The Perils of Lady Catherine de Bourgh

Gray’s delightful third entry in the Jane Austen–inspired “Mr. Darcy and Miss Tilney” series (following The Late Mrs. Willoughby) finds amateur sleuth Juliet Tilney at Rosings Park, the home of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy’s meddling aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Listeners meet Mr. Darcy, his wife, Elizabeth, and their son, Jonathan, who has been summoned by Lady Catherine to find out who wants her dead. They’ll also learn how Elizabeth’s childhood friend, Charlotte, is faring as wife to pitiful Mr. Collins. Juliet is reunited with Jonathan to get to the bottom of the mystery, thus reopening the door to love with her fellow detective if all goes well. The two are well-matched, but their fathers do not recognize how their progeny are evolving into more complex personages. Narrator Billie Fulford-Brown offers a sparkling performance, perfectly communicating the nuances of Jonathan and Juliet’s personalities. Gray’s lively dialogue is conveyed with vivacity and wit.