This book was such a fun read! I loved reading the mix of characters and seeing how they might interact together. Add the mystery and the fact that the author was able to recreate Austen’s great dialogue and it made for such a great read.

This was the second Jane Austen-based mystery I have read this year, and I would read a million more if they were as good as this book! When Emma and Mr. Knightley throw a house party and invite Jane Austen's most popular characters, they certainly didn't invite Mr. Wickham. But soon after he crashes the house party, he is brutally murdered. Juliet Tilney, the daughter of Catherine and Henry, and Jonathan Darcy, the oldest Darcy son, come together to investigate the murder and quickly suspect the murderer is one of the house party. The plot is so captivating that it is difficult to put the book down! It is excellently written in a style very similar to Jane Austen, and the characters flowed seamlessly from their original novels and into this one. It was so much fun to see these characters later on in their lives, and Claudia Gray does a masterful job of imagining their future achievements and struggles. I also appreciated how well she wrote the new characters of Juliet and Jonathan. Jonathan seems to be neurodivergent, and she highlights how this could be a struggle for him in society without making it a weakness. I loved this book and hope she continues to write more books like this one!

Thank you to Netgalley, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group Vintage, and Claudia Gray for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Make sure to pick this book up! It is a must-read for fans of Jane Austen!

Claudia Gray has shown a mastery of the Christe style murder mystery in The Murder of Mr. Wickham. The twists and turns kept me guessing while the world building was done in a way that kept me wildly entertained. There was just enough of the time period in the writing to make it interesting and open the door to other regency novels, especially the respective novels of our characters.

Almost everyone staying in the house had a reason to want Mr. Wickham dead, betrayal, death, debt, people have been killed for much less and the only way to solve this murder is to have the two people who had no reason to want Mr Wickham dead be the ones to do it.

Putting together these fantastic characters in one story was a brilliant idea, one I for one enjoyed every moment of, I loved that our main characters were two teenagers that may never have met if not for the party they had both been invited to. While they both had their own quirks, they found companionship (and hopefully more if there's a sequel) and were able to look outside the box while solving the murder of the dastardly Mr. Wickham.

Juliet and Thomas are amazing characters, well rounded and interesting, able to keep you involved in the story, the way they moved between the suspects was masterful and kept me guessing to the very end, and that ending was fantastic, I was at the verge of tears until that very last twist and oh what a twist it was.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Who wouldn’t want something to happen to Mr. Wickham? Was so happy with the title!
As Jane Austen’s characters come together to Donwell Abbey, they wake to a murder. Two young guests, Jonathon Darcy and Juliet Tilney, team up to solve the whodunnit murder mystery.
If your a fan of Pride and Prejudice then this is a must read for you!
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I went into this reading hoping that, as a fan of Jane Austen, I would not be disappointed. I'm happy to report that I wasn't disappointed! The authors writing played right into the characters backgrounds and personalities. The writing to me was exceptional. I was so pleased with this clever story!

The Murder of Mr. Wickham was a solid read. Couples from Austen's books and/or their children gather at the Knightley's for a month long house party. Wickham trounces in uninvited and finds himself murdered. Johnathan Darcy and Juliet Tinley go off to figure out the true murderer.

The main thing that drew me to this book was the title. As a lover of Pride and Prejudice, I was curious as to who might've killed Wickham. That being said, I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I've not read any other of Austen's works....whoops? The only characters I was excited to see were the Darcy's and their kid(s). The author does do a nice job of summarizing where all the couples are in their lives now at the beginning of the book, so not knowing the other characters wasn't really a big barrier. It was nice to be pulled back into the time period of Austen's work and revisit some of her characters.

This story is Agatha Christie-esque in that many characters are introduced, they get to know each other a bit, and there's a closed room murder mystery. And like many Agatha Christie books, I found this one to have a pacing issue as well. The middle dragged on a bit for my taste, but I kept reading because I wanted to figure out who did it.

