The Murder of Mr. Wickham is both a fun romp through the world of Jane Austen and an homage to Agatha Christie. How could anyone resist?

Mr. and Mrs. Knightley throw a house party for some of Jane Austen's most beloved characters, but dinner the first night is interrupted by an uninvited and unwelcome arrival- Mr. Wickham. And the house if further thrown into tumult when Mr. Wickham is found dead. Nearly everyone had a motive and nearly everyone is keeping secrets. Who is guilty of The Murder of Mr. Wickham?

I loved the premise of this book and the author did a great job of writing in the spirit of Jane Austen without trying (and inevitably failing) to copy her style. Her choice to have one of the two main characters be neurodivergent was interesting and sensitively portrayed. And I really appreciated how the two main characters worked as a team, without the 'helpless' female having to constantly be rescued or romance between them taking attention away from the mystery.

My only criticism of the book is that, while the author did such an amazing job writing the characters and their interactions, the mystery portions of the book were rather weak. That whole plot line seemed more of an afterthought than it should have; it seemed slow, not very well thought out, and randomly inserted at intervals into a story that was already written. Those sections of the book dragged a bit.

Still, this is a thoroughly enjoyable book that I highly recommend. I wouldn't mind reading a sequel at all.

An English manor murder that interrupts a house party. Helping to figure out whodunit are 2 very young houseguests when the local police are not working fast enough.

Brilliant, just brilliant! This was SUCH an entertaining read from start to finish. It was so interesting to get glimpses into the lives of Jane Austen’s most famous couples as they move through life together. The murder mystery element was also executed perfectly, I was guessing right until the end! A truly satisfying end to the life of such a villain.

Please add this to your reading lists if you are an Austen fan who enjoys mystery, intrigue and fabulously written characters. Claudia - I can’t praise you enough for this novel!

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the advanced copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

This was incredibly well written fanfiction.
Fanfiction is one my favorite topics–for a brief time I considered specializing in it as an area of academic research, so profound are its impacts on modern society–and there is an argument that almost all modern literature is fanfiction in some sort of way. I have angered many a self indulgent literature bro by applying this logic to Joyce’s Ulysses, which sticks incredibly close to the definition of fanfiction.
This is all to say that, while I do utilize its negative connotations to bully pretentious men, I exalt fanfiction and when I call this novel fanfiction, I mean it as the highest praise. The Murder of Mr. Wickham is the cross over event you never knew you needed; the epilogue you might have known you craved (I did) but never imagined would be so satisfying.
There were some downsides. There were not really enough pages to revisit all my favorite couples the way I wanted, and I was only truly satisfied by the Darcys’ arc. The Knightleys are incongruously absent, considering they are the hosts of the fateful house party, and as a die hard Emma fan, I was missing their dynamic and the opportunity to see its evolution in marriage. There were other authorial choices regarding the fate of my favorite characters that I, an ardent fan, was doomed to dislike, simply because I have spent so much time myself thinking about the future of the Darcy line, for example.
These personal qualms aside, however, I find this novel to deliver exactly what was advertised and then some; impeccably well written and with a clearly nuanced understanding of Austen as a writer–a academically qualified understanding, almost–Gray also manages to give substance to her shade of the characters that might be lacking in other fanfiction renditions. This depth was unexpected, I admit, but not unappreciated–all of these beloved characters are not blissfully married and without problems. Instead, Gray invents marital problems and financial disputes that seem in keeping with the characters we know and love.
I will note–this novel does rely on prior Austen knowledge, and somewhat excessive familiarity, at that. Time is not wasted on recapping the events of Mansfield Park, and, having never read it, I was only vaguely familiar with Fanny’s story, and thus fairly lost for her POV. Overall, a certain level of Austen fandom is required to reap enjoyment from this novel, and, while this could be seen as a setback, as a member of the audience Gray was so clearly pandering to, I did not mind. It is masterfully well done fanfiction, and as an avid Austen fan, I consumed it like catnip. I cannot recommend it enough for Austen fans who wish the author was even more prolific; this was certainly a balm to my soul.
Thank you to Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group and Netgalley for the ARC, gifted in exchange for my honest review.

