Death Comes to Pemberley

By P. D. James

In a marvellous, thrilling re-creation of the world of Pride and Prejudice, P.D. James fuses the work of Jane Austen with her own great talent for writing crime fiction.

The year is 1803, and Darcy and Elizabeth have been married for six years. There are now two handsome, healthy sons in the Pemberley nursery, Elizabeth's beloved sister Jane and her husband, Bingley, live within seventeen miles, the ordered and secure life of Pemberley seems unassailable, and Elizabeth's happiness in her marriage is complete. But their peace is threatened and old sins and misunderstandings are rekindled on the eve of the annual autumn ball. The Darcys and their guests are preparing to retire for the night when a chaise appears, rocking down the path from Pemberley's wild woodland, and as it pulls up, Lydia Wickham, an uninvited guest, tumbles out, screaming that her husband has been murdered.

Death Comes to Pemberley is a powerful work of fiction, rich in its compelling story, in its evocation of place, and its gripping psychological and emotional insight. James brings us back masterfully and with delight to much-loved characters, illuminating the happy but threatened marriage of the Darcys with the excitement and suspense of a brilliantly crafted mystery.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Nov 3, 2011
• ISBN: 9780307362056

P. D. James

P. D. James (1920–2014) was born in Oxford in 1920. She worked in the National Health Service and the Home Office From 1949 to 1968, in both the Police Department and Criminal Policy Department. All that experience was used in her novels. She won awards for crime writing in Britain, America, Italy, and Scandinavia, including the Mystery Writers of America Grandmaster Award and the National Arts Club Medal of Honour for Literature. She received honorary degrees from seven British universities, was awarded an OBE in 1983 and was created a life peer in 1991.

Reviews for Death Comes to Pemberley

[amaliagavea · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When it comes to re-writings or new versions of classical novels and classical characters, I am the least open-minded person imaginable, especially when we are talking about Pride and Prejudice. However, I really enjoyed P.D.James' treatment of Elizabeth, Darcy and Georgiana, because it is clear that she respected Jane Austen's creations and tried to breathe new life unto them, presenting their lives after their marriage. I liked the descriptions of the trials that took place, having the chance to see how justice was conducted at the time, something that I haven't come across in any other book I have read in such detail.

The mystery itself was nothing special, but it was enjoyable and ccomplex enough to keep my interest, and not have me roll my eyes every five minutes. The characters of Elizabeth and Darcy are well-written, and it wasn't difficult for me to picture them as if they'd sprung out of Jane Austen's book. I still would like to see more of Elizabeth's input, and less of the rumblings of her sister and Georgiana's lovesickness, but this is just me. Overall, it was a very good effort with respect to the original material, and for me, that is what mattered the most.

[streamsong_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

”It was generally agreed by the female residents of Meryton that Mr and Mrs Bennett of Longbourn had been fortunate in the disposal in marriage of four of their five daughters.” p 1This murder mystery is a sequel taking place several years after Pride and Prejudice ends. The day before a great ball at Pemberley an univited guest showed up – Lydia Bennet Wickham, who not only did not have an invitation to the ball, neither she nor her husband were ever received socially by the Darcy's. She arrived in a coach tearing along the drive like the hounds of hell were after it. Lydia told a story of her husband George Wickham and another man rushing off into the woods and hearing shots fired.There is a murder, and the never-do-well George Wickham is the chief suspect. The story wasn't bad, but it could have been so much better. There was a lot of telling, instead of showing. The visual of the pages was gray due to the very long paragraphs – sometimes more than a page long. I missed Jane Austen's light and sparkling wit, although it did have its funny moments and the characters felt authentic. The mystery was good enough – I didn't have it figured out. But that is what well known mystery author P. D. James was best at.Recommended for fans of Pride and Prejudice who would enjoy a bit more, or fans of P. D. James.

[emanate28 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I think PD James did a reasonable job in using Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice to create this mystery tale, although she went a bit overboard in my opinion in terms of almost quoting bits and pieces of P&P (was it to give this book credibility? For me, it was too distracting a reminder that it certainly *wasn't* P&P). I also confess I enjoyed the few 'cameos' she snuck in.But as far as mystery tales go...well, this one was mediocre at best. I'd recommend it only if you are curious, can keep your expectations down, and if you can borrow it from the library.

[hopeevey · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Lovely writing, lovely narration, but a very weak story. The author clearly loves the characters and the setting. I wish equal care had been taken to craft the plot.