I gave this a three star rating only because of my personal preferences with pacing and the overall mood was a bit too somber with little to no romance. I'd still recommend it to anyone who's an Austen fan and/or an Agatha Christie fan.

** “When making new friends, pay less attention to what people say of themselves, more attention to how they behave. Truth is not in the telling but in the doing.” **

Jane Austen meets Agatha Christie in Claudia Gray’s latest novel, “The Murder of Mr. Wickham.”

The story reintroduces us to Austen’s most well-known characters while at a house party:
Emma and George Knightley from “Emma”
Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy from “Pride and Prejudice”
Fanny and Edmund Bertram from “Mansfield Park”
Marianne and Col. Christopher Brandon from “Sense and Sensibility”
Anne and Capt. Frederick Wentworth from “Persuasion”
Frank Churchill from “Emma”
as well as new characters Jonathan Darcy, the son of the Darcys, and Juliet Tilney, the daughter of the Tilneys from “Northanger Abbey.”

When everyone has gathered at the Knightleys’ home, the unthinkable happens — all around scalawag George Wickham arrives without notice. And when he ends up dead, pretty much everyone present has a reason to wish him dead. Young Jonathan and Juliet quickly join forces to figure out who truly dealt the death blow to Wickham, sifting through motives and clues.

Gray has created a delectable mystery written both in the styles of Austen and Christie, picking up with our beloved Austen couples who’ve been married anywhere between months (the Brandons) to 22 years (the Darcys). We get a glimpse into how their lives may have become, all while also getting an imaginative murder mystery that keeps the reader guessing until the very end.

“The Murder of Mr. Wickham” is a fun and intriguing read that will appeal to fans of Regency novels and authors like Austen, as well as cozy mysteries and authors like Christie. It is also filled with some good themes like understanding people’s hidden motives; don’t be quick to judge; pride; and responding with mercy not malice.

I would love to see another book, delving into further escapades of Jonathan and Juliet. This book is set to release May 3.

Five stars out of five.

Vintage provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

How does one not fall in love with a murder mystery featuring all our favorite Jane Austen characters? With such a charming setting and Agatha Christie vibes, this book can appeal to so many different readers.

While we all enjoy hating on our favorite Jane Austen villain, Claudia Gray writes a depth to all the characters such that each have their own flaws and virtues.. The dimensionality of the characters and the richness of their background, both from the source material as well as the added details Claudia lends them provides such an interesting concept. Because I wasn't as familiar with the Jane Austen rolodex, it was a bit hard keeping characters straight and understanding their motivations and such in the beginning. However, for the characters and stories I did love and know, I really enjoyed the little easter eggs and nods to their stories Claudia Gray weaved throughout the book.

I especially loved Juliet and Jonathan. As the two new characters, there was a lot more room to play with their characterizations, and their interactions and crime-solving badassery was just sooooo cute and enchanting. And exploring the After of the HEA for all these couples was so interesting. especially considering how different a lot of them were and how their pasts would interact to create a future. I really enjoyed reading this book, and with all its twists and turns, it's sure to put a smile on any Jane Austen fans' faces 😍😍😍😍

The Grinch, and the entire cast of this book - Hate hate hate, double hate, LOATHE ENTIRELY! Mr. Wickham.

This is when Angel would have murdered Wickham:   “It is a bit early for reading, is it not?” 

“I am inclined to think it cannot be too early to read, should the choice of book be worthy.”

“so that no one will note our behavior as strange, and so we shan’t be hungry. It is always disagreeable to think on an empty stomach.“

"When making new friends, pay less attention to what people say of themselves, more attention to how they behave. Truth is not in the telling but in the doing."

"Above all, I urge you to make this visit a study of human nature. It is the one tool of the novelist that is useful in day-to-day life— one that helps us interpret the hidden depths behind even the most ordinary circumstances."

"It was not shocking that anger might lead to murder. Jonathan had to confront anew the truth that love might have that same power."

“God’s first law is love, is it not?”

