The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies

Absolutely delightful historical mystery!

I fell in love with Lady Augusta (Gus) Colebrook and her twin sister, Lady Julia, in the first chapter of this novel set in Regency London. Both are unmarried ladies of a certain age and have been dismissed by most of the ton as old spinsters. Despite their younger brother's efforts to control them, the ladies put themselves into the position of rescuing women in distress. Their adventures are both dangerous and require clever ruses to outwit those who would hinder their efforts. Along the way, Gus meets her new partner in peril, Lord Evan Belford, shortly escaped from his prison sentence and on the run from Michael Kent, of Bow Street.

The plot was great, and the narrative was full of great show more details and dialogue. I liked the main characters and those associated with them as well. Truly an enjoyable read with just enough romance though the three different situations that Gus and her sister get involved in were dark, suspenseful, and dramatic. I believe this is the first in a new series that I will be following as I wait for the second installment with high anticipation.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend. Don't miss this if you enjoy intriguing historical mysteries with unlikely heroines. show less

The appalling social conditions for women and children are brought forward in this 1812 adventure. The main characters are two unmarried sisters, older women living independently in London. The elder (Lady Augusta) is a strong-willed woman, unconventional by the days' standards, having an admirable sense of social justice. The younger (Lady Julia) appears as a milder, quietly assertive but conventional person, who comes into her own as she discovers the perfidy amongst the upper classes.

The author has excelled in researching her novel's setting and the societal constraints of the day. Readers learn of the awful powers of the men in the family and the lengths they will go to in controlling the females and children. This story is not an show more easy read because the descriptions are so vivid involving this mistreatment. Nevertheless, it was a compelling read, though the sister's antics do beg us to suspend belief here and there.

The dedication completely resonated with me: This book is dedicated to all the women out there who no longer have the patience or desire to put up with any nonsense. show less

Don’t let the cute cover fool you, this Regency mystery delves into some pretty dark underbellies of English history. Imagine an Anne Perry mystery with a darling cover and you have an apt comparison. Through the eyes of Lady Augusta Colebrook or “Gus” as her loved ones call her, some of the worst degradations against women are revealed. She and her twin sister are called upon to solve three different mysteries with the help of Lord Evan Belford who is currently on the run after being charged with murder and exiled.

The first mystery involves a lady who’s being blackmailed. The blackmailer was once her lover, but now threatens to expose her through the letters she’s written to him unless she pays him off. Augusta and Julia show more attempt to retrieve the letters and stop the blackmailer.

The second mystery is perhaps the most heinous and involves child trafficking. “Gus” enlists the help of Lord Belford to break into a brothel and rescue a little girl who’s been kidnapped. While there, they notice other young girls and attempt to rescue them risking their lives.

In the third mystery, Augusta accepts a desperate plea from Lord Belford to help him rescue his sister who’s been wrongly imprisoned in an asylum. The two pose undercover and go to work in the asylum as husband and wife. What they discover is enough to turn the strongest stomach. However, Evan has a Bow Street runner after him as well as a bounty hunter. Though Gus believes him innocent, she fears for his safety. It’s a fast-paced, nail-biting conclusion as they try to extract Evan’s sister and evade capture.

“Gus” is a complicated character. She’s very much a feminist, extremely sarcastic, and strong willed. Circumstances involving her father, twin, and spoiled younger brother have made her somewhat bitter and agnostic. When she meets Lord Evan, she immediately falls for the dashing man who understands and respects her. Her twin Julia is the calm to Gus’ storm who goes from being peaceable and unruffled to a force to be reckoned with.

I listened to the audiobook version and thoroughly enjoyed the narrator. She has the perfect voice for this book and really brings out the personalities of each character. I liked the way she voiced both male and female characters.

Despite the dark and depressing circumstances of the book, there are some humorous moments and a hint of romance. However, for the most part, it deals with some intense, tawdry subjects some readers might find difficult to read about. There are mentions of cancer including descriptions of surgery, incidences of violence, some profanity, and innuendo. I’d probably rate this PG-13. If you are a fan of historical mysteries and don’t mind delving into darker subjects, you might enjoy this. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the publisher but also purchased the audiobook. All opinions are my own and freely given. show less

A charming Regency-era adventure that is, hands-down, the most enjoyable thing I've read this year. Spinster sisters Gus and Julia rescue women and children from exploitive and abusive situations with the help of their butler and an old friend who is on the run from the law.

