Death Comes to Pemberley

I kept finding my mind wandering as I read this book. I didn't really care about the characters and couldn't get into the plot. Not a good combination. I just kind of wanted it to end. One star might be harsh because it was more bland than awful but with so many good books out there, I wouldn't waste my time.

Sigh. Where do I start? How many times do we need to mention Elizabeth's "fine eyes?" Maybe we should add that they are brightened by exercise? And thank goodness James didn't entirely lift "[h]e simpers, and smirks, and makes love to us all." No, thankfully she wrote "he made love to us all, simpering and smiling..." There are plenty of similar annoyances, but, why go on about them? If you are dismayed that the book is only built around Pride & Prejudice, don't fret - Emma and Persuasion are mixed in, as well. I don't like to be hard on any of her books, but there it is. (If you get it, you get it.)

The whole scene on the night of the murder is poorly done. The colonel takes off for a night ride well after dinner about when everyone is heading to bed. It's a dark and stormy night... Well, it's already incredibly windy. I've had horses, and I can't imagine any of them wanting to go out in the dark on a spooky night with such a heavy wind (remember - it's strong enough to blow out all but the chandelier candles when they open the door.). On p. 61, the search party leaves the house, and Darcy looks back, and the house stands "serene and beautiful in the moonlight." Serene in those heavy winds that were unsettling to people inside earlier? And if the rain is hitting them in the face moments later on p. 62, how in the world was Pemberley so beautiful ini the moonlight on the prior page? Oh, but wait, on p. 63, the moon is occasionally glimpsed through the heavy canopy. Sometimes there is dense canopy, sometimes not. There are many parts I don't want to mention because they would give the story away. Let's just say the author should have re-read P&P and tried to stay consistent with the characters. For starters, the author needed to have set down a timeline and made events be consistent with the weather and time of night.

I had such high hopes for this one. I am a Jane Austen fan, Pride and Prejudice is my favorite, and I like mysteries. This should be awesome, right? I wish it had been. Instead, it started out strong and just sort of petered.

Check out my blog detailing the extreme disappointment that was this book:

http://karen-christina.blogspot.com/2012/01/book-doldrums.html

James really toned herself down on this one. This had all the detail and backstory that I would expect from Austen. Without the sly wit. And it had all the style I expect from James. Without the overt wit. A tale of Mr. and Mrs. Darcy. With a murder. An illegitimate child. And a trip to the new world.