited while visiting at the neighbouring homes of Mr. Willoughby and the Dashwoods, But shortly after they arrive the new Mrs. Willoughby is poisoned, and they quickly decide to work together again to solve another murder. While I found the mystery in this book a bit less engaging than the first, I enjoyed learning more about Jonathon’s youth, as well as watching the relationship between the main characters evolve. I’m already looking forward to the next instalment!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
The Late Mrs. Willoughby is the second in Claudia Gray’s Jane Austen mystery series. I’d recommend reading the first book first, as it provides a lot of context for who the major players are, especially the original central characters, Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney, as well as the histories of what various Austen characters have gotten up to since the end of their respective books up to this point.
Generally, I enjoyed this book as much, with my experience being somewhat more enjoyable this time around thanks to Gray avoiding “period accurate” instances of bigotry, which were not universal to the time period and did not add much to the overall narrative. And I liked the balance of catching up with some of the major players of the last book, while also encountering some “new” people as well. And as before, she perfectly mixes the central murder mystery with myriad interpersonal dramas of its central characters.
Given the title, the Willoughbys play a major role. I really liked how Gray imagined their dynamic, with Sophia trying to leverage her position as his wife as she can, but also being miserable, and Willoughby being as callous as ever in his pursuit of his own pleasure, including trying to renew things with Marianne, both before and after his wife’s murder. A big part of the mystery concerns which of the Willoughbys was the true target of the murder, and even before I knew who did it and what their motives were, I truly wanted Willoughby to suffer. He, like Wickham (the “victim” of the last book) is a truly terrible human, but I like that Gray keeps the story fresh by not treading the same ground twice. Many people have motives to want to mess with either of the Willoughbys, and I was left constantly in thrall, wondering who it was.
Speaking of which, I really liked the character development for Marianne. She has gone through a lot since the end of the last book, and I truly felt for her being under suspicion both due to her connection to the Willoughbys and her actions in recent events. But her growth shows what a strong person she has become that she does not collapse under all that scrutiny, nor does she feel tempted by Willoughby at any point. And while her marriage to Colonel Brandon goes through its challenges, I love how they reaffirm their love for each other (including a beautiful meta “always” moment)!
And while Marianne only had her husband (and her new friendship with Juliet) to support her in the last book, I enjoyed seeing her interactions with her family this time around. Her relationship with Elinor remains as solid as ever, and I love that Marianne can now also provide moral support when Elinor needs it, as well as the other way around. And the other Ferrars relations, from the brief cameo from Fanny Dashwood to the vapidness of Lucy, are all so well written to capture their absurd snobbishness, they almost match Austen’s own depiction of them.
Beth, Colonel Brandon’s ward and mother to Willoughby’s child, plays a significant role here, and I loved seeing her come into her own, as she too shakes off the shackles of her past. It was beautiful to see her bond with Marianne over their shared past with Willoughby, as well as confronting Willoughby for his offenses against her. And her relationship with Brandon is beautiful, as there really is mutual familial; love between them despite the lack of blood connection.
As for amateur sleuths Juliet and Jonathan, I really liked getting to spend more time with them. There isn’t much in the way of progress in their “will-they-or-won’t-they” romance, but they are much more cognizant of their own feelings for the other, even if they are unaware of the other returning their feelings. But the ending makes it very clear that there will likely be at least one more adventure for them to perhaps share their feelings with one another.
This was another fun installment for the series, and I cannot wait for more. If you’re a Jane Austen fan who also loves Agatha Christie-esque mysteries, I recommend checking this series out!

I'm really glad I gave this Author a 2nd Chance! While I liked parts of The Murder of Mr. Wickham, there was one plot line that was totally unbelievable for Era portrayed, and it took me out of the story. BUT The Late Mr Willoughby has all the things I really enjoyed! Cossover of various Jane Austen characters was well done. This one is set in the world of Sense and Sensibility.

My favorite thing of the first book was Juliet, daughter of Catherine and Henry Tilney and Elizabeth and Darcy's son Jonathan solving mysteries. WONDERFUL to see them back at it here. Also appreciated the hint of 3rd book, which I can't wait to read!

And my favorite non-spoilery quote: "My name is Darcy."


*I received an advance review copy from Netgalley for free, and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.

The Late Mrs. Willoughby is the second in a mystery series filled with beloved Jane Austen characters and references. Uniquely, it gets both the mystery and the nod to Austen right. It is well-written, and the mystery is gripping. It keeps you guessing until the very end. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Thanks to Vintage Anchor, Netgalley and the author for an ARC of this book. I am leaving this unbiased review voluntarily.

