This was an excellent mashup for all Austen enthusiasts. It captured the spirit of all of Austen's beloved characters and provided a glimpse into their possible futures. The addition of some next generation characters was also well done and they held their own against the originals that people know and love (More mystery solving for Jonathan and Juliet please!). The mystery element was also well done. Although not many people would be sad to see Mr. Wickham go, it was fun to follow the shifting suspicions surrounding the mystery. All in all an enjoyable read equally appealing to teens and adults and Jane Austen lovers!

I recommend this title to all Austenites but will caution that it is slow to start book as it involves so many couples and it reads so much like an Austen novel. It is worth the time investment in the beginning as you reacquaint yourself with the various couples and then get used to how Claudia Grey is telling THIS story. I particularly loved Jonathon Darcy and felt he was portrayed so well. It is clear her sensitivity and authenticity reader helped her do a wonderful job. I did not guess correctly what had happened to Wickham and enjoyed it being revealed.

Thank you so much to the publisher and the author for this review copy. I have been on a bit of a Jane Austen-Retelling binge of late, it's so fun and comforting to have characters we know and love in brand new adventures. This one was done very well. It reminded me a lot of an Agatha Christie mystery, a whole bunch of people locked away in an English manor when someone is murdered. The killer has to be one of the guests, and they all seem to have their motives. I loved our two main characters, their storyline was so sweet and I'd 100% read more of them.

Such a fun read, definitely recommend.

This is super fun, though a true Austenite might like and appreciate it more than I did. The author took all of the major characters from Jane Austen's books, aged them according to their book ages and publication/written order, put them all together in a house party setting, added everyone's favorite villain to the mix, and turned it into an Agatha Christie style locked room mystery. As I said, fun. I appreciate what she was going for here and I appreciate the effort. I would recommend this to Jane Austen super-fans that also enjoy a cozy mystery. It's quite a niche.

3.5 stars.

This was an enjoyable whodunit, written as a classic Country House-style mystery. Mr. Knightley and Emma have invited a variety of guests (all characters from Jane Austen novels) to their country estate for an extended visit, when the deplorable Mr. Wickham shows up, uninvited. Due to circumstances of bad weather, they are forced to let him stay in the house. As the title suggests, he is murdered, and the young Juliet Tilney and Jonathan Darcy must team up to discover who the killer is among the guests.

I must admit, I have only read one Jane Austen and that was required reading for an English class long ago. So I didn't really know any of the characters (outside of Emma being an inspiration for the film Clueless). If you are a Jane Austen lover, I think you will be delighted with this imagining of her characters all in the same house. If you are a lover of Agatha Christie, this is a mystery for you, as it does have the feel of a "Golden Age" of crime mystery. And if you enjoy both Austen AND Christie, definitely do not mix this book!

The story is very character heavy. Not knowing Jane Austen, I did get a little lost at times between all the couples and their backgrounds. But all-in-all this was a pleasant read.

This book at times was hard to follow but I did enjoy the concept of the story. It was fun to see the different characters from Jan Austen book all in one story. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Jane Austen books and characters.

I love both cosy mysteries and Austenesque works, so this book was a must read for me. The Murder of Mr Wickham takes place over 20 years after the close of Austen’s Pride & Prejudice. Characters from Austen’s other novels appear at the house party where Mr Wickham meets his grisly fate and the author helpfully sets out at what point in time those books took place, as they have been moved away from their publication dates.

The house party is being hosted by Mr and Mrs Knightley of Donwell Abbey (Emma). They have invited Mr & Mrs Darcy (P&P) plus their eldest son Jonathan, who is aged 20. From Sense & Sensibility we have the recently married Colonel and Mrs Brandon, The Wentworths (Persuasion), who rent Hartfield are there, as are Mr Knightley’s relative Mr Edmund Bertram and his wife Fanny (Mansfield Park). From Northanger Abbey we have the eldest daughter of the Reverend and Mrs Tilney, seventeen year old Miss Julia Tilney. The house party has only just gathered when there is an unexpected and uninvited arrival, Mr Wickham. He is a very unwelcome guest, come to collect money that Mr Knightley’s younger brother has come to owe him following an unsuccessful business transaction. The weather turns, meaning that Mr Wickham is unable to leave due to the road conditions, and less than 36 hours after he arrives at the house he is found struck down.

Austen’s Mr Wickham is not an upstanding character, and this version of Mr Wickham has become worse over time, becoming a con-man with a chip on his shoulder about what he is owed by society. He has encouraged ‘investments’ which only enriched himself but remained just on the correct side of legal, so there is limited chance of redress. Both Captain Wentworth and Mr Knightley’s younger brother have lost significant sums to him. The Darcys obviously have had bad dealings with him in the past but they also have more recent suffering which they blame Wickham for. As time progresses it appears that members of the Brandon and Bertram couples also may have a motive. But who is responsible?

