If you're a Jane Austen fan, don't miss
Death Comes to Pemberley by prolific author P.D. James, herself a stalwart fan of Jane Austen, who in this recent book, has superbly captured the authentic Austen style.
This story picks up the thread of Austen's
Pride and Prejudice, five years after the wedding of main characters Elizabeth Bennett and Fitzwilliam Darcy, an event that takes place on the final page of
P & P. The Darcys are now living in wedded bliss at Pemberley, the great family estate, together with their two children. We meet up with them as the household is busy making preparations for the annual Lady Anne Ball, a much anticipated event honoring the memory Darcy’s late mother.
On the eve of the ball, Pemberley is thrown into unwanted commotion by Elizabeth’s foolish sister Lydia, who shows up uninvited and in hysterics, claiming that her husband, the rakish Mr. Wickham, has been shot and possibly killed in the nearby woods. From there the tale unfolds as a mystery, as a good P.D. James book is wont to do.
For me, the best part of this book is being reunited with all of my old friends and acquaintances from
Pride and Prejudice. It's interesting to note that Jane Austen had heard first-hand stories of the Napoleonic wars from her brothers and others, but she never brought them into her novels. Now we have accounts of military service of some of the original Austen characters, which brings a new dimension to the tale.
If you're not a Janite, but enjoy a lively Regency period mystery, don't miss this delightful read.
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