This is the second book in a series that I am now officially addicted to that features all of our favourite Austen characters and a few new ones.

Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney reunite when Darcy visits his old school nemesis, Mr Willoughby and Juliet visits Marianne Bradon.

Soon the two of them are embroiled in another murder investigation and use their superior intellect and unique respectful friendship with each other to solve the poisoning death of Mrs Sophia Willoughby, the wife of the man that broke Marianne Dashwood's heart in Sense and Sensibility.

I loved reading about all the minor characters, such as Mrs Jennings, reappear. This author seems to have such a wonderful grasp on these characters that I could easily imagine this second life of theirs.

If you're an Austen fan at all you will love this series. It's witty and funny as well as being so twisty that one could not begin to guess whodunnit. I cannot wait to read the next one.

*I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Vintage Books for this ARC!*

I was such a fan of the first book in this series, The Murder of Mr. Wickham (check out my review for it here!), so I was so psyched to get a chance to read the ARC for The Late Mrs. Willoughby. Some of the same characters from the first book made appearances in this one as well, and we got to see a few more from Sense and Sensibility in this installment.

I really enjoyed the mystery in this one. Claudia Gray does such a good job of leading you down the wrong path! I totally suspected someone the entire novel, and it turns out they had nothing to do with it! (That’s all I’ll say, I don’t want to spoil anything for you!)

The paring of Miss Tilney (the daughter of Catherine Morland and Henry Tilney from Northanger Abbey) and Mr. Darcy (the son of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy from Pride and Prejudice) was just a lovely the second time around. The chemistry between these two is to die for (pun intended 😉) and I love how they work together to solve these murder mysteries.

Getting to see more behind the characters of Elinor Dashwood, Willoughby and Mrs. Jennings was also great fun. I loved how these books imagine the lives of these characters after the original Austen work leaves off. Also, getting to see characters from different books interact is such a fun time for any Austen fan ❤️

Marianne Dashwood and Colonel Brandon are couple goals and I loved getting to do a deeper dive into their relationship in this book. I hope that if Gray decides to continue with the series (which the last chapter hinted at!), that we will get to see more of them.

The story was suspenseful and nostalgic. It basically gave me everything I was looking for from this series. I cannot wait to see where Gray goes from here!!

My Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐

I gave The Late Mrs. Willoughby 4 Stars!

4.25/5⭐️

Second in the Mr. Darcy & Miss Tilney historical mystery series, this one finds the dynamic duo of Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney as they meet again as they are visiting the Willoughby residence and the Brandon residence, respectively.

Following a small dinner party, Mrs. Willoughby collapses and dies. As rumors run rampant, Jonathan and Juliet (along with Darcy’s childhood friend Bamber) discreetly commence an investigation as the village begins to suspect a supposedly jealous Marianne Brandon of the deed.

I adored the first in the series, The Murder of Mr. Wickham, and while (in my opinion) this one was not quite as wonderful it was still great fun and a delightful read. The mystery itself was fairly easy to solve, but it’s the characters, the settings, and the writing that I’ve enjoyed most about these books. It is delightful (as an Austen fan) to picture these characters from her various books interacting with each other. There’s dry humor and a hint of possible romance, but it’s the pleasure of knowing the backstories of these characters that give the stories a richness and an intimate feeling…lots to reminisce about from the original Austen books.

Both Jonathan and Juliet are endearing and lovable characters, finding in the other an intelligence and almost innate connection that is sweet to watch as it blossoms.

I definitely recommend this series and look forward to more outings with Jonathan and Juliet.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and Vintage Anchor for providing the free early arc of The Late Mrs. Willoughby for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

I really enjoyed the way Claudia Gray portrayed all our favorite Jane Austen characters in The Murder of Mr. Wickham, so when I saw that some of them were back for The Late Mrs. Willoughby, I could not wait to get my hands on it. And it did not disappoint.

Look, if you're looking for a complete whodunit that keeps you up all night with twists and turns and no one is safe, this isn't the book for you. There's too many beloved characters that it obviously wouldn't have poisoned someone in cold blood. There's a lot of plot/character armor in this series. But that's not what it's trying to be, It's trying to be a fun story of the son of the Darcys and the daughter of the Tilneys solving murders and being cute together and it does that perfectly.

Jonathan is sweetest soul and the choice to make him autistic in such a proper and rigid world makes you feel for the real boys who also had to deal with that society (not that ours is necessarily much better). Juliet is spunky, smart, and kind and it's so fun for her to be friends with Marianne (Dashwood) Brandon and the way she accepts (and maybe is coming to love? ;) ) Jonathan is lovely.

