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A Lizzie and Darcy Mystery #1
In Want of a Suspect
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that London’s first female solicitor in possession of the details of a deadly crime, must be in want of a suspect.
The tenacious Lizzie Bennet has earned her place at Longbourn, her father’s law firm. Her work keeps her busy, but luckily she often has help from (and steals occasional kisses with) Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, a stern but secretly soft-hearted solicitor at Pemberley.
Lizzie is hired to investigate a deadly warehouse fire, and to find the mysterious woman who was spotted at the scene moments before the flames took hold. But when the case leads her to the sitting room of a woman Darcy once proposed marriage to, the delicate balance between personal and professional in their relationship is threatened.
Questions of the future are cast aside when the prime suspect is murdered and Lizzie’s own life is threatened. As the body count rises, and their suspicions about what was really going on in the warehouse grow, the pressure is on for Lizzie and Darcy to uncover the truth.
Lizzie and Darcy are back for more suspense, danger, and romance in this first in a duology spinoff of the Jane Austen Murder Mysteries!
The tenacious Lizzie Bennet has earned her place at Longbourn, her father’s law firm. Her work keeps her busy, but luckily she often has help from (and steals occasional kisses with) Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, a stern but secretly soft-hearted solicitor at Pemberley.
Lizzie is hired to investigate a deadly warehouse fire, and to find the mysterious woman who was spotted at the scene moments before the flames took hold. But when the case leads her to the sitting room of a woman Darcy once proposed marriage to, the delicate balance between personal and professional in their relationship is threatened.
Questions of the future are cast aside when the prime suspect is murdered and Lizzie’s own life is threatened. As the body count rises, and their suspicions about what was really going on in the warehouse grow, the pressure is on for Lizzie and Darcy to uncover the truth.
Lizzie and Darcy are back for more suspense, danger, and romance in this first in a duology spinoff of the Jane Austen Murder Mysteries!
352 pages, Hardcover
First published November 12, 2024
91 people are currently reading
13918 people want to read
About the author
Tirzah Price
10 books876 followersTirzah Price is the USA Today Bestselling author of the Jane Austen Murder Mysteries and the spin-off Lizzie and Darcy Mystery series. She holds an MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and has worked with books for over a decade. When she’s not writing, reading, or talking about YA books, she splits her time between experimenting in the kitchen and knitting. She lives in Michigan.
Tirzah is pronounced TEER-zuh. Pronouns are she/her.
Tirzah is pronounced TEER-zuh. Pronouns are she/her.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 249 reviews
November 30, 2025
3.5 stars
“Lizzie.” He exhaled her name like an oath. “I’ll follow you till the ends of the earth, if you’ll let me.”
I enjoyed this book, although there were a few aspects that could have been developed more. The plot was interesting, I enjoyed the mystery aspect of the book. The pacing started off well but slowed down in the middle. The writing was witty, engaging and easy to follow. I enjoyed that this book was a retelling of Pride and Prejudice, but I felt that some of the characters weren’t quite the same. The descriptions of the setting made me feel like I traveled to London during the 1800s. I appreciated that the author discussed important topics of the time period such as women’s rights, marriage and feminism. The characters were relatable and interesting. I liked Lizzie a great deal, she was brave, independent, outspoken, intelligent, fierce and loyal. Lizzie’s development was great, she grew in her determination and confidence in her ability to solve the mystery. I also liked Darcy, he was intelligent, loyal, protective of Lizzie, but there were times when he didn’t stand up for himself. I hope to see more depth of Darcy’s character in the next book. I loved how sweet and protective he was of Lizzie. The side characters were interesting as well especially Henry, Lizzie’s sisters and parents, and the Dashwood sisters. The tension and angst between Lizzie and Darcy was amazing! I enjoyed the banter between them as well. The slow burn romance was well done, I’m glad that their relationship is developing over time. I hope to continue to see more depth in their relationship. I’m glad that Darcy let Lizzie be her own person. There were several shocking reveals and surprises. The resolution of the mystery was disappointing, justice wasn’t quite served. I’m excited to read the next book!
“Lizzie.” He exhaled her name like an oath. “I’ll follow you till the ends of the earth, if you’ll let me.”
I enjoyed this book, although there were a few aspects that could have been developed more. The plot was interesting, I enjoyed the mystery aspect of the book. The pacing started off well but slowed down in the middle. The writing was witty, engaging and easy to follow. I enjoyed that this book was a retelling of Pride and Prejudice, but I felt that some of the characters weren’t quite the same. The descriptions of the setting made me feel like I traveled to London during the 1800s. I appreciated that the author discussed important topics of the time period such as women’s rights, marriage and feminism. The characters were relatable and interesting. I liked Lizzie a great deal, she was brave, independent, outspoken, intelligent, fierce and loyal. Lizzie’s development was great, she grew in her determination and confidence in her ability to solve the mystery. I also liked Darcy, he was intelligent, loyal, protective of Lizzie, but there were times when he didn’t stand up for himself. I hope to see more depth of Darcy’s character in the next book. I loved how sweet and protective he was of Lizzie. The side characters were interesting as well especially Henry, Lizzie’s sisters and parents, and the Dashwood sisters. The tension and angst between Lizzie and Darcy was amazing! I enjoyed the banter between them as well. The slow burn romance was well done, I’m glad that their relationship is developing over time. I hope to continue to see more depth in their relationship. I’m glad that Darcy let Lizzie be her own person. There were several shocking reveals and surprises. The resolution of the mystery was disappointing, justice wasn’t quite served. I’m excited to read the next book!
November 20, 2024
2.5 stars, rounded up for the doggo 🐶 only! Really, really disappointed in this YA "Pride and Prejudice" retelling. Would have DNF'd it except that I did find the "mystery" mildly interesting. My main issue was how the two leads (Darcy & Lizzie) were portrayed: Lizzie is a lawyer at her Dad's London firm, Longbourn, and Darcy at his Dad's, which is Pemberly, of course. Her character is written to be very, very dislikable. Darcy, however, is turned into a meek and shy "Daddy's boy" who is bullied at work and can't stand up for himself - not just to his bully but even to Lizzie, who rides rough-shod all over him, dragging him to danger. Sorry, but that is NOT "Mr. Darcy" the dashing hero of anyone's fantasies, just sad. Some of the rest of the characters were ok - I liked the Dashwood's inserted here okay. But as a big Austen fan, I just can not recommend this or any of the other's in the series to any other serious fan - just no.