What a fun and easy read! I so enjoy the writing styles of Claudia Gray and this does not disappoint! I found it a treat as an Austen fan. Recommend!

This book was serious fun! Many of the Knightleys' house party guests are suffering quietly due to various misfortunes. You would think meeting new people and old friends would go far to cheer everyone. And it might have if George Wickham hadn't crashed the party. His presence puts a pall on the proceedings as it becomes apparent that more than one guest has reason to hate him. I was fascinated to see what life had become for some of our favorites: Emma and Knightley, Anne and Capt. Wentworth, Elizabeth and Darcy, and the newlyweds, Col. Brandon and Marianne. If you are a Jane Austen fan and a mystery lover you will want to read this book!

If you are a fan of Jane Austen's writings and like the "fan fiction" that has emerged surrounding her stories then you will find this an intriguing murder mystery. What makes it fun also, in my opinion, gives it a flaw which makes me lower it from a five star to a four star rating.

What's fun about the novel is that all of Jane Austen's major characters from all her major novels come together in this one story. The Darcy's, the Wentworth's, the Knightly's, the Bertram's, even Frank Churchill. While this is fun it also makes the book a bit tedious. So many backstories must be told that you start to get swamped with details. But it is also fun to see how the characters all relate to each other in a most trying time.

The story is set two decades after the wedding of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy. This allows for bringing together all of the various characters (time line wise). It also allows for three new characters to come together, Jonathan Darcy, Juliet Tilney and Grace Churchill, all three teenagers, children of our major story characters.

The Knightly's are hosting a house party to which all of our characters (except the Churchhills) have been invited. After they are all together another guest spoils the party. Mr. Wickham shows up, uninvited. But due to severe weather he is offered a room for one night.

As the title of the book suggests, Mr. Wickham is eventually murdered. He has been forced to stay more than a night because of the weather. He starts to grate on everyone's nerves, and is a most un welcomed guest.

The question of the book is, "Who murdered Mr. Wickham?" But I think a better question might be, "Who didn't want Mr. Wickham murdered?" That question is what really drives the story.

The bulk of the time is spent developing why each character had a good reason to murder Wickham. The only issue is to determine who had the temerity to actually commit the murder?

The fact that we all want to see Wickham dead is what drives us to continue reading the story. We can't wait to see "Who did it!"

I think this was a good blend of Jane Austen's books as well as being a good Who Done It.

Get a pad of paper and a pencil so that you can take notes while reading, that will help you keep track of all the characters and their various motives.

Enjoy!

I enjoyed this dive into a post-Jane Austen novels world, but it wasn't my favorite read. It was fun to have all of the JA characters thrown together in one place, and to see an idea of how their stories progressed in the years following their novels.

However, the mystery was a little meh overall, and the main clue that was presented to solve the murder didn't make sense to me - why that clue would've even remained around and not gotten rid of sooner.

There were some characters where I didn't like the author's representation of them - I didn't think she got them right. For example, Edmund (as much as I dislike him normally) seemed to be way too self-righteous. I also felt like Darcy would've gotten over a bit more of his silence and "not knowing how to react/what to say"-ness around Lizzy, after 2 decades of marriage. Emma and Knightley lost a lot of their magic for me, in their depiction here. But I suppose the author is allowed to have a different interpretation of the characters than me!

I did like the new characters - Juliet and Jonathan. Perhaps because I didn't have a template of who they were before, I didn't have an idea stuck in my head for them. I liked their dynamic together (a little Darcy/Lizzy-esque in some ways, but still very much their own) and their individual personalities. Jonathan definitely seems like a kid that Darcy and Lizzy would have, and Juliet had a lot of her mother's characteristics. If the author decided to turn this into a series and write another novel with Juliet and Jonathan (and more Darcy and Lizzy, of course, but not so much the other characters), I would definitely read it.

There were a lot of characters and I found it hard to keep track of who was who especially with the changing perspectives. I liked the two younger characters the best. It didn't pull me in but I also am not someone who is super into murder mysteries.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an advanced copy of this title in exchange for my honest review!