“I believe that the smallest hatred is a greater sin than the most misguided love.”

"It was the residence of a happy family, and where that is the case, no home can lack beauty."

“Not all the secrets we keep are our own.”

“Nature provides the surest solace, does it not? I am sure my spirit is never so at ease as it is when surrounded by green trees and blue sky.”

“That house parties are more trouble than they are worth, and we shall never, ever have another one.”

“Anywhere in the world will be home, as long as you are with me.”

“There is no joy to be taken from what has happened here…That does not mean there is not joy to be found in going forward.”

Lovely lovely novel from the Jane Austen universe.  This Janeite looks forward to more from this author.

As a fan of Jane Austen's works, this book was definitely a lot of fun. I think the fact that I have read all of Austen's novels really benefitted my reading experience; there were a LOT of characters, and I feel like it would have been really hard to keep track of them all if you aren't familiar with the stories or characters. That being said, I did feel like, at least for the first half of the book, there was a little too much reliance of smmarizing each book. Which I'm sure is helpful for people who were unfamiliar with the characters, but it also felt a bit cumbersome to me.
One thing I thought was well done was the author's ability to write in the voice of the pre-existing characters and in this pre-existing universe, which is not an easy task, and I thought she did a really good job with it.
I will say, however, that I kind of wish the focused had been more on Jonathan and Juliet, the children of other characters, rather than jumping POVs. Sometimes I got POV whiplast from just how often I was thrust into a new characters' point of view.
The mystery was pretty well done, but I thought it ended a bit abruptly. The pacing of this book was a little strange, with the first half inching forward so slowly and the second half picking up the pace until the abrupt ending.

Even though I've never read a Jane Austen novel before, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It took me some time to remember who was who and I will say that before Mr. Wickham gets murdered, the book is a bit slow, but after he dies the book really picks up. I liked the writing style and how it was reminiscent of an actual Jane Austen novel.

Emma and George Knightley have decided to gather their closest acquaintances for a house party. They've invited everyone from the Wentworths to the Darcys to engage in some good old-fashioned country fun. The one person not on their invite list is Mr. Wickham. So when the man unexpectedly turns up, it throws a damper on everyone's good mood.

Mr. Wickham has never been popular in society, but his latest financial schemes have left him with an even longer list of enemies. His presence is unwelcome and puts all the guests on edge, but due to propriety, the Knightley's can't kick him out. As the days go by, it's clear that Wickham has some scheme planned and secrets that tie him to more than one of the guests. Despite many wishing ill will on him, all the guests are shocked when Wickham's body is found murdered in the gallery. Nearly everyone at the house party had motive enough to kill, so it's up to the youngest of the party, the Darcy's son Johnathan and Catherine and Henry's daughter, Juliet, to uncover the culprit before it's too late.

If you love Jane Austen or cozy PBS-style murder mysteries, then this is the book for you. The idea of throwing together all of her most beloved characters in a whodunit mystery was so entertaining. I loved getting glimpses into the characters many know and love, but the highlight here was the new ones introduced. Juliet was intelligent and free-spirited, and Jonathan was so sweet and even more noble than his father (if you can believe it.) I'm not sure if Gray intended this, but, to me, Jonathan had some neurodivergent tendencies and I appreciated that representation. There were times he mentioned how he doesn't understand the world like everyone else, or how he has to pace or rock when he's overwhelmed or thinking through something. It made me feel for him. I thought he and Juliet had a nice dynamic and worked so well together. I loved trying to ferret out clues alongside them. As for the mystery aspect, I was on my toes the whole time and I had no clue where Gray was going to go. I liked how she wrapped it all up, but my issue was it took a long time to get there. If you enjoy historical mysteries and don't mind a slower-paced plot, then I would recommend this.

I love a good whodunit book. This had a nice twist to it with Jane Austen inspired characters. I really didn't get that part of it as I haven't read any Jane Austen books. I still thought the concept was unique and done really well. I loved the writing style as well. Overall I think this was a solid read.