October 20, 2024
Opening In Want of a Suspect by Tirzah Price feels like stepping back into the cozy chaos of the Bennett home. She writes the women of Austen like I think Jane herself would have written them had she had the benefit of a 21st century culture and mindset-reminding you that Lizzie really could do anything if literary freedoms of the time allowed. Like her other Jane Austen Murder Mystery Series novels, In Want of a Suspect is fast paced and seamlessly blends together the conflict and romance you want from Darcy and Lizzie with an intriguing mystery that delves into complicated subjects like immigration, war, feminism and how to live under the burden of familial expectations. It’s also finally rewarding the internal Darcy/Lizzie dialogue of every reader who has screamed for more since being introduced to Pride and Prejudice in our youth. This is one of my favorite 2024 reads and I can’t wait to see what Tirzah does next (I hope I’m not wrong that there were a few hints throughout about what may be coming…). Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC copy for review (now, rereading all three prior novels ASAP!).
September 11, 2024
I was absolutely thrilled to learn we would be getting more Darcy and Lizzie books in a spin off series from Pride and Premeditation! And this did not disappoint. In Price's P&P retellings, Darcy and Lizzie are both solicitors that find themselves often collaborating on legal cases. In this one, Lizzie and Darcy team up to investigate the arson/murder case of a local storefront at the request of the surviving brother, but things aren't adding up and a key witness is killed in broad daylight. With growing speculation of the those closest to the case, and growing speculation of the amount of unchaperoned time Lizzie and Darcy spend together even at the expense of Darcy's position, the pair may be in over their heads in more ways than one.
I'm very picky with my P&P retellings and while I often found myself wondering "Yeah, but would OG Darcy and Lizzie REALLY do this/that?" My answer: I don't care. I was swept up in the story, the mystery, the suspicion and of course the romance. Absolute blast reading this one and now I begin the impatient wait for the second book in this series. One of if not my favorite book of the year!
CW: Death, Violence, Arson, Poverty/Classism, Anti-Immigrant (due to war),
I'm very picky with my P&P retellings and while I often found myself wondering "Yeah, but would OG Darcy and Lizzie REALLY do this/that?" My answer: I don't care. I was swept up in the story, the mystery, the suspicion and of course the romance. Absolute blast reading this one and now I begin the impatient wait for the second book in this series. One of if not my favorite book of the year!
CW: Death, Violence, Arson, Poverty/Classism, Anti-Immigrant (due to war),
April 27, 2025
love this book 📖 ❤️
very well written
want to read more by this author now
😊
very well written
want to read more by this author now
😊
October 29, 2024
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that Tirzah Price is the queen of Jane Austen-based, YA mysteries. And like many others, I’m soo glad she’s returned once again to her Jane Austen Mystery protagonists, Lizzie and Darcy, for a delightfully chaotic and action packed spin-off that will steal you heart and keep you on the edge of your seat.
Now, this does have some spoilers for Price’s Jane Austen Mysteries series (which makes sense as it is a spinoff.) So if you haven’t had the chance to read that series yet, I highly recommend doing so before picking this up. But if you’ve been eager to see more of Lizzie and Darcy since heir appearance in Manslaughter Park, then you’re in for a treat!
Weaving cameos from the Dashwood sisters (and even a brief appearance of Miss Woodhouse) with themes of war, immigration, institutional misogyny and the pressures of family expectation—Price has managed to craft a compellingly modern take on the source material that I feel even Austen herself would approve of.
The cast of characters were all so quite interesting and multifaceted, but I think I adored Lizzie; whose stellar observational skills and ability to win over anyone (including children, dogs, Darcy) the most! Her tenacious drive to succeed will almost certainly endear old and new readers alike.
Plus, her temerity in the face of adversity, as a woman working in a male dominated field (and positively thriving) had me cheering her on every step of the way!
Darcy, no longer at loggerheads with Lizzie, was a wonderfully supportive character to explore as well. I enjoyed seeing just how far he’s come on his journey to being less prideful and stubborn, and found his efforts (in learning from his past mistakes, owning up to them and trying to make amends) pretty satisfying.
Together, he and Lizzie are a crime solving force to be reckoned with, and the snippets of romance and affection we encounter between them was soo enjoyable. I can’t wait to see what the pair with uncover next!
Overall, a really fun read that mystery, Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen or Tirzah Price fans definitely don’t want to miss.
Also, a huge thank you to Harper360YA for the stunning proof.
Now, this does have some spoilers for Price’s Jane Austen Mysteries series (which makes sense as it is a spinoff.) So if you haven’t had the chance to read that series yet, I highly recommend doing so before picking this up. But if you’ve been eager to see more of Lizzie and Darcy since heir appearance in Manslaughter Park, then you’re in for a treat!
Weaving cameos from the Dashwood sisters (and even a brief appearance of Miss Woodhouse) with themes of war, immigration, institutional misogyny and the pressures of family expectation—Price has managed to craft a compellingly modern take on the source material that I feel even Austen herself would approve of.
The cast of characters were all so quite interesting and multifaceted, but I think I adored Lizzie; whose stellar observational skills and ability to win over anyone (including children, dogs, Darcy) the most! Her tenacious drive to succeed will almost certainly endear old and new readers alike.
Plus, her temerity in the face of adversity, as a woman working in a male dominated field (and positively thriving) had me cheering her on every step of the way!
Darcy, no longer at loggerheads with Lizzie, was a wonderfully supportive character to explore as well. I enjoyed seeing just how far he’s come on his journey to being less prideful and stubborn, and found his efforts (in learning from his past mistakes, owning up to them and trying to make amends) pretty satisfying.
