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Meryton Mystery #3

The Inseparable Mr. and Mrs. Darcy

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What does a secret correspondence, an elopement and a plot against Parliament have in common?

Join our dear couple as they find out!

Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet have had their fill of crime-solving. Now engaged to be married, their greatest wish is to leave Meryton with its penchant for mysteries for the serenity of Pemberley-if only Mr. Bennet would give his consent!

When the investigations begin anew, Darcy and Elizabeth's search for answers unfolds more trouble as Mr. Bennet becomes the target of an unknown enemy...or are his frequent "accidents" merely the desperate act of a lonely father unwilling to part with his favorite daughter?

Darcy and Elizabeth team up yet again to prove once and for all prove that family trumps adversity and love conquers all-if they can make it to the altar...

374 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 17, 2017

143 people are currently reading
77 people want to read

About the author

Jennifer Joy

47 books209 followers
When Jennifer isn’t busy dreaming up new adventures for her favorite characters, she is reading, baking, or chasing her twins around the park.

She believes in happy endings, sweet romance, and plenty of intrigue. She writes what she most enjoys reading, so expect lighthearted stories with happy endings and a few laughs.

Born on the beautiful Oregon coast, she traveled all around the world until she finally settled in the Andes Mountains of Ecuador with her husband and two kids.

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5 stars
144 (42%)
4 stars
131 (38%)
3 stars
57 (16%)
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
Profile Image for Sheila Majczan.
2,689 reviews202 followers
June 20, 2017
Carole in Canada has written a very complete review here on Goodreads. I will now add my own recommendation to hers that this was an excellent read, both for the romance and for the mystery.

This is not a standalone book. You should definitely read the first two in this series in order to not only understand how Wickham and Mrs. Bennet met their ends but also the relationships therein. Mr. Tanner's role in the Darcy family and in Meryton is explained in the earlier stories as well as why Lady Catherine and Lord Harvisham are on the outs and just what Caroline Bingley did to deserve Lady Catherine's censorship.

Mr. Bennet is in mourning, his estate books don't seem to "add up" and he is experiencing some mysterious malady off and on. Is the latter due to his distress over the loss of his spouse and/or the loss of Jane and the soon-to-be loss of his favorite daughter, Elizabeth, additionally? He initially refuses to consult a doctor but is soon forced to do so. Then he is bedridden.

Darcy is worried about whether or not his favorite ladies can become friends. Georgiana seems cool to the idea of a new sister in the form of his bride. Is it the known Darcy reticence or is jealousy at work? Does she fear he will neglect her for Elizabeth?

Mr. Collins has now lost the prospect of Elizabeth as his bride as she is betrothed to Darcy. Collins turns towards Mary but while the readers may think that she is a perfect choice and know that she will save her sisters from being thrown into the hedgerows, does Marcy have the same opinion? She has never been willing to do more than quote Fordyce's Sermons. Does she have feelings? Or will she act out of duty.

This story builds slowly so you must keep alert as clues come your way. This author has a way of surprising even the most ardent mystery reader/detective. And she did it again in this story.

One part of her story that delighted me was the way she gave attention to the sexual chemistry going on between Darcy and Elizabeth. Mr. Bennet won't give his permission for their marriage until Jane and Charles Bingley return from their honeymoon. Although when certain dangers occur Mr. Bennet expresses the need to send his daughter away, out-of-danger. Of course, Elizabeth is going no where when her father is either ill and/or in danger.

But who could possibly benefit from his death? Mr. Collins has a secure and highly desirable position in Kent, as Lady Catherine's parson. Is the steward, who has basically had a free hand for years due to Mr. Bennet's indolence, trying to cover some of his "cooking of the books"? And then there is the fact that Mr. Hurst has been seen riding around near Longbourn and this is strange behavior for that idle man. What could be his purpose?

This was a very interesting read and knowing how Jennifer surprises us in her final pages by her choice of identifying the criminal I did not skim over the details and the interactions written on her pages. Well done.
Profile Image for Les.
2,911 reviews1 follower
June 21, 2017
This is the third book in a series of P&P what if mysteries. And because everything is so fundamentally altered from canon you probably need to read all of them, or at least read reviews of the first two before reading this one.

