NOVEL
Title: The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies
Author: Alison Goodman
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2023
This Regency romp marks a departure of sorts for Goodman, in that there is not a whiff of the fantastical to be had as the Colebrook twins set about righting some wrongs while maintaining the appropriate social graces. Broken into a series of cases, the narrative is held together by ongoing storylines – a caddish brother, the health of stoic Julia and the burgeoning attraction of the bold Augusta to fallen nobleman Evan Belford, himself not without a mystery fit for the unravelling. What starts out as a favour gathers momentum as the unmarried duo take on increasingly challenging rescues of women in peril. Underpinning the adventure is Goodman’s (PhD-stamped) eye for historical detail, ear for a fetching turn of phrase, and consummate skill with characterisation, plot and pace. While Goodman’s YA series appeal equally to older readers, this is her first novel for adult readers since 2007’s Killing the Rabbit, and it doesn’t disappoint. We await book 2 with anticipation.