Together, he and Lizzie are a crime solving force to be reckoned with, and the snippets of romance and affection we encounter between them was soo enjoyable. I can’t wait to see what the pair with uncover next!
Overall, a really fun read that mystery, Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen or Tirzah Price fans definitely don’t want to miss.
Also, a huge thank you to Harper360YA for the stunning proof.
November 30, 2025
Lizzie Bennet, newly appointed solicitor at Longbourn & Sons, is eager to prove herself to her father and the men who say she can't because she's female. Three years ago Lizzie's first case involved the Mullins brothers and Lizzie helped them get their money back from their late father's business partner. Now they need her assistance again and she's allowing Darcy to help her. On their way to meet the Mullins brothers at their warehouse, they witness a devastating fire in the warehouse and Simon Mullins perishes in the fire. A devastated Jack hires Lizzie to find out who started the fire that killed his brother for it was clearly arson. Jack blames a woman seen fleeing the scene of the crime but who was she and why was she there? While Lizzie tries to find a suspect, Darcy struggles to keep up with his regular duties at work where his boss constantly belittles him. In between work and trying to solve an impossible case, there are moments of stolen kisses but Lizzie is worried and trying to avoid discussing the future. She likes things as they are... for now and has no desire to give up everything she's worked for.
YAY! Lizzie and Darcy are back!
I know the naysayers will say all the things I normally say in my reviews. None of this makes sense in terms of the real world or the characters Austen created. Other naysayers will declare it too "woke". It's certainly modernized and if there were no references to the French Revolution and Napoleon, I would have said this was a modern set story. It probably would have worked better set in the 1950s with Russians instead of French. Communists instead of Jacobins but it's supposed to set in the early 1800s. So take away all your ideas about what you know about Pride and Prejudice and the Regency era and just enjoy the stories. I have a feeling modern tweens probably enjoy this world more than Austen's. It's familiar to them and the characters think and act as they would. It took me time and knowledge to develop an appreciation for Austen and that time period but I wouldn't have enjoyed this modern approach. If that's not for you but you enjoy cozy mysteries with witty banter and strong female leads, then read this as a separate entity where the characters happen to have the same names as the characters in Pride and Prejudice. DO read Pride and Premeditation, Sense & Second-Degree Murder and Manslaughter Park first.
Now, as a cozy mystery for tweens/young teens, this was a lot of fun. I did manage to put some of the clues together to figure out what was going on but I wasn't sure who was involved as none of the villains were characters from Austen's novels. Except for hints and finally a big reveal that there is ONE behind the scenes. I kind of figured that. I stayed up until 2 Am to finish this! There's more romance. Lizzie and Darcy steal kisses here and there but Lizzie has reservations about marriage - at least marriage right now. I don't blame her! I, too, would be worried about giving up my identity and all I had worked for AND dying in childbirth. Yes Darcy loves her and wouldn't force her to do anything she didn't want to, but the law is against her. They're both lawyers and I expect they'll know how to work it out so there's a loophole for Lizzie to control her own destiny. The romance amps up a bit towards the end but it's still clean and chaste. AWW!! We also get a bit more of Jane and Bingley's courtship which is progressing slowly and a brief look at the Dashwood sisters and their love interests.
Lizzie is a great character. Of course she's very modern in outlook - at the very least late Victorian. Lizzie is determined and fierce. She desperately wants to make a good impression on the men so they'll accept her as an equal and allow her to practice law with them. She seems to also be a private detective or includes finding things in her list of job duties. Lizzie has a big heart and she is eager to help because it's the right thing to do. She wants to see justice done. Lizzie is spunky, forthright, outgoing and doesn't take "no" for an answer. Darcy is different. He's younger, his father is still alive and he's figuring out who he is and what he wants. What he wants is a life with Lizzie but he won't pressure her into doing anything she's not ready for/doesn't want to do. He's so smitten, he defends her to bullies and even offers to brave her parents for her. Yet he lies to her.
Darcy is going through a tough time at work. His father is away but still has high expectations for his heir who WILL do the Darcy name proud. Darcy worries his father will make him cut off ties with Lizzie if Mr. Darcy, Sr. finds out what his son is up to, especially as the investigation takes Darcy away from his regular work. Darcy is being bullied at work by Mr. Tomilson, his supervisor, who constantly finds fault with Darcy, belittles Lizzie and gaslights Darcy into thinking in his organized chaos he will find hidden missing reports he KNOWS he turned in. (I think this author subscribes to the Mr. Darcy has high functioning autism theory. I TOTALLY relate to his piles! I, too, usually know where everything is or should be if no one moves it.) Darcy feels insecure because of all the bullying. He puts off doing things he's supposed to do and lies to Lizzie. She knows him well enough to know something is wrong but doesn't know what. Fortunately for the Lizzie/Darcy shippers, before he makes a mess of things with Lizzie, he gets some good advice from a certain surprising character. Through knowing Lizzie, Darcy becomes more open-minded and more compassionate. He's tender, caring and considerate of others now, especially Lizzie.
I love the Dashwood sisters! They team up with Lizzie and have a huge role in the climax of the novel. Even little Margaret has a cameo. She did the right thing and spilled the beans about what her older sisters were up to. Both the older Dashwoods are a lot of fun. Elinor is so smart and fascinated by anything scientific while Marianne is a little excitable but she's intelligent and MORE than capable. (Think Enola Holmes capable). There's a cameo by Miss Woodhouse who gives love advice to Mr. Darcy! Can we get an Emma novel please?!
It is a truth universally acknowledged that whenever there's a period set mystery there must be an urchin. Henry is a boy of the streets and as such, he is in a prime position to know what's going on or at least have an idea. He's slow to trust and scared of what the villains will do if he's discovered sharing his knowledge with Lizzie. Lizzie is kind to him but Darcy is great. He's very sweet. BUT some readers may not appreciate the discussion and what Darcy thinks about the not so surprising revelation.
