Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James

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Title: Death Comes to Pemberley

Author: P.D. James

Genre: Mystery, Historical Fiction

Length: 291 pages

Published: 2011

Publisher: Vintage

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) The year is 1803, and Darcy and Elizabeth have been married for six years. There are now two handsome and healthy sons in the nursery, Elizabeth's beloved sister Jane and her husband Bingley live nearby and the orderly world of Pemberley seems unassailable. But all this is threatened when, on the eve of the annual autumn ball, the guests are preparing to retire for the night when a chaise appears, rocking down the path from Pemberley's wild woodland. As it pulls up, Lydia Wickham - Elizabeth's younger, unreliable sister - stumbles out screaming that her husband has been murdered. Inspired by a lifelong passion for the work of Jane Austen, PD James masterfully recreates the world of Pride and Prejudice, and combines it with the excitement and suspense of a brilliantly-crafted crime story. Death Comes to Pemberley is a distinguished work of fiction, from one of the best-loved, most- read writers of our time.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

I did receive a copy of this book via a Goodreads giveaway.

I have never read Pride and Prejudice (I do plan on remedying this at some point), so I was really grateful to find that P.D. James had added a brief synopsis in the prologue of Death Comes to Pemberley, explaining who the characters were and their relationships to each other.

I really enjoyed this mystery. The novel starts out with high expectations of the annual ball, only to be cancelled when Lydia Wickham's coach comes barreling to the doors of Pemberley as she screams of murder in the woodland on a night wrought with storms. From there, the police investigation, the inquest as to cause of death, and the subsequent trial form a grand mystery. Why did Captain Denny head out into the woodland instead of along the trail? What secret is Colonel Fitzwilliam keeping?

The truth is revealed in the end, and all of the mysteries resolved. I really enjoyed the story and the fact that everything was neatly wrapped up in the end.

You can purchase Death Comes to Pemberley through Amazon in either hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read Death Comes to Pemberley? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.