Death Comes to Pemberley
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3.4 • 55 Ratings
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
In a marvellous, thrilling re-creation of the world of Pride and Prejudice, P.D. James fuses the work of Jane Austen with her own great talent for writing crime fiction.
The year is 1803, and Darcy and Elizabeth have been married for six years. There are now two handsome, healthy sons in the Pemberley nursery, Elizabeth's beloved sister Jane and her husband, Bingley, live within seventeen miles, the ordered and secure life of Pemberley seems unassailable, and Elizabeth's happiness in her marriage is complete. But their peace is threatened and old sins and misunderstandings are rekindled on the eve of the annual autumn ball. The Darcys and their guests are preparing to retire for the night when a chaise appears, rocking down the path from Pemberley's wild woodland, and as it pulls up, Lydia Wickham, an uninvited guest, tumbles out, screaming that her husband has been murdered.
Death Comes to Pemberley is a powerful work of fiction, rich in its compelling story, in its evocation of place, and its gripping psychological and emotional insight. James brings us back masterfully and with delight to much-loved characters, illuminating the happy but threatened marriage of the Darcys with the excitement and suspense of a brilliantly crafted mystery.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Historical mystery buffs and Jane Austen fans alike will welcome this homage to the author of Pride and Prejudice from MWA Grand Master James, best known for her Adam Dalgliesh detective series (The Private Patient, etc.). In the autumn of 1803, six years after the events that closed Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Darcy, the happily married mistress of Pemberley House, is preparing for Lady Anne s annual ball, regarded by the county as the most important social event of the year. Alas, the evening before the ball, Elizabeth s sister Lydia, who married the feckless Wickham, bursts into the house to announce that Captain Denny, a militia officer, has shot her husband dead in the woodland on the estate. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam, who purists may note behaves inconsistently with Austen s original, head out in a chaise to investigate. Attentive readers will eagerly seek out clues to the delightfully complex mystery, which involves many hidden motives and dark secrets, not least of them in the august Darcy family. In contrast to Pride and Prejudice, where emotion is typically conveyed through indirect speech, characters are much more open about their feelings, giving a contemporary ring to James s pleasing and agreeable sequel. 300,000 first printing.
Customer Reviews
Death comes to Pemberly
Great book! Highly recommend
Death Comes to Pemberley
One of the worst books I have read. This book is an insult to the
Writings of Jane Austen. The author has basically repeated the original story as well as dragging in unnecessary passages from other Austen novels. Too much unnecessary description, which if
Removed would make the book a short story. Leave Jane Austen's novels alone.