Jane Bennet is a sweetheart. She's not a saint- she will lie for her sister without batting an eyelash. She knows her sister so well, they don't even have to discuss it ahead of time. Jane just jumps in to back up her sister. She does worry about Lizzie getting hurt or killed but understands why her sister feels the need to investigate. Jane is a bit embarrassed by her mother's antics. Mrs. Bennet hasn't changed. It's been MONTHS and Bingley hasn't proposed yet so Mrs. Bennet decides to help move things along in a cringey way. Jane is eager for Bingley to propose but maybe not with her mother eavesdropping at the door.
Jack Mullins is Lizzie's client. He claims to want to know who set the warehouse fire that killed his brother but ends up storming off in a huff. He buys new clothes and starts to repair the warehouse pretty quickly. He claims he's mourning his brother while still working, keeping busy but I suspect he's hiding some pertinent details from Lizzie. Like... what his brother was up to that got him killed! Simon sounds like he may have been a little loose in his ethics, morals or even outright breaking the law. The clues are there and it's not too hard to figure it out from the distance of 200+ years but would someone of that time, especially a young lady like Lizzie, know what was going on? It's still pretty early on in the Napoleonic era so maybe not.
In this novel we meet Mr. Darcy's ex, Josette Cavendish, an heiress whose mother ran off with a Frenchman and wasn't married until they reached France. Pass the smelling salts! Mrs. Bennet, normally annoying her daughters with gossip, has a wealth of knowledge of old scandals and her memory aids in the investigation. Lizzie suspects Josette is somehow connected to the warehouse fire but Darcy KNOWS Josette is a good person and would never do such a thing. I'm not sure. She's strong and she's proud. I think she's a little snooty and not overly eager to help Lizzie and she holds a grudge against Mr. Darcy for his treatment of her three years ago. Yet she claims she's moved on and she's now engaged to a Mr. Hughes. HE is clearly a fortune hunter. I hope he's not. Maybe he started that way and now cares for Josette. I hope he's not more because she's endured a lot. I don't think they're in league but they could be. She did live in France for the first five years of her life but she lost her parents and her father's whole family so there's no real reason to want to help FRANCE. There may be something else going on here and her cousin Leticia undoubtedly knows something. I like Leticia more than Josette. At first I didn't like her. I thought she was sly and coming up with cover stories for her cousin. She's a quick thinker, intelligent and a go-getter. She's also compassionate and helps the emigrees. I grew to like her and then, sadly, her life was cut short before she could share what she knew with Lizzie and Darcy. Why yes that's usually how it works in these novels so I wasn't surprised, just sad for the young woman who had experienced so much trauma and was finally happy.
My favorite character is Guy! I'm guessing he's Guy Mannering, a Dandie Dinmont Terrier? I've never seen one in real life but they sure look cute on TV and Guy is very cute. He's endearing and brave little soul. Guy knows a wrong 'un when he sees one. The humans need to listen more.
The puppet master/chief villain is truly diabolical.
My least favorite character is Tomilson. He's a bully. He's trying to discredit Fitzwilliam Darcy either to make himself look good, to further his own aims or because he's hiding something he doesn't want young Darcy to know about. Or both. Or he's just one of those men who has to make everyone else feel inferior to feel good about himself and get ahead. He's truly nasty.
I can't wait for the next volume. I'm already on hold!
YAY! Lizzie and Darcy are back!
I know the naysayers will say all the things I normally say in my reviews. None of this makes sense in terms of the real world or the characters Austen created. Other naysayers will declare it too "woke". It's certainly modernized and if there were no references to the French Revolution and Napoleon, I would have said this was a modern set story. It probably would have worked better set in the 1950s with Russians instead of French. Communists instead of Jacobins but it's supposed to set in the early 1800s. So take away all your ideas about what you know about Pride and Prejudice and the Regency era and just enjoy the stories. I have a feeling modern tweens probably enjoy this world more than Austen's. It's familiar to them and the characters think and act as they would. It took me time and knowledge to develop an appreciation for Austen and that time period but I wouldn't have enjoyed this modern approach. If that's not for you but you enjoy cozy mysteries with witty banter and strong female leads, then read this as a separate entity where the characters happen to have the same names as the characters in Pride and Prejudice. DO read Pride and Premeditation, Sense & Second-Degree Murder and Manslaughter Park first.
Now, as a cozy mystery for tweens/young teens, this was a lot of fun. I did manage to put some of the clues together to figure out what was going on but I wasn't sure who was involved as none of the villains were characters from Austen's novels. Except for hints and finally a big reveal that there is ONE behind the scenes. I kind of figured that. I stayed up until 2 Am to finish this! There's more romance. Lizzie and Darcy steal kisses here and there but Lizzie has reservations about marriage - at least marriage right now. I don't blame her! I, too, would be worried about giving up my identity and all I had worked for AND dying in childbirth. Yes Darcy loves her and wouldn't force her to do anything she didn't want to, but the law is against her. They're both lawyers and I expect they'll know how to work it out so there's a loophole for Lizzie to control her own destiny. The romance amps up a bit towards the end but it's still clean and chaste. AWW!! We also get a bit more of Jane and Bingley's courtship which is progressing slowly and a brief look at the Dashwood sisters and their love interests.
Lizzie is a great character. Of course she's very modern in outlook - at the very least late Victorian. Lizzie is determined and fierce. She desperately wants to make a good impression on the men so they'll accept her as an equal and allow her to practice law with them. She seems to also be a private detective or includes finding things in her list of job duties. Lizzie has a big heart and she is eager to help because it's the right thing to do. She wants to see justice done. Lizzie is spunky, forthright, outgoing and doesn't take "no" for an answer. Darcy is different. He's younger, his father is still alive and he's figuring out who he is and what he wants. What he wants is a life with Lizzie but he won't pressure her into doing anything she's not ready for/doesn't want to do. He's so smitten, he defends her to bullies and even offers to brave her parents for her. Yet he lies to her.
