Series: A Jane Austen Tea Society Mystery, Book 2
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Mystery
Release Date: January 3, 2023
Source: Publisher
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Phaedra Brighton has her life all figured out—she has a profession she enjoys, a wonderful (if exasperating) cat, and a cozy carriage house on the grounds of her aunt's inn. She needs no Captain Wentworth to sweep her off her feet (though, she would not mind a Mr. Darcy).When Phaedra Brighton planned a Persuasion-themed murder mystery week, she never expected the “murder mystery” part to be literal. When a guest of her aunt’s inn winds up dead, Austen scholar Phaedra trades in her bonnet for a deerstalker cap and gets sleuthing in A Murderous Persuasion. Author Katie Oliver’s second Jane Austen Tea Society mystery is entertaining, has plenty of suspects, and enough Austen touches sprinkled to delight Janeites.
But when Aunt Wendy decides she is selling Laurel Springs Inn, Phaedra faces losing her beloved home. In a last-ditch attempt to drum up more business, Phaedra convinces Wendy to host an immersive Persuasion-themed murder-mystery weekend. It is a fool proof plan to draw attention to the establishment in the hopes of saving it.
Until make-believe becomes reality and one of the participants winds up dead.
With more suspects than she knows what to do with, Phaedra finds herself on the hunt for a killer once again. But with time running out, Phaedra quickly realizes that with this investigation, there will be no second chances.
Phaedra is trying to convince her aunt to keep from selling her inn, but she has to compete with low business and a very persuasive realtor. Having a guest murdered on the grounds also doesn’t help. I enjoyed watching Phaedra connect the dots while juggling a potential suitor, some slight family drama, and a house full of suspects. There are many people who had a reason to see the deceased dead and I liked learning all the motives as Phaedra tried to figure out whodunit. Oliver keeps all the plates Phaedra has spinning moving in an organic manner for the most part and I enjoyed seeing the puzzle come together. This is Phaedra’s second outing as an amateur sleuth, but you don’t have to have read Pride, Prejudice, and Peril in order to enjoy this book. All in all, I really enjoyed this cozy mystery. The characters are entertaining, the mystery satisfying, and the Jane Austen references delightful.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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