The Murder of Mr. Wickham Published by Vintage by Claudia Gray
on May 3, 2022
Genres: Adult, Crime, Mystery, Romance, Thriller, Historical, Retellings
Pages: 400
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Find the Author: Website, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Instagram
Also by this author: The Late Mrs. Willoughby
Find the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
ISBN: 059331381X
Rating:
From New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray—a summer house party turns into a thrilling whodunit when Mr. Wickham, one of literature’s most notorious villains, meets a sudden and suspicious end in this brilliantly imagined mystery featuring Jane Austen’s leading literary characters.
The happily married Mr. Knightley and Emma are throwing a house party, bringing together distant relatives and new acquaintances—characters beloved by Jane Austen fans. Definitely not invited is Mr. Wickham, whose latest financial scheme has netted him an even broader array of enemies. As tempers flare and secrets are revealed, it’s clear that everyone would be happier if Mr. Wickham got his comeuppance. Yet they’re all shocked when Wickham turns up murdered—except, of course, for the killer hidden in their midst.
Nearly everyone at the house party is a suspect, so it falls to the party’s two youngest guests to solve the mystery: Juliet Tilney, the smart and resourceful daughter of Catherine and Henry, eager for adventure beyond Northanger Abbey; and Jonathan Darcy, the Darcys’ eldest son, whose adherence to propriety makes his father seem almost relaxed. In a tantalizing fusion of Austen and Christie, the unlikely pair must put aside their own poor first impressions and uncover the guilty party—before an innocent person is sentenced to hang.
Any Jane Austen fan who loves her characters will FALL IN LOVE with this story. The fact that we get couples from each of Austen’s six, fully written, novels was enough to make me want to read this one and not put it down.
Ohhhh, and Wickham really gets his in this book. Honestly, that was just the cherry on top.
What I loved was that I felt all of Austen’s characters were true to how she would’ve written them. And as some of these couples–Darcy and Elizabeth, for instance–were going on decades of marriage and real life. It wasn’t always sweet and happiness. Instead, we get to see these couples go through real-life obstacles and come out on top. Plus, there’s the added drama of “whodunnit”. Who killed Wickham?
Well, I certainly didn’t guess it right. Which made me love this even more!
And the romance that I usually love–the new, sparkling, young love–was minimal. But that’s okay because I still enjoyed how it was way more realistic and “Austen” than some of the other retellings that I’ve read. I felt completely immersed in this book–and enjoyed so much being thrust back into Jane Austen’s world where her best couples collide.
A riveting read full of wit, humor, and mystery–I’m closer to Austen’s characters for having read it!
ADVANCE PRAISE
“Had Jane Austen sat down to write a country house murder mystery, this is exactly the book she would have written. Devotees of Austen’s timeless novels will get the greatest possible pleasure from this wonderful book. Immense fun and beautifully observed. Delicious!” —Alexander McCall Smith
“What a splendid conceit! . . . Gray provides plenty of backstory and enough depth to her characters that even those who mix up their Pride and Prejudice with their Sense and Sensibility will delight in the Agatha Christie–style mystery. . . . There’s so much fun to be had in this reimagined Austen world—and the mystery is so strong—that one can only hope, dear reader, that more books will follow.” —Ilene Cooper, Booklist (starred review)
“[An] enchanting mystery. . . . Gray perfectly captures the personalities of Austen’s beloved characters. This is a real treat for Austenites.” —Publishers Weekly
“Who would NOT want to read a book in which one of literature’s most notorious rakes meets his final demise? . . . A delightful Agatha Christie meets Jane Austen romp.” —Laurel Ann Nattress, Austenprose
About Claudia Gray
Claudia Gray is the pseudonym of Amy Vincent. She is the writer of multiple young adult novels, including the Evernight series, the Firebird trilogy, and the Constellation trilogy. In addition, she’s written several Star Wars novels, such as Lost Stars and Bloodline. She makes her home in New Orleans with her husband Paul and assorted small dogs.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Christine. I really enjoyed this story. It was fun to have many of Austen’s main characters together under one roof. I hope that the author continues the story of Jonathan & Juliet.
Laurel Ann Nattress recently posted…A Perilous Perspective: A Lady Darby Mystery (Book 10), by Anna Lee Huber — A Review
This has such a fun premise! I love the fact that it has characters from Austen’s books. It sounds like such a fun read that I would enjoy as well! 🙂
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