About the Book
-
Author:
- Claudia Gray
Cover Story: Decorous
BFF Charm: Mixed Bag
Talky Talk: Euphemistic
Bonus Factors: Sisters, Coach Taylor Award, Forgiveness
Anti-Bonus Factor: Bullying
Relationship Status: A Welcome Guest
Cover Story: Decorous
This crime scene looks a lot cleaner and tidier than the way it happens in the book, but all the better – no one wants to see that.
The Deal:
John Willoughby married Sophia Grey for her money – and she was the last to know. Despising each other and regretting the past loves they left behind, they attend a party together purely for appearances’ sake – only for Sophia to die of arsenic poisoning from a glass of port meant to toast their marriage. Amateur detectives Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney, who happen to be visiting the neighborhood (what can I say, the Austen-Gray universe is a small world), are on the case, especially if it means clearing the name of their friend (and Willoughby’s ex), Marianne Brandon née Dashwood. Old grudges simmer deep beneath the facade of dances and dinner parties, but which one runs deep enough to kill … and with two glasses on the tray, who was the real intended victim?
BFF Charm: Mixed Bag
We have a smaller cast this time; except for Gray’s OCs, everyone is based on Sense and Sensibility. It gives the characters more room to breathe, as well as process their trauma from the last book. Marianne still suffers from “overwhelming fits of memory” (what we would call PTSD flashbacks). Jonathan struggles with guilt about what happened to his family, even as his friendship with Juliet slowly deepens. New character Ralph Bamber, a chemistry student and former classmate of Jonathan, throws off the dynamic a little, especially since he has his eye on Juliet … see Swoonworthy Scale below.
Swoonworthy Scale: 6
Bamber checks all the boxes for what Juliet wants in a future husband: he’s good-looking, intelligent, financially secure, and seems to respect her … the only thing wrong with him is that he’s not Jonathan. Meanwhile Jonathan, who doesn’t even like touching people in general, has just barely figured out that Juliet might be an exception … only to find out that Bamber, the only male friend his own age he’s ever had, likes her too. Speaking of love triangles, real or imagined, Colonel Brandon shows himself as devoted as ever; even though he worries that Marianne still has feelings for Willoughby, he never doubts her love or loyalty, and even when they argue, their marriage comes out stronger.
Talky Talk: Euphemistic
Part of the challenge of stories like these is the Austenesque writing style, describing events that the real Austen never would have mentioned, like diarrhea or autopsies. Gray does a good job of walking that tightrope, but no matter how polite the language, there are some scenes I can’t unsee.
Bonus Factor: Sisters
Elinor and Marianne support each other through every kind of drama, from Elinor’s pregnancy and obnoxious Ferrars in-laws to Marianne being a suspect in a murder investigation (again!). While they’re still opposites, you can see how much they’ve learned from each other over the years. There’s even a scene where they switch roles, and Marianne has to help Elinor stay calm.
Bonus Factor: Coach Taylor Award
Colonel Brandon loves Marianne unconditionally, and the same goes for his ward Beth and her baby son. He arranges introductions so they can make friends, but only after asking their permission. He warns Juliet and Jonathan about their investigations for the sake of their safety, but when Juliet has a breakthrough, he takes her seriously and runs to help. It’s not for nothing that she considers the Brandons her role models for a successful marriage.
Bonus Factor: Forgiveness
“Our Savior can absolve any wrong of which we truly repent,” says clergyman’s daughter Juliet. “The only question is whether true repentance is possible … ” Some, like Willoughby or the Ferrarses, are too arrogant to repent. Some, like Beth, struggle to forgive. Others, like Jonathan, blame themselves for things that weren’t even their fault. Also, there’s a difference between forgiveness and reconciliation: would you let someone who hurt you back into your life, even for the sake of your loved ones – or would it be safer to never see that person again?
Anti-Bonus Factor: Bullying
Willoughby was a bully at school, and he still is. Jonathan, whom he nicknamed “Thumps” after his swimming habit and once tied to a bedpost with an open window in winter, is much more dignified about it than I would be:
“I have not given much thought to you, and I doubt I shall do so at all in the future.”
(…) “You are most unkind, Thumps.”
“I intended no unkindness, which is more than you can say towards me.”
Relationship Status: A Welcome Guest
Unlike Willoughby, who only grudgingly tolerates his former classmates at Allenham, I would enjoy having this book in my house for as long as it wanted to stay.
Literary Matchmaking
Gray’s The Murder of Mr. Wickham is Jonathan and Juliet’s first case.
Tirzah Price’s Sense and Second-Degree Murder is another mystery inspired by Austen’s Sense and Sensibility.
Evernight is Claudia Gray’s take on the Gothic novels Austen parodied in Northanger Abbey.
FTC Full Disclosure: I received no compensation for this review.
