Death Comes to Pemberley

Death Comes to Pemberley
By P.D. James
Alfred A. Knopf, 2011. 291 pgs. Mystery

P.D. James’ new mystery takes us to Jane Austen’s Pemberley six years after Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett resolve their animosity and admit their undying love for each other. Life has settled into an almost idyllic routine with two Darcy heirs in the nursery, Jane and Bingley living nearby, and an upcoming ball honoring Darcy’s late mother. But, peace at Pemberley is shattered by an unexpected visit from a hysterical Lydia. A corpse is soon found on the estate’s grounds and old scandals which seemed safely laid to rest, threaten to destroy the happiness of these beloved Austen characters.

Written much like Jane Austen would have, were she to have written a murder mystery involving her most popular protagonists, ‘Death Comes to Pemberley’ is both a great read for mystery lovers and an excellent addition to the growing number of Austen inspired novels.

CZ