Review Detail

In Want of a Suspect is the first in a companion duology featuring more from Lizzie Bennett and Mr. Darcy who we first met in Tirzah Price’s revamped Jane Austen murder mystery, Pride and Premeditation. This book was a delight from start to finish with the perfect tone for Lizzie and Darcy’s characters. It was easy to pick up and impossible to put down so find a chunk of time to enjoy.
After reading Tirzah’s first trilogy set in her version of the Jane Austen universe, I was excited to see the relationship further develop. That meant I was slightly disappointed when the books went a different direction and had all new characters instead for the rest of the trilogy. They were good and I enjoyed them, but I love that Price went back to further explore this world and brought the Dashwood sisters along for part of the story making it perfect for fans.
Lizzie and Darcy struggle to find their footing in this book as societal expectations are getting harder to navigate working together while they are not engaged or married. Lizzie’s dogged persistence sees them through and Darcy’s support to let her be herself is refreshing.
The murder mystery portion of the story was twisty and intriguing. The characters had little to start with and still managed to uncover a dastardly plot with plenty of surprises. I love that this mystery wraps up smoothly while laying the groundwork for the second book without making the fans suffer needlessly on a cliffhanger.