Mary Bennet Continues to Save the Day!
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Source: Review Copy from Blog Tour
TYPE OF NOVEL: Pride and Prejudice Sequel about aa Secondary Characters
SERIES: The Secret Life of Mary Bennet #3 (Even though this book is a standalone, I’d recommend reading Book One and Book Two of this series prior to this book).
THE PREMISE: Mary Bennet’s adventures as a spy take her to Brussels, where Wellington is preparing the Allied troops and the world is waiting for Napoleon’s next move. But in between investigating murders and donning multiple disguises, Mary Bennet discovers that her feelings towards her investigating partner, the insufferably critical and cynical Mr. Withrow, have grown inexplicably more complicated…
MY THOUGHTS: Here we go! The climactic culmination of Mary Bennet’s adventures as a spy. She has evolved and grown so much in this series, and now Mary is thrust into dangerous territory, surrounded by death and war. For those of you who have yet to start this series, here is a little recap. After Mr. Bennet’s passing, Mary Bennet is invited to visit distant relations who train her to be a spy. And through her new companions and their spy work Mary loses some of her judgmental, pedantic, and cringe-y ways and opens herself up for deeper relationships.
As with the other two books in this series, I continue to love witnessing the gradual and gratifying evolution of Mary Bennet. In this installment of the series, we see some new boldness in her as she bravely speaks her mind and pushes to ask hard questions. She is often in discord with Mr. Withrow, and I loved seeing how she wasn’t intimidated by him and frequently called him out on his moods and behaviors. In addition, I also loved seeing how Mary handled her encounters with Lydia and George Wickham. Her relationship with Lydia has always been one of disconnection and distance, and yet Mary valiantly protects and cares for her sister. I thought Lydia’s circumstances and her relationship with Mary were thoughtful and creditable developments that provided a very satisfying subplot.
However, what I loved most about The Lady’s Guide to Death and Deception was Mary’s relationship with Mr. Withrow. There is an exciting undercurrent of admiration and attraction between these two that emerges in this story and simmers for its duration. Yes!!! Finally I have been waiting for this! I love the idea of Mary Bennet falling in love with someone she originally disliked and believes dislikes her. I thoroughly enjoyed all the scenes these two shared together and I loved seeing them pair up together a lot in this installment. I especially enjoyed seeing Mary turn her scientific and analytical mind towards Mr. Withrow and how she would assess her body’s own reactions to him.
And with our dear Mary journeying outside England and encountering famous figures like the Duke of Wellington and the Prince of Orange this third book of the series had a bit more amplified excitement and action. As always I appreciate how Katherine Cowley painstakingly tied her story closely to actual events of history. It was thrilling to be taken right into the center of the action and see the events leading up to and during the Battle of Waterloo. And in general I found the murder mystery fascinating – and one that I solved incorrectly. In addition, I loved all the characters and disguises Mary and Mr. Withrow embodied to go undercover. Their additional subterfuge added some new excitement and diversion for this adventure.
Like Mary Bennet, this series is accomplished, intellectual and full of surprising hidden depths. And Katherine Cowley’s newest installment – The Lady’s Guide to Death and Deception – is where Mary’s exquisite transformation reaches its apex. The Secret Life of Mary Bennet series is a terrific choice for readers who believe Mary Bennet possesses main character energy and would make an exceptional female Sherlock Holmes! I think this might be the conclusion of the series, but part of me is hoping for a spin-off with Kitty as our lead…
Nice! I have #1 in my TBR list and will somehow manage to wait until I can read #2 before reading this one.
Congratulations on a new story to intrigue us!
Wonderful review!
I loved this book too and read it immediately after it came out, sooo annoyed I had to sleep and work to interrupt my reading . I hope she writes books for Kitty and Lydia too, I would love to see how both characters evolve.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Meredith. I also love the evolution of Mary that Cowley crafted. Just perfect.