A fun whodunnit using all of Jane Austen’s characters, but I found it a bit too long. It definitely needs a prior knowledge of Austen’s work else you’ll end up confused, not a bad read but was a bit too slow for a whodunnit in my opinion.

Thank you so much for allowing me to read the Murder of Mr. Wickham! As soon as I saw the title, I knew I would be totally down for it. I was thinking I’d for sure be rejected for that one, so I really appreciate it.

I love murder mysteries and anything related to Jane Austen! I know a lot of people have a great disdain for Wickham, so his eventual murder seemed fitting. I wasn’t expecting characters from Austen’s other books to be featured, so that was a fun surprise. All of Jane’s famous couples gather together in the home of the Knightleys to celebrate their marriage. Mr. Wickham shows up once again where he isn’t wanted. Shockingly or not quite so shockingly, he’s murdered.

Regency house parties are by far my favorite kind of parties. I just love they’re like a big sleepover vacation for adults.
It pained me Captain Wentworth lost his fortune. He is my favorite of Austen’s men. It was a little sad to see him bitter and a bit rude, but understandable. I also love Mr. Tilney and thought it was sad the Tilneys weren’t at the party. However, it was a nice touch that their daughter Juliet was there. I enjoyed her friendship with Jonathan Darcy.

The murder scene was well done! I pictured it perfectly. I loved several of them were up at night, so it could’ve been any one of them.

Overall, I really loved this book! The pacing was slightly slow in some parts. I think I would’ve liked to see more interrogation of the suspects. There were also a lot of characters. I wasn’t as invested in some of the characters. I’m not a fan of some of them, but I understand why they were included. Side note, I love that Mary made an appearance in a letter. She sounded like she was thriving.

To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of Fanny as an Austen character. She’s a little too pious and somewhat judgmental of others. However, I did enjoy the subplot involving her and Edmund. I thought it was well done in showing a husband and wife coming together in a time of difficulty. They worked through their differences and found a solution using their faith.

It seemed, at times, the Knightleys weren’t very concerned about Wickham being found dead in their home. They carried on with their party. It’s like how often would that happen in Regency England? I know they got Frank Churchill to investigate, but it felt like they could’ve been a little more involved. There wasn’t really any talk of what they were going to do or if the guests were going to leave. However, I enjoyed Jonathan and Juliet invested their time in solving the murder.

Darcy and Elizabeth were probably the most rounded, complex characters of the story. I loved all the inside jokes between them, referencing Pride and Prejudice. They had an in-depth backstory and character growth. They are of course connected to Wickham through marriage, so I think they were forced to care more about his murder than the other guests. I thought they made the most of their circumstances and also experienced growth in their relationship with each other.

I loved everything about Colonel Brandon and Marianne. Willoughby is just such a great annoyance to me. It was kind of like “can you go away, so they can be happy?”

I loved the last two chapters! I wouldn’t change a thing about the ending. Everything came together perfectly in a way that was realistic and unhurried. Sometimes I feel endings are a bit rushed and wrapped up too nicely, but not this book. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves Austen adaptations and murder mysteries!

Rating: Really Enjoyed It

The Murder of Mr. Wickham was a great deal of fun. Couples from all Austen's books come together for a house party and Mr. Wickham gate crashes. He has ties to most of them through some nefarious scheme or another, and most of them ave reason to hate him. He is stuck there for a little while because a terrible storm, lasting several days, makes the roads impassible, and one evening he is discovered dead. Two of the party decide to do some sleuthing and figure out who amongst them is a murderer.

I have only read Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Mansfield Park, so I wasn't familiar with the characters from Emma, Persuasion, and Northanger Abbey. Sidenote: the couple from Northanger Abbey weren't really in this, it was their daughter, Juliet). I really loved the way that the characters from the different books were connected and the way that they interacted. Something that was really fun was how the author imagined the different times that the books were written. So at the time of the house party, Lizzy and Darcy had been married for 22 years, and their son Jonathan attended with them, but Colonel Brandon and Marianne were only married within the last year. I also felt like the way that the author wrote was very reminiscent of the time period and captured the vibe of Austen's work.

