Has Jane Austen been reincarnated as P.D. James? This wonderful continuation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is a joy from start to finish. It is 6 years after Elizabeth Bennett's wedding to Mr. Darcy and Sister Jane and her husband Mr. Bingley live near Pemberley. Wayward sister Lydia's husband, Mr. Wickham, is "not received" at Pemberley due to his history with Darcy's sister, Georgiana. It is the week of the traditional Lady Anne's Ball at Pemberley and Elizabeth and Darcy are busy preparing for the annual event when a coach careens up the drive and halts at the door. A hysterical Lydia emerges and screams that Wickham and Captain Denny have disappeared after exiting the carriage in the woodlands and that she fears murder. SO begins the story of "Death Comes to Pemberley."
What is most memorable about this novel is not the mystery, but James' style, which to me is dead-on Austen. Some may disagree, but the language and ambiance transported me immediately into the world of Pride and Prejudice. I have to admit that I haven't read all of Austen's works and that the most recent was Northanger Abbey, not Pride and Prejudice, but I've seen all the movies (I admit that this is a bad thing for a librarian to admit!) and it was very easy to visualize this novel. I am not an Austen scholar, just a fan, and P.D. James has done a great job imagining Darcy and Lizzie's world at Pemberley. I loved it!
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