Death Comes to Pemberley
A Novel
By P. D. James
Read by Rosalyn Landor Random House Audio, 2011
An Unabridged Recording on 8 CDs
ISBN: 978-0-449-01115-7
Genre: Mystery, Historical Fiction
It doesn't get much better than Death Comes to Pemberley for mystery and Jane Austen fans. In this novel, master crime novelist P. D. James has set her murder-mystery in the world of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, and has peopled her story with many of the characters found in this timeless classic. If you've never read Pride and Prejudice, have no fear. James begins this novel with a wonderful summary of Austen's story, then jumps the reader forward six years to where James' main story picks up.
The year is 1803. Elizabeth and Darcy have been married six years, have two sons. Elizabeth has finally settled into the role as mistress of Pemberley and has learned to run a great household. Other favorites from Pride and Prejudice, such as Elizabeth's sister Jane and her husband Bingley, live close enough to visit often, as does Elizabeth's admiring father. All is well, and Elizabeth and Darcy are happily-ever-aftering. That is, until the evening of an autumn ball when Elizabeth sister Lydia, who ran off with that rake Wickham when she was sixteen, shows up unexpectedly. Worst of all, when she arrives, she is hysterical and crying that her beloved Wickham (who had to be forced to marry her) has been murdered. In moments, all is chaos and life may never be the same again for Elizabeth and Darcy.
With breakneck speed, James sets into motion all the factors that go into investigating and solving a crime, and apprehending the guilty parties. Skillfully weaving the mystery around Austen's beloved characters and setting, James provides a real treat for both traditional mystery fans, as well as for Austen afficionados. I will not say anything about the actual mystery for fear of giving away any clues, no matter how slight, to what exactly is going on and who did what to whom, but suffice it to say, you will not be disappointed as to how this story plays out. Throughout, James stays true to the characters and to Austen, and it is obvious that James is herself is an Austen fan as she knows the story of Pride and Prejudice inside and out - and she has a firm understanding of the characters, their motivations, and how they would react, if Austen was writing this story, in the situations that James so deviously places them.
This audio edition of Death Comes to Pemberley is ably narrated by Rosalyn Landor, a seasoned television actress and voice artist. Her voice is pleasant, and her reading animated and engrossing. Landor's reading of this novel enhances an already excellent story that I'm sure even Austen would have approved of.
Related Reviews:
Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen.
This is an amusing tale about the five Bennet sisters, and their mother's unrelenting drive to get them rich husbands.
The Murder Room, By P. D. James.
Someone has killed one of the trustees of the Dupayne museum, and Commander Adam Dalgliesh of New Scotland Yard is called in to investigate the gruesome crime. Can he track down the killer before he, or she, strikes again?