This book opens at the wedding of Jane & Bingley and Col. Fitzwilliam & Charlotte Lucas; see I told you it was different. Almost immediately Mr. Bennet is having a series of illnesses and accidents. Darcy and Lizzy are engaged but Mr. Bennet is holding off giving his blessing because he is reluctant to lose his favorite daughter to the wilds of Derbyshire.

There are many suspects, but it is not even certain if there was a crime.Will Mr. Bennet survive? Will Lizzy & Darcy finally get to be wed? Will Georgiana like Lizzy? And what about Mr. Tanner.
899 reviews70 followers
June 20, 2017
"I sense something of import is underfoot….” so says Mr. Bennet to Elizabeth.

Grab a snack and your favourite drink, before sitting down to read Book 3 of the Meryton Mysteries...you will not want to be interrupted! It is also recommended that you first read Book 1 (The Honorable Mr. Darcy ) and Book 2 (The Indomitable Miss Elizabeth).

The story opens at the wedding breakfast of Charlotte and Colonel Fitzwilliam and Jane and Charles Bingley, hosted by Sir William Lucas and Mrs. Lucas. Love and laughter flows among most of the guests, but Mr. Bennet is not himself. He is trying very hard not to put a damper on the festivities. He has vowed to improve his selfish indolent ways when it comes to the happiness of his daughters. The celebration is small due to the recent loss in the Bennet family. The guests include Mr. and Mrs. Hurst, Miss Caroline Bingley, Mr. and Mrs. Philips, Mr. Tanner, Mr. Darcy, Mr. Collins and most of the Bennets.

However, during dinner, Mr. Bennet starts looking ill and both Darcy and Elizabeth are feeling as if Mr. Bennet is trying to delay their nuptials. He has requested that they wait until Jane and Charles return from their wedding trip...thirty days. This will be the longest thirty days for both! It is not long though before Mr. Bennet starts having more 'incidents' and everyone starts to wonder who is trying to harm him!

On top of all this, Miss Georgiana Darcy and Mrs. Annesley finally arrive and are invited to stay at Longbourn. Lydia, who has focused her attention on their new King Charles Spaniel puppy, Chloe, becomes close to Georgiana and the two are found sharing secrets they will not divulge! Oh what a tangled web that turned into! Mr. Collins has returned to stay at Longbourn again, as he had worn out his welcome at the vicar's in Meryton. Needless to say, Elizabeth is at her wits end and you could just feel her frustration!

Oh the suspense in this story had me quickly turning the pages trying to pick up clues as to who the culprit was (I briefly thought it might be a certain person)...and there were several. Some were acting out of character and some were coming under scrutiny for their actions...but no true motive was being found. Even Elizabeth felt the tension...

"Reaching for the handle on her door, she paused. The skin on Elizabeth’s arms tingled and she hesitated before shaking the fleeting suspicion off."

I loved the chemistry between Darcy and Elizabeth. When in each other's presence, you could feel the sparks between them. There was such shared sense of being between them.

"Elizabeth's eyes flickered like the flames warming him, full of mischief. She arched one eyebrow and bobbed her head as if to say, "Well played, William."

The further development of Darcy and Mr. Tanner's relationship was delightful. I would love to see more of him and his love interest...maybe his own book...hint, hint, nudge, nudge?

There were several subplots that kept this story fast paced and on your toes! There was never a dull moment and the when the true culprit was revealed...let's just say it was brilliant!

The only quibble I have is with Caroline Bingley's final role in this story...it didn't feel right to me.

Overall, I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend the whole series!

I received an ARC of this book for a fair and honest review.
Profile Image for Kasia Burlakoff.
176 reviews16 followers
June 27, 2017
What a great end to the excellent The Meryton Mysteries series. This one doesn't start with a dead body, but the tension and mystery is increasing, due to suspected murder attempts. D&E are delightful, and there is some unexpected headache caused by Georgiana and Lydia. I loved Mr. Bennet and his interactions with Darcy. And expect to be surprised, not everybody and everything is as they appear to be.
Highly recommended.
1,191 reviews29 followers
February 21, 2022
Entertaining, but annoyingly wordy

This is one of those books wherein the author apparently thinks: Why say something with ten words, when one hundred words would be better? I ended up skimming about half of the book because the pattern quickly became established that there would always be several paragraphs of inane nothings before the main idea was finally expressed. Apart from the fact that Jennifer Joy is a good writer, I regret wasting my time with this story.

