1815. In this Pride and Prejudice sequel Lady Trafford, Henry Withrow and Mary Bennet travel to Brussels to help gather information in their role as spies. But soon an officer is murdered and Withrow and Mary investigate. How many must die before the murderer is revealed.
An enjoyable well-written historical mystery, another good addition to this series with its very likeable main characters. ( )

I am a sucker for anything Jane Austen. I especially love the variations of her novels in which supporting characters become the stars. Fun spin-offs, if you will. Katherine Cowley has created the perfect role for younger sister Mary Bennet in her Secret Life of Mary Bennet series. Mary a spy? How unexpected and thoroughly charming! I listened to the audiobook of The Lady’s Guide to Death And Deception, book 3 in the series, and was immediately swept up in the intrigue and mystery. The combination of old favorites (and not so favorites) from Pride And Prejudice and historical figures of the day made this book unputdownable. While staying true to Austen’s depiction of Mary, Cowley has certainly created a very grown-up version of Mary. I loved her prim and proper manners as she dons disguises, practices her shooting, and finds romance. This book is a must-read for Janeites! Even though it was book 3 of the series, I had no trouble following the plot or adjusting to this new side of Mary. I do, however, HAVE to read books 1 and 2 now! Thanks to Cowley for adding more to my TBR stack. 😉 I very much enjoyed the audiobook. The narrator was spot-on. The Lady’s Guide to Death And Deception is a highly recommended read or listen!

Highly Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(Thanks to Austen Prose for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.) ( )