From the book jacket: Lady Augusta Colebrook – “Gus” – is determinedly unmarried, bored by society life, and tired of being dismissed at the age of forty-two. She and her twin sister, Julia, need a distraction. One soon presents itself: to rescue their friend’s goddaughter, Caroline, from her violent husband. The sisters set out for Caroline’s country estate with a plan, but their carriage is accosted by a highwayman. In the scuffle, Gus accidentally shoots and injures the ruffian, only to discover he is Lord Evan Belford, an acquaintance from their past who was charged with murder and exiled to Australia twenty years ago.

My reactions
What a delightful romp! These ladies are up to any task, it seems. They are intelligent, show more determined, resourceful and certain of their course. They move from crisis to crisis with a sense of purpose and quick-witted improvisations. Of course, Gus can’t stop thinking about Lord Evan, and she will prove he was wrongly convicted if it’s the last thing she does.

Gus and Julia are assisted in their efforts to right the various wrongs by their butler, Weatherly, footman Thomas, and stableman John Driver. And of course, Lord Evan, who seems to have recovered from having been shot by Gus, but not from being pierced by Cupid’s arrow.

I particularly appreciate that Goodman has given us women of a certain age, who would most often be ignored. That “invisibility” is a great asset to them. They adopt the mantel of doyennes of Regency society when it suits their purpose. But Gus, in particular, is just as comfortable donning a gentleman’s garb and going where no respectable lady would deign to visit.

The book ends on a bit of a cliff-hangar, and I hope Goodman is a fast writer, because I can hardly wait to find out what the sisters get up to in the next episode.

One final note -
“This book is dedicated to all the women out there who no longer have the patience or desire to put up with any nonsense.”
Amen to that! show less

Very enjoyable -- I loved that even from the beginning it felt to me like every part of this book was based on extensive research into the time period, and that did not in any way detract from the story. I was pretty badly triggered at one point, when Duffy goes after Augusta to remain in her place, and tells her that no one has any interest in her opinion -- a realistic depiction, even now. I loved the various mysteries/adventures. I loved the hare-brained schemes. I love Gus' huge, compassionate heart and Julia's firm willingness to stand up for herself. Reader, I am invested in these characters and look forward to seeing if/how they prevail in the future.

{first in series; Regency romance, feminist, adventure} (2023)

Lady Augusta (Gus) and her fraternal twin sister Julia are considered old maids at the age of 42 in Regency London and they (especially Gus) don't feel they need to pander to all of the restrictions the society of the day set around women, of all classes, any more. After retrieving some compromising letters for a friend, she asks them to help rescue a lady whose husband her family suspects is holding her captive. After that, their butler reluctantly involves them in rescuing girl children from the slave trade and then, since they are now well and truly dedicated to helping women caught in unfair situations with no legal recourse, another friend asks them to help rescue his show more sister from a madhouse.

Goodman showcases various ways in which women of that time had few or no rights in their own name and could get caught in horrendous situations; even Lady Augusta and Lady Julia, although about 5 years older than their brother, have been dependent on his whim as to whether he allows them to continue living in their childhood homes, since he inherited the title. Fortunately for them, they have their own inheritances so finances are never an issue. She also introduces other topics like a mastectomy done without the benefit of anaesthesia, taken almost verbatim from Fanny Burney's letter to her sister and related by (the novel's characterisation of) her to our heroines, and the horror with which same sex relationships were viewed.

Goodman, although obviously writing for a modern audience, presents an almost authentic feel of the period and country (despite being Australian) compared to the majority of 'Regency romance' authors. She does have to explain more to her audience than authors of the day, such as Jane Austen, did but the information is woven in seamlessly and is a testament to her research.

A lighthearted, adventurous look at serious topics with a touch of romance thrown in as well and including some (fictionalised versions) of real people of the period, such as Beau Brummell.

I was all ready to borrow the second book - but, darn it, it hasn't been published yet.

(July 2023)
3.75**** show less