Darcy is going through a tough time at work. His father is away but still has high expectations for his heir who WILL do the Darcy name proud. Darcy worries his father will make him cut off ties with Lizzie if Mr. Darcy, Sr. finds out what his son is up to, especially as the investigation takes Darcy away from his regular work. Darcy is being bullied at work by Mr. Tomilson, his supervisor, who constantly finds fault with Darcy, belittles Lizzie and gaslights Darcy into thinking in his organized chaos he will find hidden missing reports he KNOWS he turned in. (I think this author subscribes to the Mr. Darcy has high functioning autism theory. I TOTALLY relate to his piles! I, too, usually know where everything is or should be if no one moves it.) Darcy feels insecure because of all the bullying. He puts off doing things he's supposed to do and lies to Lizzie. She knows him well enough to know something is wrong but doesn't know what. Fortunately for the Lizzie/Darcy shippers, before he makes a mess of things with Lizzie, he gets some good advice from a certain surprising character. Through knowing Lizzie, Darcy becomes more open-minded and more compassionate. He's tender, caring and considerate of others now, especially Lizzie.
I love the Dashwood sisters! They team up with Lizzie and have a huge role in the climax of the novel. Even little Margaret has a cameo. She did the right thing and spilled the beans about what her older sisters were up to. Both the older Dashwoods are a lot of fun. Elinor is so smart and fascinated by anything scientific while Marianne is a little excitable but she's intelligent and MORE than capable. (Think Enola Holmes capable). There's a cameo by Miss Woodhouse who gives love advice to Mr. Darcy! Can we get an Emma novel please?!
It is a truth universally acknowledged that whenever there's a period set mystery there must be an urchin. Henry is a boy of the streets and as such, he is in a prime position to know what's going on or at least have an idea. He's slow to trust and scared of what the villains will do if he's discovered sharing his knowledge with Lizzie. Lizzie is kind to him but Darcy is great. He's very sweet. BUT some readers may not appreciate the discussion and what Darcy thinks about the not so surprising revelation.
Jane Bennet is a sweetheart. She's not a saint- she will lie for her sister without batting an eyelash. She knows her sister so well, they don't even have to discuss it ahead of time. Jane just jumps in to back up her sister. She does worry about Lizzie getting hurt or killed but understands why her sister feels the need to investigate. Jane is a bit embarrassed by her mother's antics. Mrs. Bennet hasn't changed. It's been MONTHS and Bingley hasn't proposed yet so Mrs. Bennet decides to help move things along in a cringey way. Jane is eager for Bingley to propose but maybe not with her mother eavesdropping at the door.
Jack Mullins is Lizzie's client. He claims to want to know who set the warehouse fire that killed his brother but ends up storming off in a huff. He buys new clothes and starts to repair the warehouse pretty quickly. He claims he's mourning his brother while still working, keeping busy but I suspect he's hiding some pertinent details from Lizzie. Like... what his brother was up to that got him killed! Simon sounds like he may have been a little loose in his ethics, morals or even outright breaking the law. The clues are there and it's not too hard to figure it out from the distance of 200+ years but would someone of that time, especially a young lady like Lizzie, know what was going on? It's still pretty early on in the Napoleonic era so maybe not.
In this novel we meet Mr. Darcy's ex, Josette Cavendish, an heiress whose mother ran off with a Frenchman and wasn't married until they reached France. Pass the smelling salts! Mrs. Bennet, normally annoying her daughters with gossip, has a wealth of knowledge of old scandals and her memory aids in the investigation. Lizzie suspects Josette is somehow connected to the warehouse fire but Darcy KNOWS Josette is a good person and would never do such a thing. I'm not sure. She's strong and she's proud. I think she's a little snooty and not overly eager to help Lizzie and she holds a grudge against Mr. Darcy for his treatment of her three years ago. Yet she claims she's moved on and she's now engaged to a Mr. Hughes. HE is clearly a fortune hunter. I hope he's not. Maybe he started that way and now cares for Josette. I hope he's not more because she's endured a lot. I don't think they're in league but they could be. She did live in France for the first five years of her life but she lost her parents and her father's whole family so there's no real reason to want to help FRANCE. There may be something else going on here and her cousin Leticia undoubtedly knows something. I like Leticia more than Josette. At first I didn't like her. I thought she was sly and coming up with cover stories for her cousin. She's a quick thinker, intelligent and a go-getter. She's also compassionate and helps the emigrees. I grew to like her and then, sadly, her life was cut short before she could share what she knew with Lizzie and Darcy. Why yes that's usually how it works in these novels so I wasn't surprised, just sad for the young woman who had experienced so much trauma and was finally happy.
My favorite character is Guy! I'm guessing he's Guy Mannering, a Dandie Dinmont Terrier? I've never seen one in real life but they sure look cute on TV and Guy is very cute. He's endearing and brave little soul. Guy knows a wrong 'un when he sees one. The humans need to listen more.
The puppet master/chief villain is truly diabolical.
My least favorite character is Tomilson. He's a bully. He's trying to discredit Fitzwilliam Darcy either to make himself look good, to further his own aims or because he's hiding something he doesn't want young Darcy to know about. Or both. Or he's just one of those men who has to make everyone else feel inferior to feel good about himself and get ahead. He's truly nasty.
I can't wait for the next volume. I'm already on hold!
November 11, 2025
Judging this as, essentially, fanfiction. It didn’t work for me. There were too many odd changes to the plot, and Darcy’s character especially didn’t seem true to the original character. So much of P&P, and Darcy’s character, ride on the facts of Darcy being the head of household, and being upper class. Like the whole thing is a commentary on class politics of the time. Changing these fundamental elements yet keeping it in time period didn’t make sense to me. Other things like Overall I felt like Darcy was “softened” and made into kind of a generic Nice Guy. I do think “Lizzie and Darcy as modern lawyers” could’ve worked, or even “Lizzie becoming a lawyer after the plot of P&P maybe”. But as it is, it’s like the author was using the Big Names to sell a random romance/period mystery. The mystery was interesting, and it flowed quickly. I would have DNF’d pretty quickly if it hadn’t been an OUABC book though, it was really obvious from the start that the authors had the characters wrong. (Interestingly? The cameos from the Dashwoods felt the most true-to-character.)
