The Mysteries of Pemberley in Austen Variations

Apr 12, 2019 Sheila Majczan rated it it was amazing

This is the second time I have read this.

A heart wrenching beginning has a dying Jane Bingley neé Bennet extracting a promise from Elizabeth...that she will care for and treat Jane's son, Charles, as she would her own child.

Mrs. Bennet, Lydia and Jane, all, died during a plague that swept through parts of England. Kitty and Mary are married so it is only Elizabeth and her father who continue on as time passes at Longbourn.

Four years later a man shows up. This man, a Mr. Darcy, states that his This is the second time I have read this.

A heart wrenching beginning has a dying Jane Bingley neé Bennet extracting a promise from Elizabeth...that she will care for and treat Jane's son, Charles, as she would her own child.

Mrs. Bennet, Lydia and Jane, all, died during a plague that swept through parts of England. Kitty and Mary are married so it is only Elizabeth and her father who continue on as time passes at Longbourn.

Four years later a man shows up. This man, a Mr. Darcy, states that his friend, Charles Bingley, left his son under his guardianship and thus he is taking him to his estate, Pemberley, to live under his protection. After some finagling (trying to hide Charles and seeking ways to deny his claims) Elizabeth begs to be allowed to accompany them and act as Charles' governess, the only way she can see to keep her promise as well as be with this child she loves so well.

Elizabeth finds Pemberley to be a subdued and depressing place. Mr. Darcy has little happiness in his life. He claims to have been out of England until recently and therefore did not know about Charles or the guardianship. He has his Aunt, Lady Catherine, living with him but has lost his parents and his sister and, Elizabeth is led to believe, his wife. And when she finds a journal and reads it despite knowing it is not hers to read, she also begins to believe that he is a monster under the cold façade he presents. It is only when he leaves Pemberley for London after he has saved her from an fall down a well that his Fitzwilliam cousins and their parents and spouses show up for the Christmas holidays that Elizabeth realizes that she has made more than one erroneous assumption and that she owes that man a great apology.

We also read about some various people in the neighborhood: a Mrs. Green who seems to egg on Elizabeth's negative opinions about Darcy is one. Then Charles has nightmares and reports that a lady named George has been visiting him at night. Elizabeth's kind overtures towards a lady and her husband, owners of a bake shop in a nearby town lead to a mysterious pin's providing a clue to the mystery of Darcy's sister's "death". Then there is the brain damaged man who lives on Pemberley property, wandering and mumbling inappropriate words to those he meets. Elizabeth pities him and cannot understand Darcy's demand that she avoid him...or even more his demand that she never walk out alone.

Lady Catherine, living at Pemberley and making demands that the division of classes be maintained, tippling gin, and then also informing Elizabeth that she blames Darcy for the death of her daughter, Anne, is another strange circumstance that Elizabeth cannot quite understand. His actions seem to say he is a kind and caring master to the employees. His attentions to Elizabeth also seem contradictory to the opinion she has formed from reading that journal.

It is all a mystery and Elizabeth remembers how her father advised her that when working on a puzzle if later pieces don't seem to fit - perhaps the earlier pieces were misplaced. Could that be what she has here?

This story was well worth a second read. ...more

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May 10, 2020 Browntigerdog's Papermoon rated it it was amazing

Reading The Mysteries of Pemberley at this time was a bit chilling. With all the fears of contracting the coronavirus it caused me horrifying visions of losing loved ones from this kind of plague. The death bed promise brought tears to my eyes. However I loved this book. It reminded me of the wonderful Gothic novels of my youth. House stories are what they were called then. This author weaves a tale that is quite unpredictable which is to her credit. I loved this Elizabeth. She would rather die ...more

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Jun 30, 2020 Dawn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020-austen

This was my first time reading a gothic P&P story and I loved it!!! As one would expect from a gothic tale, this story is filled with the sadness & the sorrow of painful loss & betrayal mixed with mystery & danger. This is definitely not a light hearted uplifting book. It engages your heart strings as well as your interest right from the start. We begin with the heartbreaking death of both Bingley & Jane leaving behind a baby boy that Lizzy promises to care for as her own. Through all the traged ...more

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Dec 04, 2020 Craftyhj rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2025jaff, audio, yes

A complex, gothic and well constructed variation.

At its heart this is a story about love and to what it drives the central characters.

The style of the story leans to the gothic as read by Austen’s own heroines; Catherine Morland in Northanger Abbey would have loved it!

I heartily recommend this book - it is not the usual P&P variation and is all the stronger for it.

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Jan 16, 2022 Michelle David rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

phenomenal

All the charm of Austen with all the mystery and chill of a Gothic novel…a perfect blend. Amy D’Orazio is a phenomenal talent her characters burrow right into your heart and seize your emotions and never let go even after the book is complete. I hope she writes many more wonderful stories for us to enjoy in the years to come.

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