What a fun tale! I loved the way Gray included characters from various Jane Austin stories and confined them to one house party, at Emma and Knightley's estate. But even better was the way in which the scoundrel Mr. Wickham met his demise.
This is both a mystery and a reacquaintance with some beloved characters.

The Murder of Mr. Wickham has all the promise of a delightful vintage read. The characters are familiar, the setting is well described and the plot is in line with what Austen herself might enjoy. The author shows her wit with some well turned sentences, however I found the pacing to be inconsistent. I also had trouble keeping track of who the characters were, but that's likely on me. I've read Austen but am no scholar. I also found that each time I put this book down, I had to refresh my memory when I restarted it. It would have been better for me to read straight through but that wasn't in the cards.
I think the book will be well received by all, but most especially by Jane-ites.
Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday publishing for this ARC of The Murder of Mr Wickham.

A fun idea for a book that was ultimately dragged down by some unfortunate pacing issues. However, I did enjoy getting to see all of our beloved Austen characters in a familiar setting, especially with the oh-so wicked Wickham as the victim of a crime.

I enjoyed the relationship between the two young characters in this book. The author did a good job of including a neurodivergent character even if it was overexplained at times.

It felt like visiting old friends, in the form of all your favorite Austenian couples. We had the Darcy’s, Knightley’s, Wentworth’s and more having a country house party that gets crashed by George Wickham. Obviously, based on the title, that does not work in his favor. A couple of new characters are added, including Jonathan who is the son of Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth Darcy. I truly enjoyed his character and watching him navigate the investigation that ensued upon Wickham’s death. I will say, I was a little disappointed that most of the characters were deeply unhappy, as I like to imagine them all having as much of a HEA as the 1800’s would allow them. The reasons behind unaliving Wickham were very Austen, and this whodunnit was an easy read. If you loved the original books, I think you will enjoy this one.

"The Murder of Mr. Wickham" is a gripping mystery novel that has its fair share of strengths and weaknesses.
The author demonstrates a keen ability to create an atmosphere of suspense throughout the book. The plot is filled with unexpected twists and turns, keeping readers engaged as they try to solve the murder alongside the characters. This element of suspense is a definite pro, making it a page-turner.
The character development is another strength. The main characters are well-rounded and relatable, with their own quirks and motives. This adds depth to the story and enhances the reader's connection with the narrative.
But the novel's pacing can be inconsistent. At times, it moves briskly, but in certain sections, it tends to drag, causing some readers to lose interest temporarily. Additionally, the resolution of the mystery may leave some feeling a bit unsatisfied, as it may raise more questions than it answers.
In short, "The Murder of Mr. Wickham" is a compelling mystery with a strong atmosphere and well-crafted characters. Yet, the pacing issues and a somewhat enigmatic ending could potentially deter some readers. If you enjoy a complex mystery that keeps you guessing, this book is worth a read, but be prepared for a few bumps along the way.

I'm a Jane Austen and murder mystery fan so thought this would be a great read for my particular taste, but unfortunately I found it a bit too meandering to stay engrossed in the storyline. I had hoped for more chemistry between the young characters attempting to solve the murder, but it just fell flat for me. I DNFed at about 50%.

Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me. I largely know which Austen characters are from which book, but in this book there were simply too many characters and pov changes for it to be enjoyable for me. The first part was a complete info dump, which immediately threw me off. I had to dnf this at 20%.

I loved this imaginative take on a classic! It's a great who dun it vibe with familiar characters reimagined in such a fun way! I also loved the cover and this was an easy sell to recommend playing on such a classic favorite!

I had a really hard time getting into the book. I felt there were to many charcters for me to keep track of. Claudia did an amazing job writing an Agatha Christie style novel but I just could not find that feeling where I couldn't put the book down till the end.

**I received an advanced reader's copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

It is not always easy to capture the essence of Jane Austen's characters in adaptations, especially when having said characters intermingle and become suspects. Overall, Gray does an amazing job at this task, setting a house party as a scene for Austen's characters (and offspring of other characters) to come together and for Mr. Wickham to be murdered. Gray crafts a splendid and plausible story for these connections. I did struggle a bit with Gray's interpretation of Fanny and Edmund Bertram, but that aside, everyone else seemed a bit true to form. The mystery itself was fun, with amateur sleuthing, red herrings, and a multitude of suspects showing motives.

I eagerly anticipate reading the next!

The Murder of Mr. Wickham take place at the Knightley's house now that they are married. The characters include Jane Austen's most famous creations. I love that we got to see so many of Austen's characters but the story really focused on Juliet, Catherine and Henry's daughter, and Johnathan, Darcy and Elizabeth's son. The two team up to solve Mr. Wickham's murder after he crashes the party and ends up dead.
This is everything I want from a retelling. New characters, old characters, a great mystery, and fantastic chemistry.