December 9, 2024
4.5⭐️ this book was super cute, reminded me of Enola Holmes!!! I wish I read the first one before this though bc it did spoil that book. But it was super good still!!
February 17, 2025
begging for a re-write of emma, especially after her little cameo
November 18, 2024
It was so fun to revisit this alternate “universe” where Jane Austen’s women have jobs and the men are friends or colleagues. Lizzy and Darcy were lawyers in Tirzah Price’s first book in this world and her subsequent books moved to the S&S and Mansfield Park casts. Now, we’re back to Lizzy and Darcy as they try to solve the mystery around a warehouse fire.
Such a fun series. I hope it continues!
Such a fun series. I hope it continues!
December 16, 2024
Rating 5 Stars
To write a comprehensive review about this one is really hard. It's just so good, to the point that I just overlooked some of the flaws and did not let it bother me that this is another take on the famous Lizzie Bennett and Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy when there have been many.
I just can't expect anything but greatness from Tirzah Price since I thoroughly devoured the trilogy that this was a spinoff to featuring other character's from Austen's beloved works and a . Price just knows how to write these characters well that doesn't stray too far from how we would expect them to react in more dangerous and dire situations.
I need more of this version of the famous couple before they became Mr. and Mrs. Darcy and how they will navigate their relationship more in this twist version of them both being solicitors.
To write a comprehensive review about this one is really hard. It's just so good, to the point that I just overlooked some of the flaws and did not let it bother me that this is another take on the famous Lizzie Bennett and Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy when there have been many.
I just can't expect anything but greatness from Tirzah Price since I thoroughly devoured the trilogy that this was a spinoff to featuring other character's from Austen's beloved works and a . Price just knows how to write these characters well that doesn't stray too far from how we would expect them to react in more dangerous and dire situations.
I need more of this version of the famous couple before they became Mr. and Mrs. Darcy and how they will navigate their relationship more in this twist version of them both being solicitors.
December 5, 2024
Lizzie and Darcy my beloved 💕
I was so excited to hear that we were getting more of this duo and this book didn’t disappoint! I loved being back in this universe - watching the flirting, the banter, and especially the crime solving!
The story itself was a bit slow paced for me at times but I loved the cameos of the Dashwood sisters and thr Emma sighting!! (Hopefully this means we’ll see more of her in this series!!! 🤞🏻🤞🏻) I especially liked Guy! A cute doggie is always a wise addition.
Can’t wait for more of this series!!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this earc in exchange for my honest review.
I was so excited to hear that we were getting more of this duo and this book didn’t disappoint! I loved being back in this universe - watching the flirting, the banter, and especially the crime solving!
The story itself was a bit slow paced for me at times but I loved the cameos of the Dashwood sisters and thr Emma sighting!! (Hopefully this means we’ll see more of her in this series!!! 🤞🏻🤞🏻) I especially liked Guy! A cute doggie is always a wise addition.
Can’t wait for more of this series!!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this earc in exchange for my honest review.
December 26, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
I feel that fans of Jane Austen will appreciate this retelling of some of her most beloved characters. I do think that this one showed a lot more of the relationship between Lizzie and Darcy. I loved all the tension and banter throughout the whole entire book, as well as the fact that they are solving a murder, but you can definitely tell that they have more of the romantic connection in this one. I had a good time reading this book. I would definitely read more from this author.
I feel that fans of Jane Austen will appreciate this retelling of some of her most beloved characters. I do think that this one showed a lot more of the relationship between Lizzie and Darcy. I loved all the tension and banter throughout the whole entire book, as well as the fact that they are solving a murder, but you can definitely tell that they have more of the romantic connection in this one. I had a good time reading this book. I would definitely read more from this author.
November 26, 2024
Once I began reading in earnest, I couldn't stop! It was delightful. The characterizations were spot on! I loved seeing who showed up. I had lots of feelings. The mystery was a great journey. I can't wait for the next book!
November 27, 2024
People who don’t read Jane Austen murder mysteries are missing out on gems like “Darcy decked him”.
All that said it does make me a little sad that the failed proposal went to Josette and not Lizzie.
All that said it does make me a little sad that the failed proposal went to Josette and not Lizzie.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2025
Sooooo…..
Ok for the most part, I have enjoyed these books. They are very YA, and there are certainly better Jane Austen murder mystery books out there, but the first two books in this series were fun and lighthearted and I enjoyed them. I did not like, nor will I recommend, Manslaughter Park.
But I was excited to get back to Lizzie and Darcy again, because truthfully, they are the best characters. And for the most part I enjoyed this story and a lot of the banter and the dog (the dog!) and that the Dashwoods were brought back as well.
However, I’m disappointed in a number of things:
1. Way too predictable. Like, I had a lot figured out early on, and even made some guesses before any information was mentioned that I was correct on, and while I don’t mind trying to solve a murder mystery alongside the MC and even get excited when I can figure things out, I want it to be challenging and feel like an accomplishment. This wasn’t that and so the ending had me bored
2. Maybe I’m just misremembering Pride and Premeditation because it’s been a few years, but my gosh, I did not like how Lizzie and Darcy were written in this one. Yes, in a story where Lizzie is a working woman in a man’s business, there’s going to be quite a bit of her striving for women’s justice and the like. But this felt over the top. Lizzie was almost insufferable in her higher than thou attitude and WAY too feminist for the time period (it’s still the early 1800’s people!). Darcy was weak and allowed people to walk all over him which is NOT at all who Darcy is. It didn’t work for me because they were both just too different from their original character.
3. There’s a transgender storyline. And not only that, but with a CHILD. And I’m sorry, but that’s a no from me. Spoiler alert here, but a little boy who is helping Lizzie turns out to actually be a girl who says she feels like a boy and so she’s a boy. And Darcy is the only one who finds out and is basically like, oh okay that’s fine, I won’t tell anyone, you keep being a boy. Again, it’s the 1800’s, let’s try to keep the historical fiction historically accurate and again, Darcy would not respond this way to something like this. Also, I’m just not okay with this stuff being geared towards children (it’s a book meant for 12-18 year olds, and this kid in the book is probably no more than 10). I just can’t be okay with that.
Overall not a terrible continuation of this series, I’ll still probably read the next one, but if that one is a dud, I’ll be done because so far only the first two have really been enjoyable.
Ok for the most part, I have enjoyed these books. They are very YA, and there are certainly better Jane Austen murder mystery books out there, but the first two books in this series were fun and lighthearted and I enjoyed them. I did not like, nor will I recommend, Manslaughter Park.
But I was excited to get back to Lizzie and Darcy again, because truthfully, they are the best characters. And for the most part I enjoyed this story and a lot of the banter and the dog (the dog!) and that the Dashwoods were brought back as well.
However, I’m disappointed in a number of things:
1. Way too predictable. Like, I had a lot figured out early on, and even made some guesses before any information was mentioned that I was correct on, and while I don’t mind trying to solve a murder mystery alongside the MC and even get excited when I can figure things out, I want it to be challenging and feel like an accomplishment. This wasn’t that and so the ending had me bored
2. Maybe I’m just misremembering Pride and Premeditation because it’s been a few years, but my gosh, I did not like how Lizzie and Darcy were written in this one. Yes, in a story where Lizzie is a working woman in a man’s business, there’s going to be quite a bit of her striving for women’s justice and the like. But this felt over the top. Lizzie was almost insufferable in her higher than thou attitude and WAY too feminist for the time period (it’s still the early 1800’s people!). Darcy was weak and allowed people to walk all over him which is NOT at all who Darcy is. It didn’t work for me because they were both just too different from their original character.
3. There’s a transgender storyline. And not only that, but with a CHILD. And I’m sorry, but that’s a no from me. Spoiler alert here, but a little boy who is helping Lizzie turns out to actually be a girl who says she feels like a boy and so she’s a boy. And Darcy is the only one who finds out and is basically like, oh okay that’s fine, I won’t tell anyone, you keep being a boy. Again, it’s the 1800’s, let’s try to keep the historical fiction historically accurate and again, Darcy would not respond this way to something like this. Also, I’m just not okay with this stuff being geared towards children (it’s a book meant for 12-18 year olds, and this kid in the book is probably no more than 10). I just can’t be okay with that.
Overall not a terrible continuation of this series, I’ll still probably read the next one, but if that one is a dud, I’ll be done because so far only the first two have really been enjoyable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 1, 2025
Read this if you like...
💕 Jane Austen retellings
🔎 plucky heroines
🌹 regency drama
Lizzie Bennet, London's first female solicitor, finds herself constantly pulled into mysteries with fellow lawyer Fitzwilliam Darcy at her side. The pair typically investigates unusual circumstances, but they've been retained for their deadliest case yet. When Lizzie is hired to investigate a mysterious warehouse fire and locate the suspected arsonist, it leads the pair right into the sitting room of Darcy's ex-fiancée. Feelings abound as Lizzie and Darcy try to solve this fiery case before either of them get snuffed out.
I thoroughly enjoyed Tirzah Price's previous novel Pride & Premeditation, but found myself slogging through this one. I credit that not to the author's ability, but to my changing taste. When I first read Pride & Premeditation, I mostly read YA; now, I've added more adult fiction to my repertoire since learned about the closed door fiction community. While I enjoyed the Austen-packed world of In Want of a Suspect with tongue-in-cheek references and the reinvention of classic Austen characters, the mystery itself was not complicated enough to hold my attention.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
💕 Jane Austen retellings
🔎 plucky heroines
🌹 regency drama
Lizzie Bennet, London's first female solicitor, finds herself constantly pulled into mysteries with fellow lawyer Fitzwilliam Darcy at her side. The pair typically investigates unusual circumstances, but they've been retained for their deadliest case yet. When Lizzie is hired to investigate a mysterious warehouse fire and locate the suspected arsonist, it leads the pair right into the sitting room of Darcy's ex-fiancée. Feelings abound as Lizzie and Darcy try to solve this fiery case before either of them get snuffed out.
I thoroughly enjoyed Tirzah Price's previous novel Pride & Premeditation, but found myself slogging through this one. I credit that not to the author's ability, but to my changing taste. When I first read Pride & Premeditation, I mostly read YA; now, I've added more adult fiction to my repertoire since learned about the closed door fiction community. While I enjoyed the Austen-packed world of In Want of a Suspect with tongue-in-cheek references and the reinvention of classic Austen characters, the mystery itself was not complicated enough to hold my attention.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 17, 2024
GENRE
• A Lizzie & Darcy Mystery, book 1
• YA
• Mystery retelling
SUMMARY
This book picks up after the events of Pride & Premeditation from the author’s Jane Austen Murder Mystery series. When a warehouse fire proves deadly, Lizzie is hired by a childhood friend to investigate the fire’s origins. She engages Darcy’s help, and the two of them seek out the mysterious woman placed at the scene of the crime. The case leads them to a second murder, a threat on Lizzie’s life, and a confrontation with Darcy’s old flame.
REVIEW
The relationship is sweet, the mystery is engaging, and the tone & pacing make this book compulsively readable! The plot points themselves may be difficult to believe at times (as is the case with almost any amateur detective series), but the characters feel authentic and grounded, so I never felt pulled out of the story. If you like Jane Austen or cozy mysteries, give Tirzah Price a try—I promise you won’t regret it.
4/5
• A Lizzie & Darcy Mystery, book 1
• YA
• Mystery retelling
SUMMARY
This book picks up after the events of Pride & Premeditation from the author’s Jane Austen Murder Mystery series. When a warehouse fire proves deadly, Lizzie is hired by a childhood friend to investigate the fire’s origins. She engages Darcy’s help, and the two of them seek out the mysterious woman placed at the scene of the crime. The case leads them to a second murder, a threat on Lizzie’s life, and a confrontation with Darcy’s old flame.
