The happily married Mr. Knightley and Emma are throwing a party at their country estate, bringing together distant relatives and new acquaintances—characters beloved by Jane Austen fans. Definitely not invited is Mr. Wickham, whose latest financial scheme has netted him an even broader array of enemies. As tempers flare and secrets are revealed, it's clear that everyone would be happier if Mr. Wickham got his comeuppance. Yet they're all shocked when Wickham turns up murdered—except, of course, for the killer hidden in their midst.
Who cares who killed George Wickham? Any reader with a taste for a well-done pastiche that balances menace with wit, recrimination with reconciliation, sin with redemption and justice with mercy.
A cozy locked-room mystery set in a world populated by Jane Austen’s beloved characters ... The Murder of Mr. Wickham is not a novel for Austen purists. The reader must accept the conceit that the characters are all acquainted ... Those who believe Austen’s novels ended with a firm happily ever after may be dismayed by this development, while others will be fascinated by how Gray complicates the relationships between the various characters. Readers looking for a charming mystery will adore this book. Gray captures Austen’s tone perfectly ... The Murder of Mr. Wickham will allow many Austen fans an opportunity to revisit the characters they treasure, and solve a mystery to boot.
What a splendid conceit! Emma and Mr. Knightly are having a house party, and a number of other characters from Jane Austen’s books have been invited ... Of course, this works best if readers are familiar with the Austen crew, but even without that, Gray provides plenty of backstory and enough depth to her characters ... One of the book’s surprising elements is Gray’s decision to focus on Jonathan Darcy’s personal habits, which today would put the young man on the autism spectrum. It’s Jonathan’s ability to see things differently that allows him and Juliet to take the lead as the tale’s sleuths. There’s so much fun to be had in this reimagined Austen world—and the mystery is so strong—that one can only hope, dear reader, that more books will follow.
