Pride and Prejudice is my all-time favorite book. I LOVE Pride and Prejudice. I was so excited to read this one. Authors that spin their own tales with Austen's characters are so much fun, especially when they're done well. While this book isn't a retelling of Pride and Prejudice, I thought that Tirzah Price did an awesome job of capturing Austen's voice and characters to create a fun and satisfying whodunnit.

Lizzie Bennet wants to be a solicitor. She works behind the scenes of her father's firm, and thinks she's good enough to be employed there. Unfortunately, young ladies are not solicitors and so Lizzie has to prove to her father that she is logical enough to be considered for employment. She hears of the murder of George Hurst, the brother-in-law to Charles Bingley, who has been accused of the crime. She rushes to meet Mr. Bingley, and realizes she must solve the case herself if she is going to prove Mr. Bingley's innocence and find who really killed Mr. Hurst.

Like I said, this book utilizes all of the characters we know and love. The author also uses a similar voice to Austen and was super fun. I loved reading this book, and once I realized it wasn't a retelling, it was more enjoyable. I am really excited to see where the second book goes. This would be a great supplemental book for teens who have to read P&P but aren't ready or willing to tackle it. This would be a fun intro to the characters and voice with a really fun and twisty plot.

Content: There is some PG violence, and two light kisses. Great for 7th grade+.

This is really hard to rate, so I guess I’m going with 2 or 2.5 stars. It was very well written and I liked the characters—I mean, obviously I do, Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite books of all time. But I had serious trouble with the anachronism of Elizabeth Bennet having the chance to investigate a murder in this manner, and to aspire to work as a solicitor in 1810. I just couldn’t get past that.

If The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Pride and Prejudice had a baby, it would be probably be Pride and Premeditation. This romp of a mystery has everything you love about Jane Austen--the village setting, a feisty heroine, and witty banter--with the intrigue of a puzzling Holmes-like case of murder. Price follows the familiar framework of Austen's work just enough to allow readers in the know to draw comparisons to the original and anticipate what is to come, but with a healthy dose of surprising twists that keep this re-envisioning of the classic fresh and fun. Elizabeth is determined to become the first woman barrister and sees the plight of a certain Charles Bingley, recently accused of murder, as her ticket to proving her abilities to her father. Unfortunately, Bingley's best mate Darcy happens to be a solicitor and is vying for the job to clear his friend's name too. Their not-so-friendly rivalry has the same will-they-won't-they romantic tension of the original characters, and the mystery element will keep readers turning the pages. Let's hope that Tirzah Price has more Austen-inspired mysteries around the corner!

3.5 out of 5 wine glasses. An inventive and fun retelling of Pride and Prejudice. I'm interested to see how the series will continue!

"Pride and Premeditation" is a wonderful Regency era murder mystery. There are plenty of callbacks to the classic Pride and Prejudice novel. But honestly, this would have been a worthwhile read if the main character wasn't Elizabeth Bennett. I enjoyed the novel but I'm not sure that it benefitted from being a retread of the classic novel.

This is a story about a truth universally acknowledged... and some murders!

This was so fun! I loved the creative reimagining, and get mystery element. I think I would have appreciated more suspense around the mystery element; however, I think this will be perfect for readers who enjoy both cozy mysteries & Austen.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/5

Thank you so much Netgalley & HarperTeen for this e-Arc!

Quick and easy read that sweeps you in with familiar characters shown in a whole new light. I love Lizzie's spunk throughout the book.

I really loved chatting with Tirzah for the show. Pride and Premeditation was a fun Jane Austen retelling that felt fresh and unique

A delightfully charming retelling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. By far my favorite retelling.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, HarperCollins Children's Books and Harper Teen in exchange for an honest review.

Y'all, this book is GOOOOOOD! Tirzah Price takes the characters and basic plot points from Austen's PRIDE AND PREJUDICE and mixes it together with Agatha Christie and Nancy Drew to create a feisty, crime solving Elizabeth Bennet that I am SOOOO here for. And come on, Price's dedication is: "to all the obstinate, headstrong girls forging new paths." What's not to love?

