Published By: Viking
Pages: 304
Released On: 29/10/2026
On a frosty day in December 1936, librarian and part-time detective Dora Wildwood is summoned to Bath. She has no idea what will unfold but she is glad to go; recent events have left her longing to disappear.
Arriving on the world-famous Royal Crescent, Dora quickly learns of Daisy Palmer, whose unsolved murder looms large over the Georgian city. Daisy’s fiancé, Lord Frank Meroe, lives on as an eccentric recluse, his house full of clutter and abandoned treasures, as labyrinthine as it is magnificent.
Then, on the twentieth anniversary of Daisy’s death, murder is committed once more. As Christmas trees are lit and carol singers gather, Dora is drawn into a tangle of feuding families, suspicious antiquarian dealings and a conspicuous silence from everyone involved. For in the city of Jane Austen, loyalties run deep… and dangerously so.
*****
Thanks to NetGalley and Viking for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
I LOVED the first in this series, D Is For Death, and have been looking forward to a sequel ever since.
I was worried I wouldn’t remember what happened in the first book, and to a certain degree I didn’t. But it doesn’t really matter. It does leave little reminders in the first few chapters, but also it’s entertaining on its own merit so it’s easy to just take it as its own story. Although I do highly recommend reading them in order because you’ll get so much more out of it.
A lot of it was set in Bath and I used to live in Bath, and whilst I know this is set in the 1930s and I did not live there in the 1930s, there was still so much I recognised which was personally a lovely touch.
No spoilers but I’m not sure I fully understand the Austen vs Brontë argument that goes through this book. I mean, I do understand it in context of where it’s set etc. but I don’t quite get why it’s such a prominent plotline but perhaps I’m missing something. I did enjoy the plot line but I couldn’t quite figure out why it was so important.
The first 1/4 or so is quite intense in words. I know that sounds weird but go with it. It’s lots of characters, locations, talking, reminiscing, names – it takes a lot of concentration to keep on top of what you’re reading so you can remember it all when things start getting juicy.
It had a different feeling about it than the first one, but annoyingly I can’t say why. There wasn’t one specific thing, but just reading it, it felt different. Still very enjoyable, entertaining, addictive, with great characters and interesting storylines and twists and turns, but it felt more serious.
It has the essence of a classic Poirot or Marple. It feels really nostalgic for that classic period of crime writing. It’s also perfect for a cold winter’s evening, when it’s dark and you’re snuggled up under a blanket.
I think I preferred the first instalment but this is a worthy follow-up and I do hope we get many more adventures with Dora in the future.
