Week 51 Review: The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies

From Goodreads:

A high society amateur detective at the heart of Regency London uses her wits and invisibility as an 'old maid' to protect other women in a new and fiercely feminist historical mystery series from New York Times bestselling author Alison Goodman.

Welcome to the secret life of the Colebrook twins: unnoticed old maids to most, but unseen champions to those in need - society be damned.

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, who is grieving her dead betrothed, need a distraction. One soon presents itself: to rescue their friend's goddaughter, Caroline, from her violent husband.

The sisters set out to Caroline's country estate with a plan, but their carriage is accosted by a highwayman. In the scuffle, Gus accidentally shoots 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. With Lord Evan injured and unconscious, the sisters have no choice but to bring him on their mission to save Caroline. What follows is a high adventure full of danger, clever improvisation, heart-racing near misses, and a little help from a revived and rather charming Lord Evan.

And so begin the beguiling adventures of the Colebrook twins ...

My Review:
This was such a fantastic read! I've really enjoyed her YA books, so this adult historical mystery, yeah, I was really had a wonderful time reading about these twins and the shenanigans that they got into, for the purpose of helping women who are in bad situations! 

This book is a series of cases, each case getting a part of the book, making things feel a bit episodic. But there was a overarching story, with Lord Evans, Gus and Julia. Watching them take on these cases, from helping a woman escape her violent husband, to freeing girls, yes, children, who were being sold as sex slaves essentially, to breaking out a patient in a horrible asylum, yeah, they were all really great cases! 

Throughout, there were these ladies and their lives. Julia is dealing with a serious health problem, but wants to leave things up to God, whereas Gus has lost her faith. Gus, having feelings for Evan, and wanting to help his case, and sure that he was innocent. Oh, and their brother, man, that was infuriating, the way that he treated them, because they're older, but he's in charge, but they have their own money, but he's getting married, and Gus was their father's favourite, urgh, it was a whole complicated and made my blood boil. Society of the time was not nice to unmarried women, and women in general! 

One thing that I'm a bit concerned about, is that I am reading this about 6 months after it came out-and there's no news about the sequel yet. And there needs to be a sequel, to further investigate Lord Evan's case, so they can have a happy ending! I need more time with these characters, waiting them investigate further mysteries and right wrongs! 

Loved reading this book and I can't wait for the sequel! 

Author: Allison Goodman 
Series: The Ill-Mannered Ladies #1
Read: December 17th 2023
Source: NetGalley
Reason Why: Love her writing and it sounded really great, and it's a Historical Fiction 2023 Book, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2023 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Berkley 
Published: May 30th 2023

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars