The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies

I have just read a historical mystery that I adored! The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies stars Lady Augusta and her twin sister Julia and is set in Regency London. The two women are in their forties and unmarried, so everyone, particularly their officious brother, thinks they should be ignored.

Instead, they wind up helping women who have no other option. They recover blackmail letters and set out to rescue a wife kept prisoner by her husband. Along the way, they run into a highwayman — who’s actually a disgraced former acquaintance and nobleman.

The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies

There’s a lot of adventure, a lot of fighting misogyny in clever ways, and a soupçon of romance to make it all more piquant. I was only a quarter of the way through when I was texting friends that they needed to read this.

I was surprised I made it through the 400+ pages so quickly, as I wanted to spend more time with the sisters and their friends. While this book is satisfying, there are enough threads left that I’m eager for a sequel. The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies, by Alison Goodman, is a wonderful book where the historical setting sheds new light on human attitudes and how much women can accomplish in spite of being underestimated.



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