This book was such a fun read, it's witty and clever and embraces the tongue-in-cheek snark that Austen crafted herself within her novels. There are some good twists and turns to the plot and of course the will-they-or-won't-they dynamic between Mr. Darcy and Ms. Bennet that readers of Austen have come to love. All while addressing the sexism/classism/and racism of the time period.

I even cheered at a few points while reading and I am definitely looking forward to seeing what happens next.

Lizzie is going to solve a murder, and no one - not even the aloof Mr. Darcy - is going to get in her way. This spunky and exciting Jane-Austen-meets-Sherlock-Holmes retelling puts a modern twist on the classic storyline of Pride and Prejudice. Readers will find recognizable characters and quotes interwoven with surprising new twists and delightful banter, enough to keep even the most avid Jane Austen fans on their toes. Perfect for fans of Dangerous Alliance or My Lady Jane, I greatly enjoyed this innovative and entertaining historical yet modern mystery mashup!

In this retelling of Pride and Prejudice we have the characters from the beloved tale in a bit of a different setting even though it is still in a historical setting.

Mr. Bennett is a lawyer and Elizabeth wants to follow in his footsteps, though her mother would prefer she marry a barrister instead of become one. Mr. Collin's works for her father's law firm since he is going to be the one inheriting the firm, but he is so horrible. Elizabeth gets so frustrated with doing  the work and him taking credit for it. Her father knows she does a lot of Mr. Collin's work, but he can't hire her because he can't go against her mother. He does tell her that she would have to prove herself capable.

Then they hear about a murder and it seems that Mr. Bingley has been arrested for murdering his brother-in-law. Elizabeth feels that this is going to be her chance, if she can prove him innocent her father would have to hire her. The only person standing in her way is Mr. Darcy, the annoying solicitor from Pemberley and Associates who because he is friends with Bingley says he will be  taking on the case.

Bingley thought she had some good ideas though and says she could help and that maybe her and Darcy could work together but neither like that idea. Elizabeth will do about anything to show her father she has what it takes even if she has to talk with Darcy to do it.

I thought this was a lot of fun, it had the characters in different settings but you could still feel the essence from the original. I think the only character I had a hard time believing in was what the author did to Lady Catherine though it was kind of funny.

It had a really good mystery as well which for a YA mystery I was surprised because usually they are super easy to figure out. I figured it out but not to much before Elizabeth figures things out.  I can't wait to try another book from this series!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this wonderful book. This review is my thoughts and feelings only.

This book was so much fun. I was very suprised throughout this book. I was never able to guess what was going to happen next. There are many characters that you will recognize in this story, but they will be different from what you expect from Pride and Prejudice. I did not want to put this book down and I cannot wait for the next book to come out.

Highly recommend for any Jane Austen fan.

Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price - A
I received an ARC copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that if media exists which relates to Pride and Prejudice I’m going to consume it. Tirzah Price’s “Pride and Predetermination” is a YA novel that adapts Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice in the mystery fiction genre. With complete honesty, the only other murder mystery P&P adaptation I’m familiar with is “Death Comes to Pemberly”, which I remember enjoying quite a bit. Similarly, I found this book to be quite entertaining.

When George Hurst is murdered and Charles Bingley discovered standing over the body with a bloody knife, it may be the hangman’s noose unless Elizabeth and Darcy can find the real murderer. The daughter of a solicitor, Lizzy persuades Bingley to enlist her skills of investigation to uncover who actually wanted Hurst dead and followed through on their desires. Along the way, she meets a number of friends and foes that will attempt to aid or impede her trek to discover the truth. Will she make it in time, or will poor Charles find himself meeting a morning appointment at the gallows?

As we do on the podcast, I will frame this review like a compliment sandwich: the buns are things I liked and the meat are things that I didn’t care for as much.

Top Bun:
I want to congratulate Tirzah Price on keeping the personalities of each character true to the original material. While the general societal norms presented in this book may not be quite accurate historically, I didn’t find myself taken out of the story. I found the headstrong and brave Lizzy to be absolutely charming. By having her family reside in Cheapside from a barely middle class family put an interesting spin on the narrative. Additionally, Bingley’s family is nouveau riche, making their money from mercantile, which would have lowered their standing in the tonne. The only character that is true to their original counterpart is Darcy, and even then, he’s not just a wealthy landowner; his father owns a successful barrister’s office to which he is a solicitor. Darcy makes a point to indicate that he worked his way up from errand boy to solicitor without any assistance from his father.