Jonathan Darcy was tending to his horse at the time the body was found, and Juliet Tilney actually makes the discovery of the body. These two, one with an alibi and the other with no knowledge of Wickham, decide to try and investigate, once it becomes clear that the local magistrate, Mr Churchill is likely to blame it on the servants or travellers.

There was a lot to enjoy in this book. It was good to see so many characters from Austen’s works all together. I particularly enjoyed the new characters of Juliet Tilney and Jonathan Darcy. Juliet is as imaginative and compassionate as her mother but far less naïve than seventeen year old Catherine was. My main love, however, is held for Jonathan Darcy. I just adored this character. He lives in a world of rules that he obeys but doesn’t really see the point of. He is certainly written as neuro divergent, probably as somebody with Asperger’s. How close this is to a faithful portrayal of a person with high functioning Autism I don’t know. He has to spend mental energy on masking and fitting in, and is aware of how often his intentions are misunderstood. He is much relieved when he realises that he can be open with Juliet and still be accepted.

"It is peculiar of course," Miss Tilney said, "but my mother has often told me that most people are really very peculiar, once you get to know them. The only difference is in how well we hide our peculiarities."

As for the couples, there is sadness and misunderstanding between most of them, for various reasons, which is quite sad, although we and they work towards a path of greater understanding during the time of their stay at Donwell Abbey. I felt a little bit sad and worried for whoever had murdered Wickham, as I was sorry to think of any of them having to face the consequences of their crime!

Some of the details seemed a little off to me, such as Sir Thomas Bertram being a lord rather than a baronet, and I don’t think that Frank Churchill would have lived in Highbury – he was definitely headed for the family seat in Yorkshire directly after his marriage although it’s possible that he may have headed back south if his uncle died soon after the aunt. I also felt that some of the language used came over as too modern or US English.

I usually like to sleuth along with a cosy mystery (with variable success) but I didn’t get anywhere with this book, as the opportunity of killing Wickham was there for a number of people to have taken so it still could have gone a number of ways at the dénouement.

I have read another mystery/Austenesque story, Death Comes to Pemberley, and so of course this story comes to mind when reading The Murder of Mr Wickham, although Wickham was suspect rather than victim in that. DCtP is much more of a police procedural than a cosy mystery, so we get to see a lot more of the characters in TMoMW.

Although the murder is solved and wrapped up in this story I wonder whether Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney may meet again… is there the possibility of a sequel? I would love to meet these particular characters again! This is an extremely readable book which I found hard to put down. And I love Jonathan Darcy, did I convey that in my review?!!!! I’d rate this a 4 star read.

Haven’t we all dreamed of Wickham getting his comeuppance? I loved the concept behind this one so much, but kept getting bogged down in the characters - some I was more familiar with than others. I think for a diehard Austenite, this would be a home run - but for a casual fan (me) it didn’t quite hit the way I’d hoped.

Thank you to @netgalley for my gifted copy. I really enjoyed this title. As a Jane Austen fan, it was the perfect read to get to see some of Austen's heroines and heroes and to give a satisfying end to one of the most hated villains in Austen's novels. I loved the introduction of Juliet Tilney and Jonathan Darcy, they were a refreshing pair of eyes to be looking at the regency world. I also really appreciated the representation of someone being on the spectrum in Jonathan Darcy. I work with individuals with autism, so I thought Ms. Gray's description was awesome and tactfully done. I do hope that we get to see more of the younger members of the Donwell Abbey house party in future books.

I didn't know quite sure if I would like this book. However, I found myself quickly immersed in the story. Fun read.

This book was an absolute delight. An Agatha Christie style locked door Murder mystery inside of the Jane Austen universe… standing ovation. The characters were handled with love and care and you can tell the author genuinely loves Jane Austen’s stories. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing everyone again, and the next generation and I would absolutely LOSE MY MIND if this was a series 👏🏻

I DNF this one about halfway through. I really wanted to like it but I had a really hard time with it, since I really love Jane Austen's books. I thought I would like a fun continuation of their lives with a murder sprinkled in but it felt wrong. I don't want to think of my favorites making bad life decisions, etc. beyond the stories I already know and love. It's a fun concept, it just wasn't for me.

Thank you for the advanced copy though!

Oh my! For all of us Janeites out there, (we ardent lovers of Jane Austen novels), this book was such a delight, as a number of characters from at least six of Jane's novels, gathered at the Knightleys' Donwell Abbey, for a charming house party. There were even a few creatively imagined progeny of our beloved Austen couples, who were charmingly introduced in this story. Although intentionally not delivered in the voice of Jane Austen, (after all, there is only one Jane Austen), the dialogue was most apropos for the time and setting of the story.

