The Rushworth Family Plot

A Novel

De: Claudia Gray

Narrado por: Billie Fulford-Brown

The fourth book in New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray's Jane Austen sequel series, which finds amateur sleuths Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney caught up in the whirlwind of the London Season—and in a murderous scheme involving the family of Edmund and Fanny Bertram

Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney understand each other perfectly; it's a pity their families do not. A series of misunderstandings, misplaced pride, and—indeed—prejudice, has led their parents to deem the pair unsuited to wed. Now, with the Season approaching, Juliet's grandfather, General Tilney, has sent her to London with a new wardrobe and orders to prove herself worthy of someone better than the snobby Darcys. Meanwhile, Jonathan has been forced to accept an invitation to stay in town with old friends Edmund and Fanny Bertram at the house of Edmund's brother, Sir Thomas. Oblivious to and undesiring of female attention outside of Juliet's, Jonathan is at risk of being ensnared by Caroline Bingley's previously rebuffed plans to make herself—or her daughter—mistress of Pemberley.

But when Mr. Rushworth, the former husband of Edmund's sister Maria, is discovered dead in his home, Jonathan and Juliet find themselves with problems far weightier than the marriage market. In one of the greatest scandals of its day, Maria abandoned her new husband in favor of the notorious rake Henry Crawford, and when he wouldn't marry her, was forced to flee to the continent in disgrace. Now Maria is back, accompanied by a daughter she claims Mr. Rushworth fathered after their divorce—and who he wrote into his will just before his death. To spare Edmund and Fanny further social shame, Jonathan and Juliet must unmask a killer before the drama surrounding the Rushworth family fortune claims another victim.

©2025 Claudia Gray (P)2025 Random House Audio

Please tell me that wasn’t the last of this series!

Day one of its release and I finished it already. I couldn’t stop listening and now I’m worried there won’t be any more Miss Tilney and Mister Darcy (the younger) for me to appreciate. Claudia Gray wove an impressive plot for our young hero and heroine to navigate. Excellent plotting and characters to love and hate are the bedrock of her mysteries. Now I must go back and read the second and third books in this series to refresh the background before listening to the Rushworth saga again. Billie Fulford-Brown, a new narrator to me, has done a fine job with all the characters and depiction of London and the Regency Season. Don’t miss this one. The audiobook cover does tell it all!

Another Delightful Adventure

Once again, Ms. Gray has produced a wonderful story. I know from the moment I open the cover of one of her books that I will be mesmerize from start to finish. And this novel is no exception. For anyone who has enjoyed reading Jane Austin, this series is a must read.

Great listen!

I'm really enjoying this series and look forward to the next one. Claudia is doing an excellent job of imagining the next generation of Austen's characters.

4 out of 5 Duels

NO SPOILERS: 4/5 stars, but overall a good addition to the series.

I've thoroughly enjoyed this series and this new book was not an exception. The pacing was good, the characters well fleshed out, as always. The narrator's performance was as phenomenal as it has been for the other books in the series. However, one complaint is that this was the first book in this series that felt a bit predictable at times. I enjoyed the previous three because they kept you guessing and second guessing your predictions, but the same cannot be said for this book. Also, while I appreciate the need to continue to create instances for the main characters to come together to solve murders, I'm left dissatisfied with the state of their relationship. Without spoiling, I think the incident involving the pair towards the end of the book did a lot more harm than good overall for their story. 4/5 because of these two complaints, but still a good book. I will be reading #5 when it is released!

3.5 rounded up to 4

There needs to be more progress on the romance, though thankfully they seem to at least understand each other now. The painting subplot was needless. Just let them be together and solve mysteries as a married couple.

Loved the narrator & the story!

Another fabulous whodunit in the Mr. Darcy & Miss Tilney Mysteries! I love following these Jane Austen 2nd generation sleuths as they tackle complex mysteries. The Rushworth Family Plot features characters mainly from Mansfield Park in a stunning murder mystery involving several well known suspects.

It’s the London season, & both Juliet Tilney & Jonathan Darcy are in attendance. Despite their feelings for each other & ability to work so well together, their parents have forbidden a match between them. But when murder is afoot, there’s no better sleuthing team.

Jonathan is staying with Edmund & Fanny Bertram at their brother’s Sir Thomas’ home. Sir Thomas is hoping to be engaged to the former Caroline Bingley’s daughter, & when Caroline discovers Jonathan Darcy’s staying with them, she contrives to have her other daughter become the future mistress of Pemberley.

Meanwhile, Maria Rushworth, the disgraced sister of the Bertram’s has returned with a small daughter in tow. Though she claims she’s her ex-husband’s, Mr. Rushworth, their are rumors she’s Henry Crawford’s child. Rushworth agrees to change his will acknowledging the child as his own, but before the ink is dried, he’s murdered. It’s once again up to Jonathan & Juliet to investigate.

I love Juliet & Jonathan! They’re becoming one of my favorite detective couples. Jonathan’s most likely neurodivergent & though he’s baffled at times by people & hates the noise of London, he’s an excellent investigator & has a deep love for Juliet. I love his determination to marry her despite their future together seeming all but lost.

Juliet is Jonathan’s perfect match. She has a brilliant mind of her own & works seamlessly with Jonathan. She understands him so well & is able to anticipate his emotions & needs.

The mystery really kept me on my toes! There are two unsolved murders in this story with several shocking twists. I enjoyed revisiting the characters from Mansfield Park & the way the author captures their personalities so well. It felt like a natural continuation of the story. The ending left me highly anticipating the next book in the series.

I listened to the audiobook version & absolutely loved the narrator. She did a fantastic job bringing all of these characters to life. Her voice was easy to listen to & the performance was enjoyable.

Highly recommend! Can’t wait to see what happens next!

Another delight!

This is another great installment in the series. The writing is excellent - very clever and fun - and the narration excellent. I hope there will be another book soon!

When is book 5 coming?

Not much to say. Just need book 5 soon. I enjoyed the story greatly. Can’t wait for the next installment. That is all.

Fabulous

Great addition to the series! Everything about this book was well done: character development, plot, historical accuracy, and subplots! The audio performance is equally superb. I can’t wait for the next book.

More, more more!

I’ve enjoyed this series so much, and I do hope the author has more novels planned!