Now to wait for the next book!

Thank you to Netgalley and Vintage Books for an advanced reader's copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.

** “One cannot let one’s actions be dictated by the cruelest and most foolish among us, but one must equally accept that our reputations precede us, whether just or unjust.” **

Jane Austen meets Agatha Christie in Claudia Gray’s “The Late Mrs. Willoughby,” the second installment in her Darcy and Tilney series.

Taking place shortly after the first novel, in which Marianne Dashwood was forced to kill scalawag Mr. Wickham, the young Jonathan Darcy (son of Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy) is invited to John Willoughby’s estate, along with two other school chums, Ralph Bamber and Laurence Follett.

Juliet Tilney, with whom he joined forces to solve the Wickham death, is also invited to visit the neighboring Col. Brandon and Marianne.

When Willoughby’s bride is horrifically killed, the young Darcy and Miss Tilney once again join forces to determine who killed Mrs. Willoughby — and why.

“The Late Mrs. Willoughby,” which is due out May 16, is a fun and intriguing read that will appeal to fans of Regency novels and authors like Austen, as well as cozy mysteries and authors like Christie. It is also filled with some good themes like dealing with unrequited love; managing expectations; resentment is extremely powerful and dangerous; even small misunderstandings can misdirect the course of life; and the impact of greed (“Greed can sully the finest human feelings”).

Five stars out of five.

Vintage provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

THIS SERIES IS DEFINITELY ONE TO WATCH OUT FOR!

The first book in this series had me kind of on the fence. But now I am caught. After finishing this book I could not stop thinking about it and I am super pumped for the next installment.

👍 What I Liked 👍

Slow burn: Will they/won't they? Usually that is used to talk about Ross and Rachel on Friends. But Jonathan and Juliet are gaining in on the OG slow-burn couple. I just love how their relationship is slowly allowed to unfold, how they are fast friends slowly discovering that perhaps they could be more. It just works so well, especially in a Jane Austen universe.

Jonathan: My man Jonathan. I really liked him in the first book, but now I feel like I've peeled back another layer of the onion. And it's just fluff on the inside. I absolutely adore Jonathan. I love his awkwardness and directness. He is such a great and different character. Not the usual Historical Romance hero, which is definitely a plus in my world.

Jane Austen: Honestly, pretty much anything Jane Austen related is a hit with me. While I did have some issues with Gray's portrayal of some of the characters in the first book, I didn't have any concerns this time around. It was just lovely to be back with some of my favourite characters.

👎 What I Disliked 👎

Twists: Overall, this was minor issue for me, but the book did feature two major twists that I had been able to work out long before they actually unfolded. It was a bit of a letdown from the first book, where I really didn't have a clue how it would unfold. But overall, I don't read this series for the mystery. I will come back for the characters.

I was thrilled to receive an ARC of "The Late Mrs. Willoughby." I enjoyed the first volume of this series, "Who Killed Mr. Wickham?," so much. Both books are so charming and feel like they were written by Jane Austen herself.

Even though the most alluring thing about Mrs. Willoughby might seem to be her 50000 pounds,
surely no one would wish her harm. But such is not the case. Mrs. Willoughby dies at a party in front of all her neighbors.

Juliet Tilney and Jonathan Darcy reprise their roles as investigators. Will they do a better job than the adults?

I recommend this book. It is so well-written and is a real page-turner. I had to know who did it, and I had to know how the budding romance progressed between Juliet and Jonathan.

I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

This sequel was just as entertaining and thrilling as its prequel.

Jonathan Darcy is dismayed when he is given a month long invitation to stay with classmates from school. Classmates that used to taunt and bully him., but it excited his parents. So he decided to make an effort.

Julie Tilney is thrilled when she is invited to spend time at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Brandon. She is excited to travel and to see her new friend.

Little do each of them know their paths are about to cross again and again they need to solve the murder of another person.

Last year, I had the opportunity to read and review #TheMurderofMrWickham by #ClaudiaGray and found it to be a very satisfying murder mystery. Now a sequel is at hand, with The Late Mrs. Willoughby being released in a few weeks. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Vintage/Viking Books in exchange for an honest review; all opinions expressed are my own.

Even though this is a sequel to The Murder of Mr. Wickham, this novel can be read as a standalone. There’s enough explaining the earlier events that one not need have read the first book. Once again Juliet Tilney and Jonathan Darcy are thrust together for another murder mystery investigation.

