The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray

 

What literary villain would you like to be the victim in a murder mystery? 

The Murder of Mr. Wickham is a creative cozy murder mystery that selects one of my favorite villains, Mr. Wickham, from Pride and Prejudice and makes him the victim of a murder at a regency country house party at the Knightley estate of Donwell Abbey. Mr. Wickham was not invited to the party, but there are plenty of people at the party who would love to see him dead.  His life has been one of taking advantage of people for his own financial gain or pleasure.  Who murdered Mr. Wickham and why?

I loved the premise of this book and how it put together most of the main Jane Austen characters at their age in the chronological order that Jane Austen wrote her novels.  That makes Darcy and Elizabeth the parents of a young man, while Marianne and Colonel Brandon are newlyweds.  The Knightleys have invited the Darcys, Brandons, Wentworths, and Bertrams for a house party.  They have also invited Juliet, the daughter of Henry and Catherine Tilney.  While I missed Henry Tilney’s humor, I loved that Juliet and young Jonathan Darcy teamed up to solve the mystery.  Jonathan is on the spectrum and is trying to navigate life and social situations.  I found this part of the story to be really interesting.  Jonathan and Juliet had a great relationship and I hope that there is a follow-up novel so that I can read more about them.

Claudia Gray did a wonderful job of capturing the original Austen characters and making them believable as their older selves.  I didn’t really like Edmund and Fanny Bertram, but as they are my least favorite Austen couple, I was okay with it.  I did not guess the ending, mainly because everyone had a really good motive. 

Favorite Quotes:

“Do not be ashamed of caring for another creature.  Would that the world contained more such feeling, rather than less.”

“Mrs. Elton preferred to express her piety through disapproval rather than charity.  She was never more pleased when finding a new thing to condemn, particularly when the thing could in some way be connected to Emma Knightly.”

Overall, The Murder of Mr. Wickham is the perfect mystery for fans of Jane Austen.  I can’t wait for a new book in this series!

A Review Copy from Netgalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing.  Thank-you! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.