I thoroughly enjoyed the interactions between Darcy and Lizzy. The reader gleans some stirrings of interest on both sides very early. We are treated to two full on embraces - unlike the original that left us all salivating over the 1995 and 2005 film versions to see some actual liplocking. What we don’t see is any interaction between Bingley and Jane until the very end, and unfortunately, it’s a bit of an afterthought.

The Meat:
Okay, with the overall “whodunnit” I wasn’t completely sold on the actual resolution. Some of the turns that the characters make I felt to be inconsistent with their portrayal in the original text. While this isn’t necessarily a negative aspect to the book, I feel if you are very familiar with the text, you might find these changes a bit challenging to overlook. Additionally, I wasn’t completely sold on the motive of the murderer and the conclusion of the case. Also, I needed more Darcy and Lizzy interaction; especially following the original storyline.

Bottom Bun:
I’m so happy to learn that this is a first of a series. I can’t wait to delve into further adventures of Jane Austen heroines solving mysteries. I enjoyed the interactions between characters, especially those within the Bennett family. Mrs. Bennett actually plays an important role in capturing the real murderer, and I thought it was quite an unexpected turn for the character. Lastly, the one final exchange between Darcy and Lizzy was so reminiscent of the 2005 P&P that after finishing the novel, I was enticed to throw on the DVD and soak it all in again.

I would highly recommend this book; especially if you have teenage daughter that has already been introduced to the original Austen text. As there are a number of harrowing scenes and character deaths, I would not recommend for ages under 12.

This was reasonably entertaining, but lacked the zing to elevate it above three stars. My favorite part of Austen-inspired works such as these is to see the choices the author made in updating two hundred year old works for the present day, I would have appreciated a stronger plot in the present.

Murder Mystery + Classic Literature = Amazing
A short review for those who might be curious or unsure about the retelling of a classic:

I will say, I don't remember much of the original Pride and Prejudice, as I read it many years ago and instantly forgot it. So while I'm sure I would have been able to pick up on an almost identical retelling, it was far enough removed from my brain that it felt new and different. For those who just read OG P&P, that might not be true. However, I love the feel of the original and the retelling are different enough to warrant being read by both similar and different audiences. You do not need to be a classics lover to read this book.

Thank you to #NetGalley and publisher for the ARC of #PrideandPremeditation in exchange for the review.

Yes! Finally! A cozy mystery and Pride and Prejudice mashup that is clever! It is a fun and a great fresh take on a beloved classic.

Thank you so much for allowing me to read and review your titles.
I do appreciate it and continue to review books that I get the chance to read.
Thanks again!

A clever re-imagining of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, this novel follows Lizzie Bennet as she attempts to clear Mr. Bingley’s (who has been accused of murder) name, and earn herself official employment at her father’s law firm Longbourn and Sons. All of your favorite Pride and Prejudice characters are present here, with the same personalities though very different circumstances, in the first of Tirzah Price’s Jane Austen Murder Mysteries.

Lizzie Bennet has been helping out at her father’s law firm for quite a while now, and has even managed to solve a few of his cases, but Mr. Collins, her father’s heir, keeps taking credit for all her work. Worst still, her mother is insistent that Lizzie should be doing everything she can to ensure a marriage proposal from Mr. Collins in order to ensure her sister’s are taken care of if something happens to their father. Lizzie doesn’t know if she even wants to marry at all, but she certainly knows she doesn’t want to marry the vile man that is set to take over Longbourn and Sons, due to the unfortunate lack of sons in the family. When Lizzie learns that her father is hiring a new solicitor, she is determined to get the job, all she has to do is prove herself by solving a case with logic. Luckily, Lizzie learns of Mr. Bingley who has just been accused of murdering his brother-in-law. It’s the perfect opportunity for Lizzie to prove herself, the only problem is Mr. Bingley already has a solicitor, the aloof and condescending Mr. Darcy of Pemberly and Associates.

