Review: Cyanide and Sensibility

I’m sharing a book review for Cyanide and Sensibility, a cozy mystery novel by Katie Oliver. It is Book 3 of The Jane Austen Tea Society Mystery series.

Disclosure: I voluntarily received a complimentary copy from the author as part of Austenprose PR publicity tours. All views expressed are my own. This post includes Amazon affiliate links.

My Review

Cyanide and Sensibility was a lot of fun to read. It worked fine as a standalone novel since I hadn’t read the previous two books in the series. It’s a small-town cozy mystery with all the quaint little shops that you would expect in such a story. I especially enjoyed the protagonist, an English professor who enjoys dressing in period costumes for her classes. (Reminds me of a certain friend of mine!) Also, her cat has a personality all his own.

Fans of Jane Austen will particularly find it fun, with the “Jane Austen Tea Society” theme. The characters are believable, and the whodunnit plot is intriguing. I plan to go back and read Books 1 and 2 as soon as I can. If you enjoy cozy mysteries, give Cyanide and Sensibility a try!

From the Publisher

Murder is on the menu, and Phaedra Brighton is called on to serve up justice in the latest Jane Austen Tea Society Mystery.

While Phaedra Brighton might not have a Mr. Darcy (yet), she’s quite content with her loving family and loyal cat. Phaedra’s sister Hannah is the Jane to her Elizabeth, and Phaedra is ecstatic that Hannah has decided to move home for her next adventure—opening a business. 

All of Laurel Springs is out in full force to celebrate the grand unveiling of Hannah’s new patisserie, Tout de Sweet, including local celebrity Rachel Brandon. Hannah is a master of her craft, with confections so divine one bite will make you think you’ve died and gone to heaven.

Of course, you never want that to happen literally. 

When one of Hannah’s famous dark chocolate cupcakes sends Rachel’s assistant to the hospital with poisoning, Hannah begs for Phaedra’s help to save her reputation and budding business. But Phaedra has more questions than answers: Who was the cupcake actually meant for? And how far is the culprit willing to go to take their target off the menu—permanently?

About the Author

Katie Oliver is known internationally as a writer of Jane Austen rom-coms with a hint of mystery. In the US and the UK, she is the bestselling author of the Dating Mr. Darcy and Marrying Mr. Darcy series.

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