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.

Although the author introduces all of Austen’s characters, not having read all Austen books, they became too hard to keep track of because there’s just so many.

This was a book I’d read, put down, pick back up, put down - over and over, for long periods of time so I’m not sure if that’s the reason I didn’t feel very connected to the story, or if me not feeling very connected to the story was the reason why!

A locked room mystery is one of my favorites, so I stuck it out for the reveal. Which in the end was just okay. Overall, the book was just okay.

I'm really let down by the use of the g-slur in this, and the attempt to justify it only makes it worse. I also can't believe this beloved author would work with Laurel Ann Nattress, known bully in the romance and Austen community.

Books based on beloved characters (and not so beloved characters like Mr. Wickham) are always tricky for modern writers to pull off. While this was a creative attempt I am not so sure one worked for me who has a great love for Jane Austen.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I would recommend this only to huge Jane Austen fans. This book was a really fun time, but so much went over my head!

Austen character in a cozy mystery - what’s not to love!

This book was on my must-read list and it didn’t disappoint.

For loves of Knives Out and anything Jane Austen, this one is not to be missed!

This book has a very interesting premise, and I agree with many others that Mr Wickham is such a reviled character he's the natural choice for the murdered victim in a whodunit. My main problem was the size of the cast of Austen characters, it made it difficult to keep things straight and I found myself struggling to get through after the midway point of the book. I appreciate the author's love for Austen and classic literature, and would love to see what they could do with other authors' repertoires.

Claudia Gray's THE MURDER OF MR. WICKHAM is an enjoyable mystery that will satisfy readers looking for Golden Age-flavored stories.

Thank you publisher for my copy!
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I unfortunately DNFed this one but I will definitely be reviewing in full when I decide to get back to it. Would still recommend to mystery lovers!

When Mr. and Mrs. Knightley arranged to have a few people over for a House Party they did not expect a murder. As all of the guests were getting to know each other and having dinner an unexpected and uninvited Mr. Wickham shows up. Some of the guest know him and his reception is not at all welcomed. Mr. Wickham is asked to leave but a storm is about to hit so he is spending the night.

As the evening goes on everyone is trying to make the best out of an uncomfortable situation. When they are getting ready for bed and there is a scream and a crash downstairs. Mr. Wickham is dead! Some of the guests have had dealings with Mr. Wickham and do not seem sorry to see him gone. Who could have killed him? Two of the youngest guests are very intrigued by this new twist in an otherwise boring evening and are on the trail of the murderer.

This is a fun and intriguing mystery with interesting characters.

I ended up reading this as a finished audiobook, and I really enjoyed it! I originally requested because of the author more than the content - I love Claudia Gray, and I'm a mystery fan. The tie in to Darcy and Pride and Prejudice didn't do for me what it would do for die hard P&P fans, but I ultimately found that I really enjoyed this. It was fun and engaging, and while it's different from Gray's previous work, definitely enjoyable.

Cute cozy mystery, made especially for Austen fans. If you think you will like this book, you probably will. If you think you won't... well, you probably won't. I thought it was entertaining enough, good for a rainy night when you want nothing better than to hunker down with a murder mystery and a cup of tea (what else). Would recommend to those who I know like this type of thing, but probably not to the general reader just asking for a "good book."

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

A summer house party turns into a whodunit when the villain from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice (Mr. Wickham) meets with a sudden very suspicious end. This book is a must-read for all those who count Pride and Prejudice among their favorite of Austen's books, and I can't help but think that Austen herself would enjoy giving this book a read.

this kind of had everything i wanted. i really did not expect to be so tickled by all that goes on from the murder to the character interactions. i think that the choice to age each couple up or down based on their book's publication date was so clever. wish that anne and wentworth were having more fun tho

This was a fun read! Mix Jane Austen with some Agatha Christie, and modernize them both just a touch, and you come up with this book. I have read a couple of Jane Austen's books, and I was just fine to follow the storyline, but I feel like it might have been even better to be more familiar with her work. I was satisfied with the outcome of the mystery, and I see that there is a sequel releasing this spring, so I'm eager to see Jonathan and Juliet have another adventure.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the complimentary digital review copy of this title.

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday for the ARC of this book. I am reading and reviewing much later than I intended but wanted to share my thoughts.

A summer house party of familiar Austenian characters is intruded upon by Wickham. Rain sets in, trapping them all in the house and necessitating they accommodate Wickham's intrusion. The party is disrupted when he is found murdered.

Johnathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney, the youngest of the party, take it upon themselves to uncover the truth. Secrets, the past, and so much more are unraveled.

This was a fun take on a country house murder with familiar characters brought together in a neat way.

I love the premise but I had trouble getting into the story. I was overwhelmed by all the characters and as someone with a casual knowledge of Austen’s books, (I’ve read P&P and Persuasion only), I may not be the target audience. DNF