The Perils of Lady Catherine de Bourgh

April 1, 2024
Violence and romance collide in Gray’s bewitching third Jane Austen–inspired whodunit (after The Late Mrs. Willoughby). Jonathan Darcy (son of Pride and Prejudice’s Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet) and Juliet Tilney (daughter of Northanger Abbey’s Henry Tilney) have twice joined forces to solve murder cases. Now, they receive a summons from Jonathan’s great-aunt, the formidable Lady Catherine de Bourgh. While Lady Catherine largely disapproves of Jonathan’s undignified sleuthing, she needs his help to prevent a murder—hers. Three attempts have recently been made on her life, including a bullet through her window, a deliberate traffic accident, and a stranger pushing her over a banister. As Jonathan and Juliet set about determining who in Lady Catherine’s rarefied circle might have reason to take her out, they battle simmering resentments between their fathers, who’ve accompanied them to Lady Catherine’s estate. Meanwhile, the young sleuths’ romantic feelings for each other continue to develop, to their families’ dismay. Gray again evokes the wit and atmosphere of an Austen novel while serving up a mystery that will stump even the most seasoned armchair detectives. This series deserves a long life. Agent: Laura Rennert, Andrea Brown Literary.