The Deception at Lyme by Carrie Bebris

Age Level: Adult
Format: Book

Mr. and Mrs. Darcy travel to the seaside village of Lyme in this sixth installment of the Mr. and Mrs. Darcy series for some rest and relaxation. Unfortunately, they stumble upon a mystery and a murder; a Mrs. Clay is found lying at the base of the Cobb, and her fall precipitates the birth of her child. Mrs. Clay dies from her injuries, leaving the child in care of an uncaring father and in the middle of an inheritance dispute. Meanwhile, Mr. and Mrs. Darcy receive the effects of Mr. Darcy's late cousin, who died in a naval battle and discover another mystery to solve. With the help of characters from Jane Austen's Persuasion, Mr. and Mrs. Darcy hope to solve the mysteries and murder before more tragedy strikes Lyme.

Bebris does a remarkable job adapting Austen's characters into a mystery novel. One can easily picture Mr. Darcy and his wife Elizabeth (Bennett) solving murders. Each book in the series focuses on one of Austen's novels, bringing those characters in contact with Mr. and Mrs. Darcy and creating new relationships among Austen's characters.

I enjoy reading this series and sincerely hope Bebris continues Mr. and Mrs. Darcy's adventures. There are so many Austen adaptations that fail to capture the spirit of Austen's characters; Bebris really maintains each character's personality in her novels. Austenites should find much to appreciate in this series. Historical mystery readers will also enjoy this series.

While the story line does allude to prior cases, readers who do not mind reading a series out of order can easily pick up this sixth installment and enjoy.

Reviewed by Jessica