Mystery
![Claudia Gray - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B001JRZGQ6.jpg)
The Murder of Mr. Wickham
A summer house party turns into a thrilling whodunit when Jane Austen's Mr. Wickham-one of literature's most notorious villains-meetsa sudden and suspicious endin this brilliantly imagined mystery featuring Austen's leading literary characters.
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.
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 this tantalizing fusion of Austen and Christie, from New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray, the unlikely pair must put aside their own poor first impressions and uncover the guilty party-before an innocent person is sentenced to hang.
A VINTAGE ORIGINAL
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.
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 this tantalizing fusion of Austen and Christie, from New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray, the unlikely pair must put aside their own poor first impressions and uncover the guilty party-before an innocent person is sentenced to hang.
A VINTAGE ORIGINAL
Editorial Reviews
"Had Jane Austen sat down to write a country house murder mystery, this is exactly the book she would have written. Devotees of Austen's timeless novels will get the greatest possible pleasure from this wonderful book. Immense fun and beautifully observed. Delicious!" -Alexander McCall Smith
"A well-done pastiche that balances menace with wit, recrimination with reconciliation, sin with redemption and justice with mercy." -Tom Nolan, The Wall Street Journal
"What a splendid conceit! . . . Gray provides plenty of backstory and enough depth to her characters that even those who mix up their Pride and Prejudice with their Sense and Sensibility will delight in the Agatha Christie–style mystery. . . . 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." -Ilene Cooper, Booklist (starred review)
"The Murder of Mr. Wickham illuminates Jane Austen's best-loved (and lesser loved) characters, introduces a dynamic sleuthing duo, and delivers a most satisfying murder mystery in the grand tradition of Clue." -Jane Pek, author of The Verifiers
"Jane Austen is spinning in her grave: she's trying to climb out and shake Claudia Gray's hand. The Murder of Mr. Wickham delivers in spades-and in diamonds, hearts, and clubs!" -Alan Bradley, author of the Flavia de Luce series
"Claudia Gray's The Murder of Mr. Wickham is a charming, sharp, and engrossing mystery that evokes the meta wonder of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen with the evocative depth of the Jane Austen library-delivered in a voice and tone that is modern and mesmerizing. Gray has crafted a book that one won't easily forget." -Alex Segura, author of Secret Identity
"[An] enchanting mystery. . . . Gray perfectly captures the personalities of Austen's beloved characters. This is a real treat for Austenites.
"A well-done pastiche that balances menace with wit, recrimination with reconciliation, sin with redemption and justice with mercy." -Tom Nolan, The Wall Street Journal
"What a splendid conceit! . . . Gray provides plenty of backstory and enough depth to her characters that even those who mix up their Pride and Prejudice with their Sense and Sensibility will delight in the Agatha Christie–style mystery. . . . 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." -Ilene Cooper, Booklist (starred review)
"The Murder of Mr. Wickham illuminates Jane Austen's best-loved (and lesser loved) characters, introduces a dynamic sleuthing duo, and delivers a most satisfying murder mystery in the grand tradition of Clue." -Jane Pek, author of The Verifiers
"Jane Austen is spinning in her grave: she's trying to climb out and shake Claudia Gray's hand. The Murder of Mr. Wickham delivers in spades-and in diamonds, hearts, and clubs!" -Alan Bradley, author of the Flavia de Luce series
"Claudia Gray's The Murder of Mr. Wickham is a charming, sharp, and engrossing mystery that evokes the meta wonder of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen with the evocative depth of the Jane Austen library-delivered in a voice and tone that is modern and mesmerizing. Gray has crafted a book that one won't easily forget." -Alex Segura, author of Secret Identity
"[An] enchanting mystery. . . . Gray perfectly captures the personalities of Austen's beloved characters. This is a real treat for Austenites.
Readers Top Reviews
L. HartnessL. Har
(Originally posted on The Calico Critic: May 8, 2022) - The first read of the summer season comes in The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray. The premise instantly hooked this Janeite reader. The idea of many of Austen’s beloved characters abiding in an Agatha Christie-like mystery seemed delectable, and it was! While all of Austen’s favorites are not present, Gray brings in most of the biggest names: the Darcys, the Brandons, the Knightleys, the Wentworths, plus a few newly created characters as well. Gray’s writing is pitch-perfect for the era, yet the style is very accessible and makes for great fun. Her wit amused me from the opening sentence. Clues regarding the identity of the killer of Pride and Prejudice’s Mr. Wickham were sprinkled throughout the narrative, as is done in other cozy mysteries of this type. Gray keeps her readers guessing until the very end. With hindsight being crystal clear, the responsible party now seems obvious, but this knowledge and the enjoyable nature of the story are such that I actually would like to go back and re-read the opening scenes of the novel all over again. Details that I now know to be “clues” will be interesting to see from an omniscient position. While this certainly is predominantly a mystery novel, Claudia Gray also takes time to explore the personal lives of Austen’s characters, as most of them have now been married for some time in this vision of Austen’s world. The original works are known for their “Happily Ever After” (HEA) endings, wherein the main characters ultimately fall in love, get married and ride off into the sunset within the blissful bonds of marriage. We readers sigh with delight, close the novels and return to real life, which includes relationships that don’t always achieve their HEAs. Gray’s cast members have taken on rhythms seen in many marriages– misunderstandings that have led to alienation, differences in temperament that sometimes cause conflict, etc. As the mystery swirls around the married couples, readers are also privy to the struggles that sometimes cause bewilderment within even the strongest relationships. As a woman who loves her husband of 27 years, I understand this to be true. Gray’s version of these individuals smacked of a realism that I found to be quite accurate for many, not just in the 19th century but in today’s world as well. Because some of the characters are connected with the Church, the topic of faith and related issues come up more often than I’ve seen in other Austenesque novels that aren’t released from Christian publishing houses. The Bertrams of Mansfield Park in particular wrestle with how their faith impacts their choices, and the interpretation of Scripture is offered more than once. As a seminary student I cannot say that I completely agree with the hermeneutical posture of all the characters, but the intent behind their mo...
marcopcL. Hartnes
Written in the style of Jane Austen and borrowing her characters, this is a story of a house party at the stately home of the Knightleys. While enjoying their first evening meal, the party is crashed by George Wickham, who for many reasons, is despised by most of the guests. Due to bad weather, the Knightleys are forced to invite him to stay. This house party, which was to last a month, is interrupted when Wickham’s dead body is found. Who murdered him? So many had motive! The youngest invitees, Juliet Tilney, daughter of the residents of Northanger Abbey, and Jonathan Darcy, yes, of those Darcys, challenge the mores of the time by launching an investigation together, parallel to and more successful than the official inquiry. Despite the murder, this is a delightful story! Although its been a while since I have read Austen’s works about these characters (some who have aged here), the author does a nice job of filling in their backgrounds so I never felt lost. Gray remained true to the Austen writing style, even employing a good sense of humor. As a bit of a SPOILER, I thought the ending was quite satisfying. I don’t think you have to be overly familiar with Austen’s writings to enjoy this book for its plot and reflection of the society at that time. As an aside, am I the only one who thought Jonathan Darcy had a “touch” of what is now known as Aspberger Syndrome?