Let's start with the title. Elizabeth and Darcy are not married in this book. They spend almost the entire story whining about being prevented from marrying by Jane and Bingley's wedding trip. Mr Bennett spends almost the entire story telling them they have to wait, and then turning around and insisting that they hurry up and perform the ceremony. Highly annoying!

Then there's the ludicrous situations. Mr Bennett seems to be the target of sinister attacks, and yet Darcy agrees to let Georgiana stay at Longbourn . Not likely. Mr Collins is spending all of his time in Hertfordshire. What happened to his job as vicar at Hunsford? Not likely. Georgiana starts writing and receiving suspicious letters, and yet nobody confronts her directly about it, not her brother, not her companion, not Elizabeth. Not likely. These are just a few of the contrived and silly situations that just make you scratch your head and say "REALLY!!?" The situation we discover at the end regarding Caroline Bingley is the biggest head scratcher of them all. It's a real hoot!

I can't really recommend this book. In spite of the author's writing talent, it's way too wordy, and it's just silly, and not in a funny way. I've read much better work from this author.
Profile Image for Dawn.
652 reviews32 followers
March 22, 2020
I hate to say it, but this is my least favorite of the three books I have read in the Meryton Mystery series. It was okay. I loved the first book and couldn't wait to read the second. The second was not as good as the first, but still good. This third installment was okay. I did enjoy it, but I found myself somewhat bored and not entirely engaged. This story finds Mr. Bennet as the intended target when a series of suspicious "accidents" befall him. When the villain is exposed in the end, it raised many questions in my mind and didn't seem to make sense or fit in when you look at the three parts of the series collectively.
2,536 reviews46 followers
February 27, 2021
I liked this one better than #2. The title is a little odd since they spend almost the entire book not married and when I just reread the blurb about the book the opening line made me laugh as it isn't exactly what it seems. "What does a secret correspondence, an elopement and a plot against Parliament have in common?" You just have to read the book to understand why I laughed.

This one in the series is less about romance and more about the mystery. I mean Darcy and Elizabeth are totally in love and only frustrated that they have to wait before they can get married so we get to see their lovey-dovey moments as the books goes on but it didn't feel so much like a romance since I was never in doubt that they would end up married at some point in the book. It was just a continuation of the relationship they'd already formed. So the mystery is the bigger part of the book. I honestly didn't have it figured out before the reveal. I was making guesses all through the book and there were plenty of red herrings thrown into the mix. So it was fun to keep reading and try to figure it out. And it was a rather satisfying ending as it felt like everyone I hated got what was coming to them.

I haven't read the 4th yet but read the 5th long ago. I don't think I realized it was part of a series? I don't know. That is the last one. I might have to reread it to remember the details as it has been too long. It is an enjoyable series. We get a good P&P fix along with a mystery in each one. And I really like Ms. Joy's writing style.

Sex: no, mild innuendo
Language: a Deity
Violence: yes but not graphic
Profile Image for Maureen Chritzman.
156 reviews
July 2, 2017
Enjoyable 3rd Installment

So, this third book in the Meryton Mystery series again saw the Bennet family in danger. It was an engaging read. I must say I had my suspicions about who the villain was pretty early on. There are enough other suspicious people to keep the story interesting and me wondering how it all fit together. We see Elizabeth and Darcy's love grow, and enjoy interactions between many other main characters. The dialogue is witty, and while the story has a satisfying ending, there would be room for a continued saga featuring Lydia, Georgiana, Mrs. Annesley, Mr. Tanner, and others. I came to really enjoy these characters, and would not be against another story telling of their future.
Profile Image for Susanne.
427 reviews24 followers
August 19, 2017
Another mystery for Darcy and Elizabeth to solve! Now engaged, Elizabeth and Darcy soon realize that someone is trying to kill a person at Longbourn! Plus, Georgiana must be introduced to her sister-to-be, and many other mysterious hijinks occur that team up Darcy and Elizabeth once again in solving another mystery in Meryton.