I wanted to love this book so much, but it was just meh for me. I’m a huge Pride and Prejudice fan so I was excited at the concept, but it fell kind of flat. The murderer felt obvious, and the book kept dragging on for me.

"The Murder of Mr. Wickham" presents a creative twist on the beloved characters from Jane Austen's world, offering a blend of mystery and Regency-era charm. While the premise is intriguing, the execution sometimes falls a bit short of its potential. The author's attempt to meld a classic whodunit with Austen's universe is commendable, yet the pacing and character development feel uneven at times. Despite this, fans of Austen might enjoy revisiting these familiar personalities in a new context. While not without its flaws, the book offers a diverting read for those seeking a mix of historical ambiance and suspense.

DNF'd but I will try again because I really am interested in the premise.

Thanks to NetGalley / Edelweiss and the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for a review.

Several couples have gathered at the home of the Knightleys for a house party- the Darcys (along with their son Jonathan), the Wentworths, the Bertrams, and the newly married Brandons, along with young Juliet Tilney. When Mr. Wickham crashes the party, most are extremely upset. When he's murdered, it becomes apparent that a member of the house party is the one who did him in. This book was so much fun! As an avowed Janeite, I loved revisiting all of the couples from Austen's novels. I loved that Gray included a note at the beginning detailing her timeline of the original books in order to set the ages of each couple. If you love Austen novels, this will be for you. If you have never read or didn't like them, I don't think you'd like this nearly as much- you really would miss a lot if you don't have that background knowledge. I can't wait to read the next book in this series (which revolves around Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney as amateur sleuths).

The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray includes almost all of Jane Austen’s married couples at a house party where George Wickham shows up and gets himself murdered. Gray has given the completed Austen novels a reasonable chronology so the couples are spaced out in age and time of life; Marianne Dashwood and Colonel Brandon are the most newly-married, while Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett have been married for over twenty years. Gray constructs connections between all of them, some close and some more distant. Original characters are the detectives: Jonathan Darcy, eldest son attending with his parents, and Juliet Tilney, who’s attending her first house party alone, which means that Austen’s canonical characters are the suspects. Gray ramps up the conflict between Wickham and the Darcys, and adds motives for the rest by extrapolating Wickham’s seducing ways and adding in blackmail and a plausible fraudulent investment scheme. I am not sure if anyone has fanfictionally murdered Mr. Wickham before, but it’s a great idea and I was entertained, more by the canonical couple dynamics than the mystery itself. As for the original characters, Juliet is an ingenue who privately questions constraints upon a young woman’s behavior as part of her strong sense of right and wrong. She was realistically spunky and I loved her. Jonathan is clearly portrayed as a person with autism, though I felt the traits he exhibited (good at numbers, overwhelmed by crowds, socially rigid) were in my opinion a bit stereotypical and hammered in in relation to the rest of his characterization; note the author does not have autism but did employ a sensitivity reader. Jonathan’s perspective made a terrific foil and complement to Juliet’s; I would have liked more of Jonathan’s dialogue and investigations with Juliet. I am assuming the book is intended as a possible series opener [ETA: confirmed!], and am curious if the next murder victim would be a canonical character or not. ETA: I’m expecting the second book will expand the roles of the original characters.

Unfortunately, this one was not a hit for me. I absolutely love Jane Austen and was excited to dig into a book that included all of the FMC & MMC (and some familiar supporting characters) from Austen’s novels. Unfortunately, I felt that some of the author’s characterizations were off. Edmund Bertram in particular was an incredibly unlikable character in this book and didn’t seem to track with Austen’s original Edmund from Mansfield Park.
These beloved fictional people behaving so wildly out of character was very difficult for me to get past. It was a cloud hanging over an otherwise cozy little murder mystery. I believe I’d have enjoyed this story with an original cast of characters, but I can’t bring myself to recommend it. The only upside to reading this one is the desire I now have to revisit Mansfield Park by Jane Austen.

"The Murder of Mr. Wickhma" by Claudia Gray is a gripping murder mystery that weaves together an intricate plot, a captivating cast of characters, and a suspenseful atmosphere that keeps readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. With a meticulous attention to detail and a knack for creating compelling narratives, Gray delivers a thrilling story that will keep readers guessing until the final page.

Mr. Wickham, Mr. Darcy, hmm. Those names are quite familiar, aren't they. Well, they should be. The basic plot is this - throw all of Jane Austen's characters in a house together for a house party and when one of them turns up dead, wait to see if the bumbling policeman solves it before the Austen youngsters. I won't spoil it for you but I bet you have an idea how that ends.

I love Austen. I love a good mystery. I'm all in. The book is written very much in Austen's style and was delightful. If I had to make a comparison, I would say that it lacked the depth of characterization that Austen is famous for, but I didn't expect that here. This is a lovely, lighthearted who-done-it. It's a cozy with some Austen-like cheek. I'm a fan. I will be following this series from here on out.