The Secret Life of Miss Mary Bennet

The Secret Life of Miss Mary Bennet is the first novel in a trilogy by Katherine Cowley, featuring the underestimated, often overlooked, Mary Bennet, who also happens to be a spy for the British government! It was published by Tule publishing in April, 2021.

Awards

Winner of the Praiseworthy Award for Best Suspense/Mystery Novel

One of five nominees for for the Mary Higgins Clark Award

Finalist for the Whitney Awards for Best Mystery/Suspense Novel and Best Debut Novel

The Secret Life of Miss Mary Bennet by Katherine Cowley - coming April 22, 2021

A brief description of The Secret Life of Miss Mary Bennet:

In Jane Austen’s revered Pride and Prejudice, Mary, the middle sister, is often passed over. Until now…

Upon the death of her father, Mary Bennet’s life is thrown into turmoil. With no fortune or marriage prospects, Mary must rely on the kindness of her relatives. When a mysterious late-night visit by an unknown relative—a Lady Trafford from Castle Durrington—leads to an extended stay and the chance for an education, Mary gratefully accepts the opportunity.

But even as she arrives at the castle, she’s faced with one mystery after another. Who is Lady Trafford really and what is she hiding? Do her secrets and manipulations place the small seaside community at risk of an invasion by Napoleon Bonaparte? Always curious, Mary sets out to discover the truth. But when she discovers the dead body of a would-be thief she outed prior to her father’s funeral, Mary jeopardizes her position at the castle and her family’s good name in her quest for the truth.

Never underestimate the observation skills of a woman who hides in the background.

Read a sample excerpt from the book on Austenprose.

Information about the full series:

The complete series: The Secret Life of Miss Mary Bennet, The True Confessions of a London Spy, The Lady's Guide to Death and Deception

Praise for the Book

“Beautifully written, masterfully plotted, meet a Mary Bennet every bit as fascinating and twice as daring as her more famous sisters.”

-Gretchen Archer, USA Today bestselling author of the Davis Way Crime Capers

“Cowley’s creative continuation of the story of one of literature’s famous forgotten sisters into a world she could never have dreamed possible, broadens her horizons and ours. Following the pedantic Mary Bennet in her adventures after the conclusion of Pride and Prejudice was a delight that Jane Austen and mystery fans will embrace and cheer.”
— Laurel Ann Nattress, editor of Jane Austen Made Me Do It, and Austenprose.com.

“In The Secret Life of Miss Mary Bennet, Katherine Cowley takes the least interesting sister from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and turns her into the heroine of her own story. It’s very fun to watch Mary transform into a competent spy, but the true delight is how Cowley masterfully keeps Mary true to her pedantic, socially awkward self from Austen’s original while making her a whole person we can root for.”

-Molly Greeley, author of The Clergyman’s Wife: A Pride and Prejudice Novel

“A delightfully fresh take on Miss Mary Bennet. A story I didn’t even realize I was waiting for until I read it.”

-Jess Heileman, author of A Well-Trained Lady

Ordering in the United States

Print

Ebook

Audiobook

Ordering in Canada, UK, Australia, and Other Locations

Canada

UK

Australia

Other Countries

The novel is available in many other countries as a print book, ebook, and an audiobook. The easiest way to find it is to search for The Secret Life of Miss Mary Bennet on your country’s Amazon website. (Note: make sure to use the right spelling of Bennet!)

Newsletter

The Secret Life of Miss Mary Bennet was released in April 2021, with books two and three coming in 2022. You can sign up for updates on the books, and/or for Jane Austen Writing Lessons to receive weekly writing lessons based on the works of Jane Austen.

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Related Blog Posts:

Mary Bennet and Mr. Collins. Why didn't they marry? Would they have made a good match?
Hours Spent Writing Per Month in 2022. January: 103 hours 39 minutes. February: 80 hours 59 minutes. March: 84 hours 4 minutes. April: 58 hours 12 minutes. May: 108 hours 44 minutes. June 66 hours 52 minutes. July 57 hours 21 minutes. August: 47 hours 30 minutes. September: 108 hours 49 minutes. October: 93 hours 28 minutes. November: 77 hours 5 minutes. December: 49 hours 58 minutes.
Writing Process Insights: The Original Title and the Story Behind it, for The Lady's Guide to Death and Deception
Q&A with Mary Bennet Illustrator, Anna Lunt. Illustrating Mary's drawings from The Secret Life of Miss Mary Bennet and The Lady's Guide to Death and Deception
Launch Party Event - Lady's Guide to Death and Deception
How Many Hours it Takes me to Write a Book - KatherineCowley.com
Mary Higgins Clark Panel
Researching The True Confessions of a London Spy in London
Everything You Wanted to Know About Newspapers in the Mary Bennet Series