The mystery aspect of this one is top notch - the “whodunnit” aspect makes this mystery very fun. The premise of this book involves characters from all of Jane Austen’s novels, and while I’ve read most of them, I haven’t read them in a very long time. That being said, you can understand this book, but I wish I would’ve done a review of some of them. I’m sure it would’ve added to the character development of the story understanding some of the relationships.

That being said, if you’re looking for a fast-moving mystery, this one felt slow. It focused a lot on the introduction of characters (the entire first 25% of the book felt introductory), and it took awhile for the story to get moving. As a plot-driven reader, I found myself to be wondering “okay, when is something going to happen”. That being said, if you’re a Jane Austen fan, I would absolutely recommend this title, as it’s a fun way to connect all of her characters. If you’re a causal Austen reader, or it’s been awhile since you’ve read her classics, a brief review might help to fully appreciate this work.

Again, many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the chance to read this title.

Thank you netgallary for the ARC.
Cozy murder mystery are one of my favorite genres. Classic whodunit story. Everyone has a motive and the story line keeps you guessing.

This was unfortunately a DNF at about 50% for me. I really liked the overall concept as I adore Jane Austen but I think I need to read more of the Jane Austen books before I can understand this one. I also didn't vibe completely with the writing style which was another reason. However, I might give it another chance in the future. It wasn't a bad book, it was just not the best for me at this current time.

I really loved the idea behind this book! As a big Jane Austen fan I couldn't wait to see all her characters together under one roof and there could be no greater victim for a whodunit mystery then Mr. George Wickham. I enjoyed watching the mystery unfold and ironically did not want any of the characters to be discovered as the murderer. The book is filled with little Easter eggs for Austen fans so, if you haven't read any of her works it might be a good idea to familiarize yourself with the characters by reading synopsis's for the books.. Overall, I had a lot of fun with this book and will definitely be purchasing it for my library!

A charming whodunit for anyone who ever wondered what happened to Jane Austen’s characters after their happily ever after. Emma Woodhouse, now Mrs. Knightley is throwing a party for some acquaintances. Mr. and Mrs. Darcy, with their son Jonathan, Marianne and her husband Colonel Brandon, and the other characters from Austen’s novels. All of them are more or less happily married. Besides the Darcys’ son, we have a new character, Juliet Tilney, daughter of Catherine and Henry, from Northanger Abbey. And who should be murdered but the evil Mr. Wickham who, in the years after Pride and Prejudice, became even more wicked. Every character has a motive and that was what made this novel interesting. You don’t want any of them to be guilty. The author really gets all the personalities from the original novels but changes them as time and experience would have. Jonathan and Juliet are also well drawn, so that they didn’t feel out of place. The prose and dialogues are very similar to Austen’s, so it really feels like this is what the characters would be like. I liked the resolution and the ending. Very enjoyable!
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, Vintage!

I was not convinced by this book, all of the Austen characters together were enjoyable to see though and the victim couldn’t have been better. The book was clearly written for Jane Austen die-hard fans, it assumes you know all of the characters and with little to no character development. But beside that, their characterization felt wrong to me and some liberties taken were … questionable in my opinion + the lack of social commentary and the charm of them that was at the core of her books

A fun, murder mystery where the douchecanoe Wickham gets his just rewards, and we get to see all of our old favourites from Austen's works? I thought this was going to be a slam dunk for me. There was some great initial set up and the beginning of the book really worked for me. It brings together five couples from Austen's works—the Tilneys being the exception, though they send their daughter so there is a Northanger Abbey connection—to spend a month-long visit with the Knightleys. Gray makes clear in an author's note that she has given the couples various durations of relationship based on the order and dates in which Austen wrote her stories, so while the Darcys (Pride and Prejudice) have been married for over two decades and bring their grown son with them, the Brandons (Sense and Sensibility) have been together just a few months.