The story was delightful, the characters were delightful, the mystery was delightful. Price was true to the original characteristics of Jane Austen’s characters, while putting them in very different life situations. It was fun to experience the characters in a more working class society, and also to experience them running around London, rather than being set on the country estates. The mystery part was also really well done. There were a lot of players, so it kept things interesting, and the actual murder was not too easy to solve. The story gave away enough clues that you are able to solve the mystery, but it wasn’t so obvious that you know who the murderer is immediately.

The only downside to the novel is how historically inaccurate it is. The things Lizzie is able to do and get away with just would not fly during this time period, even with a very understanding father. But, Price owns it; she fully admits to, and explains, the historical inaccuracies in her author’s note. Now, for the many who do not feel compelled to read author’s notes like I do, a warning should be offered that this should not be taken as a history lesson, but rather a fun, fictionalized reimagining of the time period. Highly recommended for Jane Austen fans, and Pride and Premeditation would be perfect for teens (or adults) looking to dabble in murder mystery genre without reading something too dark and gruesome.

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that an intrepid young woman desirous of being an investigator must prove herself worthy of the career- in spite of the insipid males who qualify to the position with little effort- and succeed against parental and societal expectations while vying with a persnickety, brooding, handsome and already successful investigating lawyer on a big murder case. Not a retelling exactly, not even a variation, but more of a historical mystery strongly flavored by Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice. The start to Tirzah Price’s new book has a claim on Young Adult Historical Mystery fans and Austen lovers alike.

Pride and Premeditation is at heart a fun YA historical mystery. I was eager to read a murder mystery set in the Pride and Prejudice world. For some reason, I was under the impression that the story would be more enmeshed with that world than it was. Instead, this fresh take on the original borrows a few infamous P&P moments and general traits of its characters to form something new. I enjoyed the story more when I set aside the P&P connection and simply read it as its own tale. I found it entertaining, though I will admit that I wasn’t deeply drawn in.

Seventeen-year-old Lizzie is an audacious and anachronistic creation, little like a Regency Era woman of her class with quite modern tendencies and thinking. The author writes her so on purpose. I didn’t mind and went with it. There is engaging banter and I chuckled at times over some of the comebacks.

“Do you purposefully misunderstand everything I say, Miss Bennet?”
“Do you purposefully overlook all inconvenient truths, Mr. Darcy?”

I loved the idea of Lizzie and Darcy pitted against each other detecting the same crime, but it does take some adjustment. In other words, don’t get your knickers in a twist if details and dialogue go a tad off script when it comes to historical authenticity and storyline.

And, because of this liberty, the reader gets a bold, clever, and impetuous heroine detective sparring with a capable and seasoned criminal lawyer who learns to see her in a much more favorable, respectful light than she ever sees him. Like the Elizabeth Bennet she is created after, this Lizzie assumes and takes the word of those she shouldn’t. Eventually, they draw closer together as the investigation progresses.

On a side note, I enjoyed Lizzie’s interactions with her sisters. Jane is so calm and wise with the youngest, Lydia, boisterous and ripe for trouble. I wish the group of sisters had more page time together.

There is a hint of romance, but in this arena, the author does follow Regency Era etiquette, so there is nothing blatant. The romance is also not as developed and, though they sparked against each other professionally, I didn’t see that so much when it came to attraction, though it wasn’t devoid of romance, either. The mystery was not deeply intricate, though it had some decent twists and turns. Things got plenty exciting and suspenseful at times, what with more death, kidnappings, seedy locations, and trailing through the evidence to the truth. For those in the know, would you believe Wickham is a cop (aka Bow Street Runner)? And, yeah, his character is much the same as the original because he tricks Lizzie for his own purposes. Besides the investigation, there is courtroom drama, as well.

The epilogue wrapped it up and let the reader see where things are headed in a satisfying way. This is a series and I’ve already caught sight of the title for book two which looks like it may enter the world of another Austen novel. I’m unsure if Lizzie will continue as the main detective or another intrepid female will step up in that role. All in all, I had a good time and was entertained by the characters and the story. Those who want a mystery with beloved Pride & Prejudice characters peopling the story shouldn’t hesitate to reach for this one.