It is a truth universally acknowledged that when you put 12 people together at a house party with a villain, then someone is bound to turn up dead! At least that is what happens in The Murder of Mr Wickham.
Pride & Prejudice is one of my all-time favourite books [and mini series too!], which is why I picked up this book. Mr Wickham finally getting the outcome he deserves? Yes please! A mash-up of all the characters in Jane Austen’s novels? Yes! Yes!
The story takes place in Highbury, with the Knightleys hosting a house party with the Darcy’s [including their son Jonathan Darcy], the Bertrams, the Wenthworths and the Brandons, along with Miss Tilney. Mayhem comes to play when Mr George Wickham turns up unexpectedly, set to ruin all the fun.
What I absolutely loved about this story is that the author has made Mr Wickham even more of a villain then his story in Pride & Prejudice. In this case, his villainy is to the extent that he would never be able to redeem himself, and becomes the perfect victim. With all those attending the house party having a reason to see him fall [except for Miss Tilney] it sets the stage for a perfect murder mystery. The two youngest in attendance, Miss Tilney and Jonathan Darcy set about to hold their own investigation.
I simply loved The Murder of Mr Wickham. I have recently watched all the movies, and surprisingly [for me at least] Northanger Abbey became a favourite. Not better than Pride & Prejudice but a solid number two. As such I simply adored Miss Tilney and Jonathan Darcy getting together to solve the mystery. Miss Tilney is intelligent and delightful, and you can definitely see her mother, Catherine Morland, in her!
If you love regency mysteries or Jane Austen I strongly recommend this book. You don’t need to know the back stories of the characters, but it does help. This is a really great start to what I hope will be a long and wonderful series.
It's a Literary Escapism 