The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin

By: Alison Goodman

Narrated by: Kristin Atherton

In Regency England, the eccentric Colebrook sisters are amateur detectives who use their wits and invisibility as “old maids” to fight injustice in this delightful and fiercely feminist novel of mystery and adventure from New York Times bestselling author Alison Goodman.

To most of Regency high society, forty-two-year-old Lady Augusta Colebrook, or Gus, and her twin sister, Julia, are just unmarried ladies of a certain age. But the Colebrook twins are far from useless old maids. They are secretly protecting women and children ignored by society and the law.

When Lord Evan—a charming escaped convict who has won Gus’s heart—needs to hide his sister, Hester, from their vindictive brother, Gus and Julia take Hester and her lover into their home. But Lord Evan’s complicated past puts them all in danger. Gus knows they must clear his name of murder if he is to survive the thieftakers who hunt him. No easy task—the fatal duel was twenty years ago and a key witness is nowhere to be found.

In a deadly cat-and-mouse game, Gus, Julia, and Lord Evan must dodge their pursuers and investigate Lord Evan’s past. They will be thrust into the ugly underworld of Georgian gentlemen’s clubs, spies, and ruthless bounty hunters, not to mention the everyday threat of narrow-minded brothers. Will the truth be found in time, or will dangerous secrets from the past destroy family bonds and rip new love and lives apart?

The strong female characters and the narrator were amazing.

The story jumps from scheme to scheme seamlessly, with fun banter, and a disdain for Lord Duffield.

Hestia pissed me off

I love this book but felt the need to vent my frustration with the sister. I get the turmoil she survived, but she kept putting everyone in danger unnecessarily and it pissed me off lol

Another rollicking adventure!

The sequel did not disappoint! I continue to be very happy with this choice of narrator. Gus and Evan are so fun together and I was happy to get even more Julia and Kent.

Finally!! An Adventure!!

I loved this book just as much as the first! There is a story, characters who make you want to join their party, and an adventure that keeps you enthralled from the moment you learn what the “mission” is.

A faithful continuation of a great story!

I love that I feel in good hands— that my investment in the characters and story will pay off across multiple books.

I love that Lord Evan’s sister is not miraculously restored to perfect health in Chapter 1 of Book 2, after all that happened in the first book. We truly pick up where we left off.

I love that there’s an element of murder mystery in the unraveling tale of what actually happened in the duel of 20 years ago.

Our narrator has found her voices and settled in well. I admit that I was worried about it in the first book— but she’s hit her stride and now I hope she reads (performs) the whole rest of the series!

I love the setup for the third book.

I do not love that I have to wait for it to be written! I have a feeling I will listen to both books multiple times before Book 3 drops.