Cover Image: Pride and Premeditation

Pride and Premeditation

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Elizabeth Bennet is a proper young lady in early 19th century England. She is expected to get married and run her home, just like her four sisters. Only, she has no interest in being a lady in society or looking for a husband. She wants to work with her father, a barrister. She wants to work at Longbourn and Sons as a solicitor, or maybe even a barrister. But young ladies do not do these things at this point in history. It is only the young men, such as Mr. Collins, who can work as a solicitor. So when he takes credit for Lizzie’s work, she has little recourse.

But when he father tells Lizzie that there may be a job opening in the office, she feels hope that she might be allowed to do more than proofread the contracts. But she has to prove her worth. And in order to do that, she has to find a case that is hers alone and solve it.

So when she hears about the scandalous murder and arrest of the victim’s brother-in-law Mr. Bingley, Lizzie feels like this is the case she has to win to prove to her father and everyone that women can be solicitors. She uses her wits and her wiles (and a little bit of her pocket money) to get a meeting with Mr Bingley, only to find out that he already has a solicitor, an old friend from school, Mr. Darcy from the well known offices of Pemberley and Associates.

But Lizzie will not be deterred, and she keeps investigating She figures out how to get into places that men could not. She thinks of questions that men would not. And she finds herself collecting clues. But she also gets into some trouble, and ends up being lead away from the victim’s house by a runner. Fortunately for Lizzie, the runner, Mr. Wickham, is on her side. Which is far more than she can say for that judgmental Mr. Darcy.

But as she get closer to the truth—and closer to danger—Lizzie finds out that everything she thinks she knows may be wrong, and she’ll have to reconsider everything to keep Mr. Bingley from being found guilty of murder.

Pride and Premeditation is the first in a new series of Jane Austen Murder Mysteries, clearly relying on the characters of Pride and Prejudice for inspiration. Debut author Tirzah Price has transformed this well known regency romance into a murder mystery appealing to teens and adults. With clever twists and lots of respect for the original story, Price has started this series with a bang.

I really liked Pride and Premeditation. As a longtime fan of Jane Austen, I enjoyed how Price used parts of the classic novel to add depth to this twist, although there were moments that it felt like a little too much license was taken in the name of modernization. I did think Lizzie took things too far, went too far past the lines of propriety in her investigation, but I still couldn’t stop reading. I loved these characters in Pride and Prejudice, and I loved them here in Pride and Premeditation. Overall, this is a fun book, and I think fellow fans of Jane Austen will enjoy it.

Voice galleys for Pride and Premeditation were provided by HarperTeen through NetGalley, with many thanks.

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Sorry to say, I was a bit bored with this story. That has nothing to do with the writing, I don’t think, but more to do with I didn’t like the original Pride and Prejudice.

I thought this would bring a new light for me, but alas, it did not.

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This retelling of Pride and Prejudice was a really fun take on a classic novel. Pride and Prejudice is my all-time favorite classic, and will always hold a special place in my heart. But I loved seeing the characters evolve in a modern way (even though it is still set in the Regency-era, the values and ideas are much more 21st century), and felt that the women were more empowered and independent than in the original, which was a perfect way to update the story. I really liked reading about Lizzy as a lawyer, it is a great profession choice for such a strong woman (and a good diversion from the typical writer or bookshop owner we see in so many contemporary retellings), and it was interesting to see her with a bit more power and influence than she has in the original version.

I liked how much this book echoed Pride and Prejudice, while still bringing a fresh twist to the story. There are lots of integrated quotes from Jane Austen’s famous novel, including the famous first line “it is a truth universally acknowledged...”, which helps to ground the story to Pride and Prejudice. There are also lots of new details and plot lines that help to make the story more relateable for modern readers, while allowing the story to stay true to the beloved classic. The characters are the same for the most part, but are given a bit more depth and slightly modernized traits.

After Pride and Premeditation, I can’t wait to read more of Tirzah Price’s Jane Austen Murder Mysteries series!

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What happens when the daughter of a barrister decides to solve a murder. Welcome to the 19th century world of Lizzie Bennett. Price and Premeditation is a mystery that preserves Austen's setting and cast of characters along with several of their idiosyncrasies.
Price moves the story away from Longbourn and to the law firm of Mr. Bennett. He employs Lizzie, Charlotte, and the odious Mr. Collins who does little work but takes all the credit. Lizzie hopes to expand her role from quietly working behind the scenes to taking an active role in a case of murder.
To her dismay, she learns that haughty Fitzwilliam Darcy will be representing the defendant. Undaunted, Lizzie soldiers on: interviewing witnesses, uncovering evidence, and eventually trying the case before a judge. While this aspect of the story is historically inaccurate, it fits neatly with her personality.
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Listen to a sample.
This tale of manners takes a modern twist, focusing on women's empowerment. Lizzie's jurisprudential skill and courage are admired by her father and Mr. Darcy. Her future as a barrister seems assured. However, Miss Bennett has a mind of her own and surprises everyone with an interesting decision about her prospects.
Sims' uses a variety of speech patterns to distinguish various characters, while retaining her "proper" British narration.

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Unfortunately, I found the characters uninspiring and it simply did not pique my interest. I may try again at a later date, but it is unlikely.