There’s been an effort from the author, I think, to put Jonathan on the high functioning end of the autism spectrum. I think this was done in a tasteful way, and no way demeans those with autism. In fact, some explaining is done from Jonathan’s perspective to help the reader understand his actions. Certainly, his former classmates picked on him for his peculiarities. Others, like Juliet Tilney, don’t fault him for his idiosyncrasies and help him navigate the social world in which they live in.

Mrs. Willoughby is given a tainted glass of port following their welcoming dinner and dies a horrible death. The local doctor declares it poison. The local magistrate position is currently unoccupied, the constables have never investigated a murder, so Darcy and Tilney decide it would be in everyone’s best interest if they conduct their own investigation on the sly. The list of suspects isn’t long, but there are clues leading them in several different directions.

I figured out quite early who was the murderer, and unlike the last book, I found the subsequent path to get to the big reveal was a bit tedious. I know this book was written in the style of Jane Austen’s works, yet I do not feel that lends itself to a murder mystery. Too much “other stuff” got in the way of the murder investigation, like all the proper social niceties, that I found myself skimming the book to glean clues. The end result was satisfactory, but it was kind of a slog to get there.

The Murder of Mr. Wickham seemed hard to top but, somehow, Gray manages it. Another delightful murder mystery featuring some of Jane Austen’s characters with the newcomers from the first volume, Juliet Tilney and Jonathan Darcy solving the clues. Sense and Sensibility is probably my favorite Austen so I loved how the Brandons are front and center now, as well as Elinor, Edward and the rest of the gang. I figured out the two main twists, but I didn’t mind it at all, because I was enjoying the book enormously. The dialogues are witty and the characters charming, even the unlikable ones and the baddie. One scene set at a party is so funny that it made me laugh out loud. The author’s version of the original characters hold up, which made me love my eternal literary dream man Colonel Brandon even more. But the real accomplishment is that I cared more about the newbies. I was truly invested in the budding relationship between Jonathan Darcy and Miss Tilney. It seems like there will be another book and I’m as excited to read it as Juliet is about Ivanhoe.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Vintage Anchor!

I had a lot of fun reading the next book in the series of Mr. Darcy & Miss Tilney. The Murder of Mr. Wickham was one of my favorite books of the year, so I was especially excited to break into the sequel. As with before, Jonathan and Juliet are real highlights of the novel and a worthy addition to the characters from Jane Austen's works. I also loved that this book focused more on the characters from Sense and Sensibility because Colonel Brandon and Marianne were two of my absolute favorites from Mr. Wickham.

This mystery kept me guessing until about 75% into the book when I had a strong suspicion of who the murderer was, though I couldn't figure out the why until it was told. But as with Mr. Wickham, the mystery feels less important than the dynamics of the characters and their individual struggles. Juliet and Jonathan's relationship takes a step forward even as I was screaming at them to move a little bit faster. Colonel Brandon and Marianne's relationship remains a highlight as they muddle their way through former feelings for their first loves and their love for each other. Elinor and Edward were a great addition, as was Beth.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am continuing to love this series. Mr. Jonathan Darcy and Miss Juliet Tilney are reunited in Devonshire where they are once again thrust into a murder mystery when Mrs. Willoughby is poisoned at a welcome party. I continue to enjoy the way all of Austen's characters are intertwined together. I also love the slow romance building between Mr. Darcy and Miss Tilney. I cannot wait to see which characters the next book in the series focuses on.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book!
I have heard so much of the first book of this series but I didn't get the chance to read, so I was very looking forward to reading this one. And surprisingly, it was not a problem not to have read the first one, on the contrary, everything was explained and pretty clear.
I loved the mix between cosy murdery and the Jane Austen universe, it makes a really good mix! I had the pleasure of encountering the characters from Austen's novels that I love very much in a challenging universe that kept me hanging.
I unsterstand I read an uncorrected proof, so I will be more indulgent about the content, although I noticed some unnecessary repetitions. And what's more, I don't know if I am the only here but I already knew who was the killer before I get to the half of the book. Maybe there could be some work on the book to make it less obvious.
Otherwise it was a nice entertainment, especially thanks to the additional plot, which is to the say the relationships between the characters, like that of Jonathan and Juliet. I really wish to see more of them in a third opus, as I understand there will be one, for one could not be as cruel as make the two of them part in the end when they are so obviously in love with each other.
I will wait until I get to read the sequel for sure!

#TheLateMrsWilloughby #NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an E-Arc copy of this novel.