REVIEW
The relationship is sweet, the mystery is engaging, and the tone & pacing make this book compulsively readable! The plot points themselves may be difficult to believe at times (as is the case with almost any amateur detective series), but the characters feel authentic and grounded, so I never felt pulled out of the story. If you like Jane Austen or cozy mysteries, give Tirzah Price a try—I promise you won’t regret it.
4/5
October 20, 2024
I wish that I would have realized this was a spin-off series (even though it is right there in the blurb, that's what I get for not reading the whole thing) before starting this book. 😕 There are, unfortunately, spoilers from the other three books, being very necessary for plot development. This definitely can be read as a stand-alone, but if you don't want spoilers, start with Pride and Premediation.
Loved this book so much. The cozy mystery is so well done, and I especially love the romance part. Lizzie is a solicitor working for her father and doesn't really know if she wants to marry Darcy. Not that she thinks he would ever make her stop working or anything, just knowing he legally could. I can't imagine that.
10 out of 10 would recommend. ❤️ 💙 💜
Loved this book so much. The cozy mystery is so well done, and I especially love the romance part. Lizzie is a solicitor working for her father and doesn't really know if she wants to marry Darcy. Not that she thinks he would ever make her stop working or anything, just knowing he legally could. I can't imagine that.
10 out of 10 would recommend. ❤️ 💙 💜
February 13, 2025
I was very happy to learn Price was expanding on her P & P mystery retelling as it was nice to get more of Darcy and Lizzie. I also enjoyed the cameo of Emma along with a nice incorporation of Darcys aweful ability of preposing (I lol'd).
I saw some reviews complain about Darcy's demeanor being too shy or not as dashing as they want him to be but I've never really found Darcy dashing and I do believe he's shy... Or at least poor socially. I think Price hits Darcy on the head, he's generally a rule follower and he doesn't take chances. What makes Darcy 'swoon-worthy' is his loyalty and his ability to take criticism from a woman he admires and actually put in the work to be a better person.
Anyways, I will definitely be continuing this series.
I saw some reviews complain about Darcy's demeanor being too shy or not as dashing as they want him to be but I've never really found Darcy dashing and I do believe he's shy... Or at least poor socially. I think Price hits Darcy on the head, he's generally a rule follower and he doesn't take chances. What makes Darcy 'swoon-worthy' is his loyalty and his ability to take criticism from a woman he admires and actually put in the work to be a better person.
Anyways, I will definitely be continuing this series.
December 30, 2024
Rating: Absolutely Loved It, 5 stars
This was such a cozy return to Lizzie and Darcy! I loved them so much in Pride and Premeditation and had a fantastic time returning to them. While they didn't always act in such a way that I might imagine the original characters acting or reacting, it was still delightful and I didn't care. I got caught up in the mystery and just absolutely loved my time. I especially loved that the Dashwood sisters came back in this one. I hope that Fanny makes an appearance in the next one!
This was such a cozy return to Lizzie and Darcy! I loved them so much in Pride and Premeditation and had a fantastic time returning to them. While they didn't always act in such a way that I might imagine the original characters acting or reacting, it was still delightful and I didn't care. I got caught up in the mystery and just absolutely loved my time. I especially loved that the Dashwood sisters came back in this one. I hope that Fanny makes an appearance in the next one!
September 2, 2025
The writing was kind of distracting. Also, I love a good historical fiction and I feel like I can suspend my disbelief with the best of them, but this really took it too far. Literally nothing seems accurate to the time period or the original characters or anything? In which case I would rather the author just do a Lizzie and Darcy mystery set in today’s time period and then it would feel less obvious.
September 15, 2025
I was prepared for detective work by Lizzie and Darcy, but I'm not sure I understood that they are BOTH solicitors (each for their father's firm). And she gets into fisticuffs with a villain. And she goes to the Dashwood sisters' shop to ask for their expert help. And who should be perusing ribbons in said shop? Miss Woodhouse, of course. Too much for me. Oh, not to mention the homeless boy who turns out to be a girl who wants to be a boy. Where is that going?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to read
February 24, 2024I CANT WAIT FOR LIZZY AND DARCY MYSTERY 🤭
May 25, 2025
I've done so many variations of Pride and Prejudice that it took me a chapter to remember that this was in the grander Pride and Premeditation series. So nice to see some old familiar Jane Austen characters teaming up again.
Her not wanting to get married is getting old, though. There's only so much independent woman getting a career that I can handle when the core of P&P is that they fall in love. Darcy offers to marry her so she won't have her reputation ruined (thankfully not to her face) and apparently used his "marry you against society's judgement" line on some other girl, not Lizzie. So we also don't get that uncomfortable, iconic moment.
Read by Morag Sims and Sam Deveraux. #booksin25
Her not wanting to get married is getting old, though. There's only so much independent woman getting a career that I can handle when the core of P&P is that they fall in love. Darcy offers to marry her so she won't have her reputation ruined (thankfully not to her face) and apparently used his "marry you against society's judgement" line on some other girl, not Lizzie. So we also don't get that uncomfortable, iconic moment.
Read by Morag Sims and Sam Deveraux. #booksin25
November 16, 2024
Great new series with a fresh spin on Elizabeth Bennett and Mr Darcy. Not sure how it’s #1 in the series given that there was an earlier book that preceded this one and set the stage for their investigations. But maybe that one wasn’t billed as a mystery. Liked the big reveal of Lizzie’s nemesis at the end and the fact that it’s Lady Catherine de Bourgh made me chuckle. I’ll definitely look for the next book in this series.
October 29, 2024
I adored this book! The nods to the nuance of each of the Bennet family members… chef’s kiss. I loved the weaving in of the Dashwood sisters and Emma through the plot as well. So, so good!! I could not put this one down. Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the advanced copy.
November 13, 2024
4.5 stars. I really liked the mystery and the way Lizzie and Darcy are written. Although, it took way too long for Darcy to stand up to his boss… I also look forward to reading more with Henry and Guy.
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