Death Comes to Pemberley
1. P. D. James, Death Comes to Pemberley
Six years after the events of Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy have built a happy and prosperous life for themselves. Elizabeth has won the hearts of everyone living on the Pemberley estate, she has given birth to two fine sons, and she is able to see her beloved sister Jane very frequently. However, the night before the Darcys’ annual autumn ball, a tragedy suddenly strikes their family: Lydia Wickham arrives with the shocking news that someone has been murdered in Pemberley Woods. How can the Darcys come to terms with this horrible occurrence in their seemingly secure home - especially when the murderer might be one of their own?
I have mixed feelings about this Austen-inspired mystery. As a mystery, it’s not very compelling. I was expecting that Elizabeth and/or Mr. Darcy would have to sift through the evidence, interview suspects, and generally become the detective-heroes of the novel. Instead, the murder investigation is barely described in the novel, and the mystery’s ultimate solution is revealed through a clumsy deus ex machina. I did enjoy revisiting the characters and world of my beloved Pride and Prejudice, and I think P. D. James did a fairly good job of re-creating this world. However, there were almost no scenes between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy! I suppose that’s an improvement from the many Austen sequels that imagine their intimate moments in graphic detail, but I still wanted some interaction between them! Overall, this book was a decent read, but it left me rather underwhelmed.