The Late Mrs. Willoughby

(Hardback, Large Print Edition)

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Description

The suspenseful follow-up to New York Times-bestselling author Claudia Gray's The Murder of Mr. Wickham: Juliet Tilney and Jonathan Darcy team up again to solve the murder of the scoundrel Willoughby's young wife.

The Tilneys of Northanger Abbey are not entirely pleased to be sending their young daughter out into the social world again: the last house party she attended involved a murder--which she helped solve. She will be the guest of her new friend, Marianne Brandon, who has a scandalous shadow hanging over her. Even more troubling is the fact that Marianne's former suitor, the rakish John Willoughby, is setting up his household near by, complete with a young wife.

The Darcys of Pemberley are thrilled that their eldest son has been invited to a country house party by an old schoolmate. Other former classmates will be there, for riding and shooting and other proper pastimes for young men. Jonathan is less taken with the idea of sharing a roof with his old bully, but when he finds himself reunited with his sleuthing partner, the radiant Miss Tilney, he doesn't mind so much.

When Willoughby's young wife dies horribly in the midst of an elegant party, they have good reasons to spend a great deal of time together ferreting out the truth. As the local gentry, the sprawling Dashwood clan, and an old schoolmate of Jonathan's who is eager to add his "modern" scientific methods to the sleuthing duo's investigations (and perhaps get closer to Juliet than Jonathan is comfortable with) complicate the scene, eerie incidents suggest that the killer may strike again, and that the pair may be in far graver danger than they or their families could imagine.

Reviews

"A delectable treat of a read, blending the world of Austen with a gripping and gorgeous detective story--the word romp was practically made for this book!"
--Sophie Irwin, bestselling author of A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting

"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 of the Lady Darby and Verity Kent mysteries

"Brilliantly blends history, mystery, and Austen's creations with wholly original and deeply drawn characters. The Late Mrs. Willoughby is a jewel . . . both a historical and romantic romp and a smartly conceived mystery, all the while building on the relationships of the first. An utter delight."
--Lev A.C. Rosen, author of Lavender House

"I adore Claudia Gray's pitch-perfect Austen-verse mysteries! The Late Mrs. Willoughby flawlessly intermingles Austen's characters with Gray's to create a Regency murder mystery that will be satisfying for Janeites and newcomers alike. Particularly endearing are the sleuths, Mr. Jonathan Darcy and Miss Juliet Tilney, who are clever enough to please my inner mystery lover, and tantalizing enough to make my inner romance reader make grabby hands for the next book. Crossover historical mystery romance readers have a new series to add to the TBR list."
--Manda Collins, author of A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem

"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

"An absolute page-turner full of well-plotted mystery and hints of simmering romance, The Late Mrs. Willoughby expands on Gray's wonderfully original amateur sleuths, Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney, while bringing in more of the Jane Austen characters we love (as well as those we love to hate). This is fast becoming one of my favorite series and I'm already eager for the next installment!"
--Mia P. Manansala, author of Homicide and Halo-Halo

"Delightful. Claudia Gray is systematically taking out all of the unpleasant characters in Jane Austen's novels, and I am here for it."
--Juneau Black, author of Shady Hollow

"[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

"[A] virtuoso performance. . . . Genius. . . . Witty observations abound, as do suspects."
--The Christian Science Monitor

"Gray has beautifully breathed life into Austen's characters, crafting a narrative that's been warmly welcomed by fans across genres."
--BookTrib

"The Late Mrs. Willoughby was wholly satisfying to me as an Austen fan. . . . I was very enraptured by the very plausible, and often hilarious, extrapolations Ms. Gray made as to what might have happened next in the lives of Ms. Austen's characters. . . . I am already so impatient for the next book in the series."
--Criminal Element

Author Bio

CLAUDIA GRAY is the pseudonym of the bestselling author of The Murder of Mr. Wickham, several Star Wars novels, including Lost Stars and Bloodline, as well as many novels for young adults, including the Firebird series and the Evernight series. She makes her home in New Orleans with her husband Paul and assorted small dogs.