Everyone has arrived at the Knightleys and is preparing for a lovely visit when Wickham shows up in the middle of a storm, so they're not able to send him away. We already know the beef that the Darcys have with Wickham, but we learn that both Knightley's brother and Captain Wentworth have lost money to a scheme of Wickham's, as well as nefarious connections to the Bertrams and Brandons as well. So by the time WIckham ends up dead, it seems equally likely that any of them is the culprit. The jolly but bumbling local constable doesn't seem that interested in investigating, happy to place the blame on a servant or travelers. So Jonathan Darcy (son of Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam) and Juliet Tilney endeavor to do some sleuthing of their own.

I think the audience for this book is going to be a very fine line. Readers must already be familiar with Austen's canon, as it is assumed the players are known and there is virtually no character building that happens AND a glut of characters. But I believe die-hard Austen fans will also be put off by some of the less-than-artful liberties that are taken. In addition to that, it wasn't really much of a whodunnit in that there were not enough clues for a reader to reasonably solve it. The pacing felt off, and the tone was unclear and sometimes contrary. It is missing a lot of the wit and charm and social commentary that make Austen's works so beloved. I'm curious about the development of Jonathan Darcy, as he's very clearly coded as autistic, but in what feels like quite a stereotypical/outsider way? I'm not autistic, so I can't speak to that, but it did make me feel a bit uncomfortable. There are also slurs for Romani people used in this book, and the author mentions this in her note before the story, but it was completely unnecessary for the substance of the book and could have been removed without impacting it. In my mind, that means they shouldn't have been included at all.

Unfortunately, this one just wasn't for me and I'm not sure I have the readers to support stocking this one in my shop unless it's specifically requested.

CW: ableism, slurs for GRT people, death, homophobia

As a big fan of Claudia Gray's work, I was so happy that I was approved to read the ARC of this book! I absolutely loved the plot and idea behind this book. Having all of Jane Austen's most iconic characters come together in one book is any literature fan's dream! I also feel obliged to say that Mr. Wickham made the best mmurder victim in this book. No one is more deserving. This book was so good, and the perfect read for any fan of Jane Austen.

loved this book. This was a fun return to the worlds of Jane Austen. I enjoyed both old and new characters, This book felt like an easter egg filled movie dedicated to the fans. I especially loved when she let us see into Mary's life and let her find happiness. If you love Pride and Predjudice, or Emma or Sense and Sensibility you will love this book. Claudia Gray did a wonderful job.

So after many years, I have been returned to my young self’s first love of all books Austin. This is a whodunnit, based on the Austin characters, crossed with Ms. Agatha Christie “light”, It is an enjoyable mystery. The time frame puts the language and actions old fashioned. Add this to your TBR list.

Review of Uncorrected Proof eBook

When the Knightleys decide to throw a party at their country estate, they believe they will be bringing together both distant relatives and new acquaintances. But an uninvited guest . . . forced by bad weather to remain . . . stirs up animosity and creates discord. The latest financial scheme of the uninvited Mr. George Wickham creates even more enemies for the abhorrent schemer.

With everyone holding secrets, tempers shortened, and everyone discomfited, it’s clear that everyone wishes an appropriate punishment for Mr. Wickham. Nevertheless, when the disdained Mr. Wickham turns up dead, everyone is stunned.

Who is responsible for the death of the detestable Mr. Wickham? And can the identity of the killer be determined before an innocent person pays the ultimate price?

=========

Mr. Wickham, the detestable reprobate from Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice,” meets up with several other Austen characters in this imaginative mystery that brings together several of Austen’s literary characters. Surely one of the most hated villains in all of literature, Wickham behaves as expected when he barges into Donwell Abbey uninvited and wastes no time in living up . . . or down . . . to expectations as he rifles through Fanny Bertram’s room seeking secrets for his own nefarious schemes.

Plot twists and turns keep readers guessing as every character has abundant reasons for wishing the vile George Wickham dead. Bringing Austen’s iconic characters together for a regency-era house party retains the original authenticity of the characters and allows readers to consider how each of them might react to the death of the dastardly villain. It’s great fun, especially since the locked room mystery invites readers to speculate on the identity of the killer.

There’s much to appreciate here, especially for Jane Austen fans . . . and the revelation of the murderer [and the reason for Wickham’s death] may surprise everyone.

Recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, Vintage and NetGalley
#TheMurderofMrWickham #NetGalley