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Death Comes to Pemberley

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Death Comes to Pemberley

By: P. D. James
Narrated by: Katie Scarfe
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Two great literary minds-master of suspense P.D. James and literary icon Jane Austen-come together in Death Comes to Pemberley, a bestselling historical crime fiction tribute to Pride and Prejudice. Conjuring the world of Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy and combining the trappings of Regency British society with a classic murder mystery, James creates a delightful mash-up that will intrigue any Janeite.

The year is 1803, and Darcy and Elizabeth have been married for six years. There are now two handsome and healthy sons in the nursery, Elizabeth's beloved sister Jane and her husband Bingley live nearby and the orderly world of Pemberley seems unassailable. But all this is threatened when, on the eve of the annual autumn ball, the guests are preparing to retire for the night when a chaise appears, rocking down the path from Pemberley's wild woodland. As it pulls up, Lydia Wickham - Elizabeth's younger, unreliable sister - stumbles out screaming that her husband, George Wickham, has been murdered.

Inspired by a lifelong passion for the work of Jane Austen, P.D. James masterfully recreates the world of Pride and Prejudice. Combining Austen's wit and the social commentary of Downton Abbey with her own signature excitement and suspense, James has crafted a brilliant crime story.

Death Comes to Pemberley is a distinguished work of fiction, from one of the best-loved, most- read writers of our time, and was adapted as a miniseries by the BBC in 2013, starring Matthew Rhys, Anna Maxwell Martin, and Matthew Goode.

©2014 Faber & Faber (P)2014 Faber Audio Crime Historical Mystery Traditional Detectives Fiction Detective Marriage
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Critic reviews

"P.D. James has recreated the world of Jane Austen magnificently." ( Sunday Telegraph)
"Dazzling...a book that combines the grace of Jane Austen with the pace of a thriller...as good as anything P.D. James has written and that is very high praise indeed." ( Sunday Express)
"An elegantly gauged homage to Austen and an exhilarating tribute to the inexhaustible vitality of James's imagination." ( Sunday Times)
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This was spoilt for me by the retelling of chunks of Pride and Prejudice. It made the actual story quite thin. So probably excellent for those who don’t already know P&P well.

Disappointing

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Being a total lover of Jane Austin novels I looked forward to more stories concerning some of her most beloved characters. I did enjoy the crime story itself but I got irritated when the author embellished other Austin character’s lives and personalities. For example Mr Collins and his wife’s life history, especially Charlotte’s feeling towards Elisabeth’s marriage to Darcy, had nothing to do with the story. Also inclusion of characters from Sense and Sensibility or Persuasion I found unnecessary and irritating. She should have just stuck to the personalities from Pride and Prejudice, and even that without trying to explain parts of the original in the final chapter.

To much meddling with Jane Austin characters!

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I’d only seen the television version which was slightly underwhelming, then read here that the book was different so thought I’d give it a try. I loved it. I can visualise all the original characters in this and the plot is fascinating but moves at the right pace for Austen - it wouldn’t be credible to unroll at the speed of a modern detective novel.
I was surprised early on to hear of a ‘one horse fight-on’ though - cockfighting was of the period, but horses? Turned out to be a phaeton. My heart sank as so many of the newest generation of narrators have no idea how to pronounce words from previous times and that can jar and spoil the flow of a book - but it was a false alarm. That was the only slip and the narration was excellent, really bringing the characters to life.
Overall, I loved it and found it head and shoulders above so many of the Austen sequels.

Excellent: I loved it

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You never know what is coming next, and I like the way each event is given a new chaoter

Kept me engrossed

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Austen never wrote murder mysteries, but if she had, I feel she would have been ptoud of this sequel to 'Pride and Prejudice'. The characters and location come to life in an almost three dimensional way, and engage the mind in a baffling mystery. Although it was never explained how one of the characters managed to fire off several shots in quick succession from a single shot pistol snatched from the belt of a fallen comrade! It must have been a 'pepperpot'! The written story is very much better than it's screen adaptation (in my view) and is well worth a read both by fans of austen and those of P.D. James.

A worthy extension to the world of Jane Austen.

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