Review: The Heiress of Northanger Abbey by Nancy Bilyeau

 

Austen at Sea by Natalie Jenner

Publication Date: September 1st 2026 by Admiral Road Books

Pages: 293

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Twenty-two years after the events in Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey, Catherine Tinley is happily married with two daughters, residing with her family at the parsonage of Northanger Abbey. However, the conniving Thorpes figure into her life again when her daughter, Phoebe, encounters them in Bath and becomes fast friends with Isabella’s daughter, Charlotte.

 

Catherine is suspicious of their interest in her daughter, but her husband Henry and the rest of the family downplay her concern. Catherine insists on heading out to Bath to see what’s going on for herself.

 

I really felt for Catherine. While she did get her happily-ever-after with Henry, real-life is messy. Being the mother of a teenage girl can be a trial, especially when you get in the way of their plans. Catherine is on the receiving end of Phoebe’s wrath when she puts her foot down about her associations with Isabella and Charlotte. However, Catherine starts to question her reservations when she gets pushback from her husband and family, which leads to a harrowing journey.

 

I have to say I was miffed at Phoebe and Henry over their treatment of Catherine. It was satisfying to see Catherine’s opinions vindicated.

 

The Heiress of Northanger Abbey captured the spirit of Austen’s original while feeling like a worthy sequel. I especially enjoyed seeing Catherine grow and stand up for herself. With its engaging plot, touches of suspense, and exciting conclusion, it made for a thoroughly enjoyable read.

4 Stars

Book Description:

From the bestselling author of the Joanna Stafford and Genevieve Planché historical mystery series comes a sequel to Northanger Abbey, Jane Austen's coming-of-age story with a Gothic twist.

Gloucestershire, 1820: Twenty-two years after the close of Northanger Abbey, Catherine Tilney is living a happily ever after. But her busy life as a clergyman’s wife is shattered by a letter that resurrects her darkest fears. Her daughter Phoebe has fallen under the influence of the unscrupulous Thorpe family—the very figures who once nearly destroyed Catherine’s happiness.

Determined to protect her child from dangerous fortune hunters, Catherine follows Phoebe to an isolated manor on Dartmoor. There, she finds a landscape of reckless passions, family secrets, and a dangerously charming aristocratic neighbor. It all feels eerily like the plot of the latest Gothic sensation, The Vampyre — but is Catherine once again letting her imagination run wild?

In this psychologically charged sequel to Jane Austen’s classic, award-winning historical novelist Nancy Bilyeau transforms Catherine’s youthful adventures into a mystery with the highest of stakes. The Heiress of Northanger Abbey is a story of mothers and daughters, deception and desire—and of a woman who must learn to trust her power of perception before it’s too late.

For Austen fans who adore a high-spirited Regency tale, savor a hint of the Gothic—and long to be transported to the mist-shrouded moors.