[anissaannalise-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I decided to give this a read as I began watching the Masterpiece Mystery dramatisation on PBS. It's not unusual for me to do this, what I've experienced as a first was that upon finishing the book, I'd absolutely no desire to continue with the PBS series. I abandoned the television version because I simply didn't want to be bothered with this story any longer. I am disappointed. Lizzie and Darcy aren't my favorite Austen couple anyway (Anne & Captain Wentworth, for me please) so I'm not so beholden to the original material to be aggravated like this is some travesty against literature. With that said, I was a bit bored and it felt like this had very little life as reads go. I was excited for the mystery but once the reveal was done, there was still a bit to go to tie it all up and I didn't feel all that was warranted. Admittedly, it's a short book but I still think it was over long. I don't know that I'd recommend this as I believe most people do have other things they could be reading than a book that's a little less than okay and more middling than anything else.

[aine.fin · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Easy read, not much to it.

[nx74defiant · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not bad. I was glad to see the book didn't have the stupid scene from the mini-series of Elizabeth running to the gallows at the very last minutes. We got a better explanation of the story of the sister.

[gingermama-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not terrible, but not great either. Certainly not what I expected of James. The "mystery" was so convoluted as to be almost indecipherable, even with the extended explanations at the end. It was a good imitation of Austen's writing style, just not a great story. 2.5 stars.

[pamdierickx · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Slow, very slow!

[lissabeth21 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Loving all things Pemberley, I was intrigued to read a slightly different take on the topic. I am not generally a reader of mystery, and this proved only slightly less difficult for me. Getting through the Inquest and Trial sections was slow going and did not engage me much. There seemed to be too much repetition of the same information that did little to move the narrative forward. However, the beginning and the tying together of the loose ends was very satisfying.

[julie.bonjour · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

So much exposition! And the characters have an annoying tendency to speak in speeches. Still, all in all, it's a good read. I liked the plot of the book more then that of the tv mini series.

[quondame · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

For PD. James, this is bad. I really disliked her Elizabeth and Darcy, and the mystery is to faked up and arbitrary to justify the involvement of such a weighty cast.

[cemagoc · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I will begin by saying that I am not of the giant Jane Austen/P&P fan club, mainly composed of women, though I do appreciate the book's success as a literary classic. Nor have I ever read a PD James novel. I couldn't make it through this one: the jumps in narrative style, the obviousness of the murderer, and fan fiction that I couldn't bear to read. Though I love historical mystery, I hope to skip all other fan fiction murder mystery, particularly if it is based on Jane Austen.

[csmith0406-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Just OK, it seemed a bit of an unsuccessful mix of Austen and PD James.

[picardyrose · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Is she crazy?

[jjaylynny · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Hmmm. Probably the best "sequel" to P&P since it's written by PD James, but I think I've learned my lesson: one should not fuck with the real thing.

[booksinthebelfrey · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

If we needed proof that Jane Austen's characters are entirely subordinate to the mordant social observations she uses them to make, this unexpected venture into the realm of fan fiction by the august Baroness James would serve nicely. James's recreation of Austen's tone and style is nearly pitch-perfect, but she has nothing really to say with the characters, who in and of themselves are as lifeless and lacking in depth as a set of historically accurate paper dolls. The attempt in passing to link up characters from various Austen novels in one narrative is terribly clever, but again serves no purpose other than to afford those readers in the know a moment of or two of self-congratulatory recognition ("Look! It's Harriet Smith from Emma!"). P.D. James is too accomplished a writer to produce a truly bad novel, but this was something of a disappointment. She's given us lots of reading pleasure over the years, though, so perhaps she's entitled to a little late-career indulgence.

[hobbitprincess · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Think of a continuation of Pride and Prejudice with a murder thrown in for good measure. That's what this book is like. It's written in the style of Austen's book and is thoroughly enjoyable.

[sanyamakadi · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is not my favorite P&P retelling. It is a good story and well-written, but it is much more focused on the mystery than on continued character development of those we know and love (or hate), and that is really what brings people to the retellings. Also, this is possibly the only retelling that makes Col. Fitzwilliam out to be a jerk. Who does that??

[steller0707 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

PD James almost made me believe that Jane Austen herself wrote it. All the English manners were there as well as a complex unfolding of the crime, a la British mystery series such as Inspector Morse and Midsomer Murders.