Something that was really interesting was that Jonathan Darcy was portrayed as neurodivergent. I am not personally neurodivergent, but the author did have a sensitivity reader who she thanked in the acknowledgments. It was interesting to read about Jonathan's different thoughts and needs through the lens of a past when this type of difference wasn't well understood. Jonathan Darcy forms a friendship with Juliet Tilney, and they are the sleuths.

I do have to say that it was both really interesting to read about some of my favorite characters as they've aged and to learn what their current issues and difficulties are, but it was also kind of sad to have to see them struggling through this really difficult thing (being a potential murderer) on top of their life struggles. I felt for the most part that the depiction of how the characters would deal with the struggle was pretty well done (for the characters I was familiar with). I was mostly just stressed because I didn't want any of my favorites to have to hang for such a miscreant as George Wickham.

I didn't love the way that all the reveals were structured. The main issue was that we got the perspectives of all the characters throughout, but their particular struggles or difficulties were usually danced around in their perspectives until our sleuths were able to uncover more details and figure out why Lizzy and Darcy were fighting or why Fanny was so incredibly upset. Occassionally the characters themselves would get into it when we were in their perspective, but it resulted in a lot of dancing around the issue, which was frustrating. I felt like either the reveals should have happened earlier to avoid the dancing, or we just followed the perspectives of Jonathan and Juliet in order to discover the difficulties more naturally.

Something else that frustrated me was the portrayal of Marianne and Colonel Brandon. They are one of my favorite couples and the portrayal of their relationship just made me sad.

I thought that the final reveal made sense (it was what I had predicted pretty early on), and overall it was a good time. There is going to be another book set in this world, so I will definitely be picking it up because it was just a lot of fun. I kept turning the pages because I wanted to know the secrets and know who did it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for early access to an eARC in exchange for an honest review. The Murder of Mr. Wickham releases on 5/3/22

The murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray is an upcoming thriller novel. It is a whodunit murder mystery revolving around characters from Jane Austen novel who all are invited to a house party hosted by Emma and Mr. Knightley.

All Austen fans definitely knows who Mr. Wickham is and by the title it is clear he's murdered and someone from the party is the killer.

I really liked the plot of the novel and it was very cleverly written but the language was in classic English style so reading it was bit difficult. Here we get an insight on the life after the happy endings of all Austen couples which is like a treat for the fans.

It was an unpredictable mystery for me and I never guessed who the killer is. I also liked the pair Jonathan and Tilney. The author had put real efforts in bringing an Austen atmosphere to the story and writing about her characters.

I honestly feel that this will be exclusively enjoyed by those who are familiar with Austen's works else you won't connect to the emotions much.

I thank the @netgalley and @prhinternational for the e-arc.

Did I start this book while watching Bridgerton? Yes. As a result of that timing did I read everything in British accents in my head (and sometimes out loud)? Also yes. Any regrets? Nope.
Though I do think this one was a tad too long and dragged in a few places, overall I really enjoyed this book. And I can say, as someone who isn’t as well versed in Jane Austen as I wish I was, I was still able to enjoy this whodunit with ease.
I also loved the part-Clue, part-Knives Out, part-murder mystery in the mansion vibe that this book had, as well as the sleuthing skills of Juliet and Jonathan.
Overall, this was a fun read that fans of Jane Austen and British-based cozy mysteries will enjoy!

I feel like the title alone brings glee, let alone the story of that horrid man getting some comeuppance. The book was great! It seemed to drag a little in the middle but full of all the wonderful characters and had some new generation characters that were lovely. A perfect mix of Jane Austen and Agatha Christie.

I didn't like this one. I didn't finish reading this one. It just wasn't a book I was interested in reading.