If you are a fan of Jane Austen and enjoy murder mysteries, this title by Claudia Gray will be of interest. Several of her characters have married, and are guests at a house party given by Emma (Woodhouse) Knightly and her husband, George Knightly. The first couple attending is Elizabeth (Bennett) Darcy and Fitzwilliam Darcy, along with their son, Jonathan. Next is Emma’s cousin Colonel Christopher Brandon and his wife, Marianne; Captain Frederick and Anne Wentworth; and finally Edmund and Fanny Bertram. Rounding out the party is Miss Juliet Tilney, the daughter of a friend of Emma’s, and about the same age as Jonathan Darcy – Emma clearly is playing a bit at matchmaking.
Enter Mr. Wickham’s character, a dastardly schemer who delights in cheating people out of their money, and who has had dealings with several of the characters, much to their dismay. He just happens by on a horribly rainy night, and winds up yet another guest at the manor, but an uninvited and unwanted one. When he is found murdered after a few days at the Knightly’s Donwell Abbey, Jonathan and Juliet decide to investigate to find the murderer. Suffice it to say that since I have only read Pride and Prejudice, I had a very hard time keeping all the couples straight. I think you have to be a well-read fan of the author’s to keep up with all the drama…
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