There are so many sequels to Pride and Prejudice and so many of them are of variable quality, that it takes something special to get me interested in reading an story based on Austen’s work written by a different author. In this case, it’s Dame P.D. James writing a sequel that includes a murder mystery. Death Comes to Pemberley is set about six years after the end of Pride and Prejudice. Jane and Elizabeth and living in wedded bliss with children. Lydia and Wickham are still bouncing around the country trying to find a living and being obnoxious. The status quo changes the night before a ball when Lydia arrives in Pemberley in hysterics. The hysterics are normal for Lydia, but the reason is a bit out of the ordinary. Her husband just chased their friend Captain Denny into the woods. Denny’s body is found shortly thereafter, with Wickham holding him and confessing that he’s responsible.
This is a fast paced book—though it might have seemed that way because I read it in one day. It isn’t long before Wickham is committed to stand trial at the inquest, then taken to London for the trial. There are hints along the way, however, that show that we’re not getting the whole story. We don’t get the whole story until near the end of the book. It’s a satisfying conclusion, but I wonder if James couldn’t have gone farther with this idea. Then again, she also has to work within the constraints of what Austen set up for her (Austen’s) characters.
What struck me about this book, more than anything else, was that Death Comes to Pemberley is really a chance to deal with some of the lingering issues and questions from Pride and Prejudice. The way this book presents it, Darcy has a lot to apologize for. I’m not sure that’s entirely fair, but that’s because I really didn’t like George Wickham. But I admire the way James used Austen’s plot to create this new one. These books join together almost seamlessly. (There are a few anachronisms of speech here and there, but not enough to drive me nuts.)
I think there have been so many sequels to Pride and Prejudice because we love the characters so much. The sequels are a way to spend more time with them, even if it’s an ersatz experience. The only lingering disappointment I have from Death Comes to Pemberley is that I didn’t get to see Darcy and Elizabeth together that much. My favorite moments from the original story were when those two were together and the verbal sparks were flying. I will be honest and say that Darcy and Elizabeth spend a lot of time apart from each other in this book. But James does capture some of Austen’s wit. There are snarky observations all over the place to help to liven up the book.
It’s not the same, of course. But Death Comes to Pemberley is head and shoulders above its competition.