Perfect for fans of Jane Austen or Agatha Christie.
Rating: 3/5
A summer house party turns into a thrilling whodunit when Mr. Wickham, one of literature’s most notorious villains, meets a sudden and suspicious end in this brilliantly imagined mystery featuring Jane Austen’s leading literary characters.
The happily married Mr. Knightley and Emma are throwing a house party, 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.
Nearly everyone at the house party is a suspect, so it falls to the party’s two youngest guests to solve the mystery: Juliet Tilney, the smart and resourceful daughter of Catherine and Henry, eager for adventure beyond Northanger Abbey; and Jonathan Darcy, the Darcys’ eldest son, whose adherence to propriety makes his father seem almost relaxed. In a tantalizing fusion of Austen and Christie, the unlikely pair must put aside their own poor first impressions and uncover the guilty party—before an innocent person is sentenced to hang.
Release Date: May 3, 2022
I received a free copy of The Murder of Mr. Wickham through Austenprose PR for a book tour. Thank you so much for this opportunity!
Described as a cocktail of Jane Austen and Agatha Christie, we see a murder mystery featuring some of Austen’s leading literary characters.
I will be completely honest, I’m not that familiar with Austen’s work. I know the basics, and I fully plan to tackle her books, but I haven’t read anything from her yet. And so, I did feel a little out of the loop mostly in regards to our enemy, Mr. Wickham seeing as how everyone just hates him. However, saying that I think even if you’re not a fan of Austen or familiar with her characters, Gray gives us enough details for each of our characters to fully understand what’s going on.
As for the murder mystery! This was definitely a cozy mystery, and it gives off similar vibes to Agatha Christie’s work. That being said, it was a bit on the slower side for my tastes. But I still thoroughly enjoyed reading this! Almost all our characters had a reason to murder Mr. Wickham so it wasn’t predictable on whodunit.
This was definitely a cozy mystery, and it gives off similar vibes to Agatha Christie’s work.
I recommend this to anyone who enjoys Historical Fiction and Murder Mysteries. This is also perfect for fans of Jane Austen or Agatha Christie.