In Want of A Suspect by Tirzah Price Review

Title: In Want of A Suspect

Author: Tirzah Price

Genre: Historical Mystery

Publisher: HarperCollins

Pages: 352

Release Date: 5 December 2024

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Hello fellow book lovers, today I’m sharing my review of In Want of A Suspect by (the Queen of Jane Austen-based, YA mysteries) Tirzah Price.

Synopsis

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!

Review

Like many readers, I’m soo glad Tirzah Price has 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 their last appearance, then you’re in for a treat!

Weaving cameos from the Dashwood sisters (and even an appearance from 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.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

About The Author 

Tirzah Price is the author of the Jane Austen Murder Mysteries series, 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 as a bookseller, librarian, freelance writer, and podcaster.

When she’s not writing, reading, or thinking about YA books, she splits her time between experimenting in the kitchen and knitting enough socks to last through winter. She lives in Michigan.

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