It was the summer of 1820. Among the guests were Fitwilliam and Elizabeth Darcy and their son, Jonathan, a clergyman's daughter - Miss Juliet Tilney, Vicar Edmund and Fanny Bertram, Captain and Anne Wentworth and Colonel and Marianne Brandon. As everyone gathered at Donwell Abbey, there was the usual anxiety of a large gathering of a mixed group of friends and acquaintances. Will they be simpatico? Will the young people, Johnathan Darcy and Miss Juliet Tilney get on well, as there are so few others their age in attendance. And the Wentworths just had to be there, as their home, rented from George Knightley's brother, just had its staircase collapse and is in need of repair. So gradually over the course of their first few hours, everyone did the delicate dance around one another as they got acquainted. Things were moving along as planned until that cur of a man, George Wickham, rudely descended upon Donwell Abbey, uninvited, demanding his due. As a storm raged outside, the Knightleys could hardly throw him out into that wretched weather. So stay, Mr. Wickham must, much to the chagrin of most of the guests. A number of them were, unfortunately, well acquainted with George Wickham and rued the day they met him. This was definitely not the house party Emma Knightley imagined but they must all make the best of it and carry on. That is until George Wickham is discovered dead in the gallery in the wee early morning hours. The two youngest guests decide that it is up to them to do a bit of sleuthing. They each knew of the other's innocence of the crime. Jonathan had been at the stable with his favorite steed and was alibied by the stable boy. Juliet had never met George Wickham before in her life. So, what possible reason could she have for murdering him? And thus the murder mystery commences.

Ms. Gray has done a fabulous job of renewing our affection for these Austen characters. She writes exquisitely and in perfect form for the period represented. The character development is steady throughout and we slowly learn of each character's thoughts, concerns and motivations. As is ever with a good mystery, there was a fair number of red herrings over the course of the story. Wickham was such a despicable soul, that almost all of the guests had reason to detest him. One might even say that it was justifiable homicide. The tension increases gradually throughout the story drawing to a peak and then relaxes to a satisfying conclusion. The budding friendship between Jonathan and Juliet is sweet and chaste. This reader is ever hopeful that a sequel is forthcoming where that relationship can be further developed. If a Jane Austen style mystery is your jam then this may well be the perfect book for you.

I am grateful to author Claudia Gray and her publisher, Vintage Books, for having provided a complimentary uncorrected proof of this book. Their generosity, however, did not influence this review - the words of which are mine alone.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of The Murder of Mr. Wickham.

Although I have only read Pride & Prejudice and Emma by Jane Austen, I understood the references quite well and Claudia Gray explains the backstories for those who are unfamiliar with Jane Austen novels.

I thought the mystery was nice but it was a bit too long for me personally. I did really like Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney.

I would recommend this book to big Jane Austen fans who also love cozy mysteries.

This was a brilliant idea to take well-known characters and create a story for them. I’m just not sure it was well executed. I enjoyed the writing well enough, but the pacing was slow.

The hard part about this story is each character, for the most part, already had a solid foundation that Gray could build on; however, some of them were just stiff. I enjoyed the drama, but there were several POVs that sometimes got confusing. It felt like an overwhelming amount of POVs, trying to remember who was talking.

I think my biggest issue with this is, for a murder mystery, Mr. Wickham doesn’t die right away. He dies around the 30% mark. The reveal was ok, but it was kind of hard to imagine a Jane Austen character committing murder… even if the victim deserves it.

Overall, catching up with these characters was nice, but the execution could have been better.

My favorite thing about this book is that it brings together many of Jane Austin's characters. There is a party at the home of Mr. Knightley and Emma. Mr. Wickham is not invited, which isn't a surprise since he isn't the most popular person around due to his financial schemes. Yet everyone is surprised when he turned up dead. Everyone is a suspect so it falls to Juliet Tilney and Jonathan Darcy to save the day and uncover the culprit.

This is well written and quite a good mystery.

This was a charmingly creative take on the cozy mystery, blending famous characters of Jane Austen in one place. Claudia Gray honestly never disappoints for me, and this book was no exception. While slow at times, I found this book incredibly engaging and had no trouble devouring it in one sitting.

As a Jane Austen fan, there’s not much more you’d want than to be able to have all of her beloved characters in one place. The Murder of Mr. Wickham does just that. A unique, whodunnit storyline, where any and all of Jane’s characters are suspects!

I appreciated how true to character each one felt and though it felt slow at times, this was such a fun read. It had me wanting to pick up all of Jane’s books immediately for a re-read.

This cozy murder mystery of all Jane Austen’s characters is one you didn’t know you wanted. Mr. Wickham, the villian of Pride and Prejudice, is murdered during a house party but no one is terribly upset except that it means there’s a killer in their midst. The children of characters from Northanger Abbey and Pride and Prejudice become amateur detectives trying to solve the whodunit in the style of Agatha Christie. The characters and mystery are engaging and end with the potential for sequels.

Love the mending of the characters from Jane Austin’s books. Loved the cozy murder mystery and loved the romance. It really does seem like the author did her research on the Regency and the history throughout us magnificent.