The Murder of Mr. Wickham

While the book title makes it clear this is Pride and Prejudice related, the story takes place in the Jane Austen Literary Universe. Familiarity with all Austen books is helpful and it can be hard to follow without. Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Sense and Sensibility are probably the most important to know.

This is a closed circle mystery. The characters are unable to leave the house party due to bad weather and then because the investigation is underway. We get scenes from the perspective of every character present, all but two of which are from Jane Austen novels. Mr Jonathan Darcy and Miss Juliet Tilney are original characters and both very enjoyable. Despite the variety of perspectives, figuring out who done it is a challenge.

Content warning: Death of a child discussed. Unpleasant but historically accurate views on certain minority groups voiced by characters.

A well written mystery that also happens to very believably and satisfyingly continue the tales of all of [a:Jane Austen 1265 Jane Austen https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1651510251p2/1265.jpg]'s major characters.I expected to enjoy this story, but I wasn't expecting to be sucked into the interpersonal dynamics so quickly or so powerfully. I think it's a testament to the author's skill that, while reading, I really believed that these were Austen's characters and I really wanted them to be OK. I mean if Elizabeth is acting cold towards Mr Darcy or if Marianne and Colonel Brandon seem to be in trouble, then of course it bothers me - I'm already invested and I know what these characters have been through to get to where they are - they deserve a happy ending!Fanny and Edmund Bertram's journey was especially rewarding.In a minor (but very good) way this is book is also “Austen: The Next Generation” with the introduction of the young Mr. Jonathan Darcy of Pemberley and Miss Juliet Tilney of Northanger Abbey, whom Emma Knightley is very keen to introduce to each other. These two youngsters are intent on solving the titular mystery but are severely hampered by the dictates of propriety which, among other things, forbids them to meet or correspond privately. An excellent tale, and I do so hope that we shall hear more of the young Mr Darcy and Miss Tilney, they make a charming couple, and an excellent crime fighting duo.

I was excited at the start and there were a few phrases that was fun and a hint of Austen but, quickly things are slowing down and I felt so uninterested.

Mr. Wickham is murdered in a house where basically everyone wants him dead. It would have been so funny of the whole house party was like, “We have to make it look like an accident!” and everyone is just trying to cover up the murder from the law.

It slowed down so much that it was dull to read but I made it to the end (and it felt like a victory) and by then I didn’t care much.

I haven’t read all Austens books but a few and I have liked them. None of these re imaginations are anywhere near capturing the core of the characters.

All characters of the Jane Austen realm in one book!

During a dinner party, Mr Wickham turns out looking for his money, after ripping off people in one of his schemes.

Most of the people at the party have a reason to hurt Mr. Wickham and everyone is a suspect... can they find out who did it or will an innocent party find themselves in peril?

I want to love this book. I wanted to so much but I found it so mundane. I couldn't find commonality or anything to love about characters I already love. They felt void of personality. I don't know why I felt this way because I actually love the authors book usually so it might have just been my head space for this book. I may pick it up again in a year and love it.

3 stars because it was well written but the story felt flat to me.

 This was a recommendation from my good friend Hope, and BOY is it a DELIGHT. I had to do some quick Wiki catch-up on a lot of the characters because there were plenty of holes in my memory for what happened to all these characters, but once that was done it was easy to dive right in.
Now, it might seem strange to put these familiar characters in a murder mystery, but I think that???s part of what makes this book so compelling. It???s sort of the same logic behind some of the darkest, most tragic series getting a crapton of coffeeshop AU fanfics: you want to see these characters in a different setting completely, in many cases one that???s tonally different from the original, while still trying to maintain much of who they are. In the case of this book, taking Austen???s mostly-genteel characters and settings, and then making them the stage for a murder, has a similar appeal. Even more intriguing, one of those aforementioned beloved characters is probably the murderer, which just adds to the appeal in my opinion.
(I also gotta say that I am unsurprised that Wickham is the murder victim here. Honestly, couldn???t have happened to a better person. /s)
While I think the mystery itself was pretty well-plotted, what I most enjoyed was how this novel continued the lives of Austen???s characters beyond their respective happily-ever-afters, and did so in a way that shows that, while a wedding might signify the end of a story, it does not signify the end of lives being lived. Marriage isn???t an ending; it???s a beginning: a beginning of a new way of living, with new ways of thinking and being and living with another person - especially true for characters of the Regency period when a couple wouldn???t have really had a very good chance to settle in with each other until after the wedding. I liked how this book showed that just because the wedding???s over and everyone???s ridden off into the sunset, it doesn???t mean that their lives are perfect.
This is most clearly shown in the character dynamics presented in the story. While a lot of their interactions feel familiar (and therefore ???authentic??? to the characters Austen wrote), there???s also a lot that does not, because these are people who have changed over the time they???ve been married to each other. Austen???s characters have layers, but Gray has added more layers, made them more complex and nuanced, by showing how the couples play off each other now that they???re married. I think it???s that combination of the familiar and the new that really makes the character dynamics shine and makes this book a joy to read.
While reading about Austen???s characters is definitely entertaining and one of the major charms of this book, there???s also the two original characters: Jonathan Darcy (son of Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth) and Juliet Tilney (daughter of Henry and Catherine). They were truly the stars of this book, and that???s saying something given the powerhouse cast. Juliet is sharp in a way that reminds me of Elizabeth, almost, but the way she melds that sharpness with compassion and competency are truly her own, and make her a true standout.
And then there???s Jonathan. It becomes immediately clear to the reader that he is neurodivergent: possibly autistic, but I can???t say for sure as I???m not an expert. It was interesting to read how that fit into Regency society???s understanding of such things, and how Jonathan and his family, and eventually Juliet, adjusted to it and helped Jonathan with it. I don???t think the Regency period could even describe or had a word for Jonathan???s neurodivergency, but it was still good to see the author handle the topic well.
Overall, this is a Jane Austen pastiche that does more than just parrot Austen???s works by expanding on the boundaries set in place by the original books, breathing new life into the characters by using the murder mystery as a way to imagine new angles to their dynamics. The original characters fit in well, and indeed managed to hold their own against the more familiar cast. There were many ways this could have been handled poorly, but I???m glad that this is an instance of a concept being handled very, very well. 

A treat for fans of Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, and historical mysteries in general, you'll be hard-pressed to guess the identity of the murderer. A well-written cozy mystery with an intricately-concocted plot, this is a golden opportunity to interact once more with a whole cast of your favorite Austen characters in a romp of a good story.

This was lovely!

This story was clearly written by someone with love for the source material. The characters are given a lot of care and are very reminiscent of their original counterparts.
It was a joy to be back in the company of these characters and the author takes their traits and exposes them to a murder investigation, during that time, with the limitations that entails.

We follow the Darcys, the Brandons, the Berthrams, the Wentworths, the knightlys. And juliett and jonathan darcy. And those two are magic!
It was refreshing, cozy, fun and nostalgic.

Now as far as mysteries go, the ending might not work for everyone, but to me, it was in tone with the rest of the book and it helped the wholesome feeling you get overall. Some of the ways in which the author unites these worlds and the connection to Mr Wickham was a bit off, especially in the Brandons i think. Still, these are small things. I absolutely recommend this book to anyone! But certainly to fans of the originals and for anyone who wants a big smile on their faces :).
Also the audiobook is fantastic!