[elizabethcromb · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Novel use of Pride and Prejudice characters and relationships to weave a story of murder and events following the end of the original story.

[briandrewz · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a work that slides in nicely with the original "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen. P.D. James has written a very believably Austen-esque world in which we find our favorite characters grappling with a murder within the borders of Pemberley.Admittedly, I watched the mini-series before I read the book, and I'm glad I did. I felt the mini-series was better overall in the way in which the story was told. This book, however, was very enjoyable. I've seen mixed reviews on it, but I definitely thought it was fun.

[elenaj-147457 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Lacks all of the sprightliness and charm of Jane Austen's storytelling. Elizabeth and Darcy are weak shadows of themselves, fearful and boring. No astute social commentary, just unfunny cattiness.

[juva_3 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I should have just left this one. I don't usually like mystery novels but I love pride and prejudice so I just thought... but nope. The Regency language seemed about right but I felt it crippled the story. It all just happened so slowly. Every last point of the plot was endlessly discussed. The old cast was there but they just seemed like elements of the scenery as the main drama of the plot concerned others. Eh. Just eh.

[london_stj · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Death Comes to Pemberley is trite and wooden. The plot itself is lost in the pedantic text, which lectures as opposed to narrates. James uses dialog to introduce every detail, which leads to cumbersome and often ridiculous conversations, in which Character A reminds Character B that they met the good Doctor five years ago at that dinner party, and that the Doctor now suffers from gout and enjoys a comfortable estate, but went on that dreadful trip last year and is now nursing a sore hip and oh yes is not married and has no intention of seeking matrimony; he'll be here within the hour. Oh yes, and candlelight merely enhances the darkness and gloom, and Darcy wonders, generally speaking. Anyone with any knowledge - even passing - of Austen and/or the long nineteenth century will be better off avoid this cumbersome narrative.

[sdramsey-298717 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this book, and returning to these characters, but I did have a few quibbles with it. I felt it went on far too looooooong, and I wasn't truly satisfied with the resolution of the mystery. I think, also, that any reader not familiar with P.D. James and her style might not make it through the entire thing. However, it was fun to see the characters again (if they didn't seem *quite* right at times) and visit this world.

[raizel_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I think P.D. James spent a lot of time wondering what happened to all the characters in Pride and Prejudice and wanted to share her conclusions with us. The book lacks the clever comments of Jane Austen, but we learn a bit of what life was like in 1803, the pace is quick, and I did not guess whodunit.

[slmr4242 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I like the premise, but the execution was somewhat more formulaic than I expected. Also, the narrative bounced about a lot from one character to the next. It made it difficult to find a character with whom to sympathize.

[cassandra2020 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Death Comes to Pemberley by PD James - Dull

I remember when Pauline read this, it fell into the category "books I read so you don't have to"! Despite this warning, I signed up for a bookray & lo this dropped onto the doormat a few days ago.

I hang my head in shame at the next admission, I've never read any Jane Austen or seen any adaptation of her books. Despite this, I've read a few Austen inspired books and have been slowly working my round to the realisation that I'm going to have to bite the bullet and read the real thing (especially as I now want to read: Longbourn by Jo Baker). This book is the final straw.

It's not very good. I don't know what got into PD James, but it was stilted and the mystery wasn't particularly well drawn or...er...mysterious. It was pretty obvious what was going to happen.

Elizabeth & Darcy have been married for a few years and have a couple of children. On the eve of their annual Ball, her sister Lydia arrives, distraught: her husband and his friend have disappeared into the woods & shots have been heard. Darcy mounts an expedition and a body is found.

The rest of the book meanders about, not really telling you much until suddenly Darcy is at the Assizes giving evidence. The murderer is unmasked and everyone lives happily ever after.

Thing is, nothing much happens, there is no investigation. Between finding the body, arresting a suspect & the trial etc. NOTHING happens. Is Pride and Prejudice this dull? I wouldn't expect so. I think, maybe, PD James found writing in this style stiffled her.

On the plus side, it took just under 2 days to read and didn't challenge me, just filled in some time.

[mizpurplest · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I was more disappointed with this book than I should have been give my low expectations. I thought at least it would be a good mystery/crime novel and I would be entertained. Maybe it was because I read Sherlock Holmes just before this, but I was thoroughly unimpressed with even that element. And the Jane Austen base... Ugh. Next time, I'll just stick with the original and then read more Holmes.