A wonderful series, I read all three volumes so quickly that I'm having to press to remember details. A lovely series for mystery lovers as well as fans of Elizabeth and Darcy.
Profile Image for Sabrina.
1,316 reviews2 followers
July 26, 2019
I was so looking forward to this one because Darcy and Elizabeth are suppose to get together, married, in this one. They did, but close to the end. I was wanting so much more of after their marriage. I was nervous with how Georgiana and Elizabeth were first brought together and interacted, I was worried that they would not like each other. I am glad things got cleared up. I am waiting to read the next since the focus is no longer the Darcys but Tanner. I want to read his story but I need more Darcy and Elizabeth first.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Bettye McKee.
2,188 reviews156 followers
October 3, 2017
An exciting end to this wonderful series

It's hard to believe that a Pride and Prejudice variation could contain so much mystery and excitement. Jane and Bingley are married and Elizabeth and Darcy have set the date.

However, amidst illness and accidents, it becomes evident that someone is trying to kill Mr. Bennet. Although there are suspects, there is no obvious motive. And the murderous culprit has thus far gone unsuspected.

16
Profile Image for Craftyhj.
1,212 reviews
March 16, 2023
an enjoyable continuation of the series

This is a very enjoyable, light series of mysteries. In this book Mr Bennet seems to be under threat and it is down to Elizabeth and Darcy to solve the mystery.

I did find this dragged a little at times and might have benefitted from one more edit to reduce the page count. Nonetheless this was an enjoyable read and I will continue on with the series.
Profile Image for Teresita.
1,222 reviews12 followers
July 4, 2017
Exiting and lovely

A very enjoyable story full of intrigue, mystery and lots of love.

A great combination of investigation, bonding, friendship, and romance.

There are not enough adjectives to do it justice. Read it!
482 reviews9 followers
December 14, 2017
للامانة ماكنت ابي اقراها ، بس لانها موجوده عندي مع الي قبلها قلت اخلص منها ويرتاح ضميري 😂 ، بصراحة هذي الوحيده الي عجبتني بصوره بسيطه ، مازلت على رأيي ، فكرة ان الرواية الاصلية يلعبون فيها بهالشكل السخيف يزعلني ، هذي الرواية اختلفت شوي عن جرايم القتل لكن التحقيق مستمر
146 reviews1 follower
January 1, 2018
Third murder mystery in the series.

This book is the third whodunit - murder mystery. Agatha Christie meets Jane Austen is an apt description, with a touch of humor. Very well written.
Profile Image for Wendy DeWachter.
243 reviews1 follower
February 19, 2023
Wow

I want to say so much but do not want to spoil it. I truly thought I knew who it was and imagined various motives. Truly a good mystery. I still believe this book series should be made into a television series like Miss Marple or Poirot
1,021 reviews1 follower
September 23, 2017
Sort of predictable

Who is the villain? The story was very drawn out and I knew who was involved almost from the beginning.
Profile Image for Michelle David.
2,551 reviews14 followers
January 4, 2018
Love

Thoroughly enjoyed all three books in this variation and devoured all three in one evening and have reread them since
Profile Image for Kenn Goslin.
800 reviews7 followers
March 23, 2018
Poor Mr. Collins...!

Delightful read! This story is as much fun to read as the first two! Lady Catherine continues in her obstinate ways to her own downward fall!!!
Profile Image for Gena.
650 reviews17 followers
March 28, 2018
For me not the strongest in the series. However as I just wanted the happily ever after now this could be me :)
1,198 reviews
December 29, 2018
I really like the combination of Pride and Prejudice retelling and mystery. It’s awesome. I also like the characters in this series.
781 reviews10 followers
October 1, 2019
Another fun read

I love this series. The characters still draw me in and it feels like family and the mystery is still a mystery to the end.
Profile Image for Nancy.
1,368 reviews28 followers
June 11, 2023
I read this twice, once stand alone and the second as part of The Meryton Mysteries in a three part.
116 reviews2 followers
January 21, 2023
Cute short read. I like the way the author keeps the characters true to form in this series of books. She writes well and I enjoyed reading this book.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews

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