From the Bookshelf of Explore the Many Genres of Jane Austen Spinoffs 2012 Reading Challenge…

Death Comes to Pemberley

P.D. James

Why we're reading this: I was suprised that a famous writer would take on Jane Austen and create such a mediocre novel. The writi…more
[close] I was suprised that a famous writer would take on Jane Austen and create such a mediocre novel. The writing style was nothing like an Austen novel, and the characters were only similar as they held the same names as Austen's characters. Do not waste your time...so many other enjoyable Austen sequels that are higher quality and add to Austen's stories..

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Jan 01, 2012 Maria Grazia rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: austen-inspired, read-in-2012

If you think of Regency and the Novel of Manners, the first name that comes to your mind is Jane Austen. What happens if you think of contemporary murder mystery novels? P.D. James is one of the first names that you recall. What happens if you put the two iconic names together? Death comes to Pemberley, of course. I mean you expect a crime must someway take place somewhere in the otherwise-too-peaceful Regency world of Jane Austen.
This is what P.D. James’s skill and experience imagined and craft If you think of Regency and the Novel of Manners, the first name that comes to your mind is Jane Austen. What happens if you think of contemporary murder mystery novels? P.D. James is one of the first names that you recall. What happens if you put the two iconic names together? Death comes to Pemberley, of course. I mean you expect a crime must someway take place somewhere in the otherwise-too-peaceful Regency world of Jane Austen.
This is what P.D. James’s skill and experience imagined and crafted in her new novel, which is a tribute to one of her favourite authors, a myth, Jane Austen. In Death Comes To Pemberley she blends her knowledge of the fields of prosecution processes and murder investigations with her fondness for Jane Austen’s world. She weaves a gripping mystery and the resulting detective story is thrilling. She adds a sensitive insight to the successful and happy marriage of the Darcys -Elizabeth Bennet and Fitwilliam Darcy - now shadowed by a murder occurred in their lands.

The year is 1803, Darcy and Elizabeth have been married for 6 years now. They have two handsome and healthy sons, Jane and Bingley live within 17 miles, they are hosting their annual autumn ball and the secure life at Pemberley seems unassailable. But their peace and happiness is threatened just on the eve of the great event: in the middle of the night a chaise appears, docking down the path from the woodland and Lydia Wickam, an uninvited and most unwelcome guest, tumbles out screaming that her dear Mr Wickham has been murdered. Old sins and misunderstandings are rekindled. Darcy and Elizabeth will be involved in a murder case and will strive to defend the reputation of their family and the tranquillity of their life.

Is there any space for romance? Little but, yes, of course. Miss Georgiana Darcy is sought-after by two suitors: Colonel Fitzwilliam - now the heir of the title and fortune of his family after his elder brother’s death - and young Alveston, a successful lawyer but also the heir of an ancient baronetcy . Who will she marry in the end?
As for love, may Wickham reckless love life - even as a married man - be included? The answer may well be, “no, it should not”, but that scoundrel’s extramarital affairs will be crucial in this story in order to understand the reasons of the crime at the heart of Death Comes to Pemberley.

But remember, as usual, in a murder mystery nothing is what it seems at first.

Read my complete review on my blog

http://thesecretunderstandingofthehea... ...more

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Jan 18, 2012 Rachel rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Ugh.
This was soooooo stupid.
I like Jane Austen. I read pride and prejudice twice a year. I like it too much, actually, because I read a bunch of cheap kindle books based on it, Austen fan fiction or Austen continuations or alternatives. I'm a bit embarrassed that I do read them, but almost all of them are excessively better than this book.

The story was dumb, the resolution was dumber, the characters were boring and whiny. The Darcy's regretted their actions from the original-ugh. They didn't mo ...more

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May 26, 2012 Kate Maxwell rated it liked it

Shelves: jane-austen-esque, historical, library, regency, kindle

While it was fun to visit Pemberley, I was a bit disappointed with this story.

This story was well-written, with a bit of wit, but I felt cheated on several levels. The most important level is that of the mystery. I felt that the mystery was not very well-played, especially considering that a venerate mystery writer wrote this story. Was it simply because her publisher wanted to jump on the Austen wagon to the stars, hoping to get readers from across the two very different genres? The second was ...more

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Apr 03, 2012 Lady Heather rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, england, 2014

Started it awhile ago and got bored with it. Picked it back up when I saw that they were making it into a movie/series. Much better as an audiobook I think.

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