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This is my own opinion review. Thanks to Netgalley for the audiobook. This was enjoyable. I love Pride and Prejudice retellings and this one did not disappoint. The plot is so good and kept me intrigued throughout the story. I love these characters. It did not feel like Pride and Prejudice without the classic novel feel. Recommend this one. Plus it looks like there will be a book 2!

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I really enjoyed this novel. It's a modern day remake on a classic Jane Austen story. While any remake has the potential to fall flat, I feel that by putting an entirely new murder mystery twist on the clever retelling of Pride and Prejudice, the author created a really well put together Young Adult book.

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I have a love/hate relationship with retellings. I want them to be similar, but I want them to be different. It's a paradox, I know. This one was adorable. It gave off real My Lady Jane/Janie's book vibes (though not quite as good). Although the mechanical narration loses pacing and so I have no idea if it had the same kind of wit and sarcasm...but that is lost in this type of audio.
It was just enough different while still holding to the similarities of Pride and Prejudice. But actually, it was almost too similar. (I mean, some of the lines were verbatum...is that even legal...isn't that plagarism? Or does plagarism not mean the same thing when it's a retelling....I'm confused!) It left me wanting to go back and reread/rewatch Pride and Prejudice to get the real effect of Mr. Darcy, because in this, Mr. Darcy fell short for me. And Really Mr. Darcy is my favorite part of the book. But I loved this mystery and I loved the usage of the law firm. In the author's note at the end, she makes it clear that she knows there are some things that are not true to the historical time but that she did them on purpose because, well, feminism. And I don't know exactly how I feel about that...but it didn't bother me enough to make a difference to me. The use of Mr. Collins and Lady deBurge and Mr. Wickam, those were done exceptionally well. So overall I enjoyed this retelling. It was a nice light reprieve from some of the heavy books I've been reading recently.
Now to go watch Colin Firth brood, because that's all I could think about the whole time I read this!

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This book was an unexpected treat. I always love retellings of Jane Austen novels, but I loved the murder mystery plot in this one and also the more modern women's empowerment touches added to Lizzie's character. If you like Jane Austen retellings and/or a good YA murder mystery pick this one up.

This was my first time getting an audio review copy and I was unsure of what to expect, but it ended up being great. Thanks to HarperTeen and Netgalley for the copy to review.

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The first book in this new Jane Austen Murder Mystery series retells Pride and Prejudice, as Pride and Premeditation. With the classic tale reimagined as a scandalous murder, Lizzie's cast as an aspiring lawyer, Darcy's the heir to an esteemed law firm - Pemberley Associates. (I mean, how can you not love this?) Naturally, the headstrong Lizzie is determined to solve the murder on her own, since the authorities obviously have the wrong person in custody, and Darcy's well... Darcy. But as she continues to work on the case, she discovers that her feelings for Darcy are a little more complicated than she likes to let on, so is the work at hand.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Teen for advance access to this title!

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3.5 out of 5 wine glasses. An inventive and fun retelling of Pride and Prejudice. I'm interested to see how the series will continue!

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I would recommend this book to any fan of Jane Austen. The characters, while being shown in a new light, were still true to the original characterization given by Austen. The mystery was an added bonus. There were some creative liberties taken with the story, such as Lizzie and Charlotte being employed, but that allowed the author to touch on the subject of female independence in a fresh way. So you still get the story of Lizzie being a strong-willed woman, but it comes from the perspective of a working woman wanting to be taken seriously...all wrapped up in a pretty solid mystery.

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Loved this play on Pride and Prejudice. Lizzie Bennett was always a strong character, but that nature really comes out in this murder mystery. Lizzie refuses to fall inline with what society tells her she must do, so she takes on a murder case and attempts to solve it without the help of any man. For fans of Pride and Prejudice and murder mysteries, this was a definite winner and I can't wait to see what the rest of the series includes!

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Thank you to NetGalley for providing a galley of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this Pride and Prejudice retelling. I find that a lot of authors get lost in the weeds with Austen adaptations, and caught up in mimicking her work, but I loved that Pride and Premeditation focuses on the mystery side of things. I can see many adults enjoying this in addition to YA readers!

(Because I had the galley, I can't comment on narration/pacing, etc.)

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Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price is a thrilling Pride and Prejudice retelling. Price’s detective mystery retelling of one of Jane Austen’s most beloved (and one of my most beloved) novels keeps you guessing at every turn. One of my favorite things to do with a retelling is comparing the author’s take on characters to what we know of them in their original work. Price took what we know about P&P and turned it on its head in Pride and Premeditation.
Taking place in the Regency-era of London, England Price's novel is a feministic one with modern sensibilities. She discusses the issues present in law at that time (and today) while also giving commentary on gender roles and race issues of the time. All of this wrapped in a lovely slow-burn murder mystery. If you are a fan of feministic period dramas, enemies to lovers, and murder mysteries this is the novel for you.

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What a great concept for a young adult murder mystery! Tirzah Price takes the story of Pride and Prejudice and recreates it. Here Elizabeth Bennett is a young girl who wants to be a barrister, which is totally unheard of! Her father is a solicitor and the father of five daughters. Lizzy offers her service to Mr Bingley, who is accused of murder. However, Mr Bingley is normally a client of Pemberley Associates of which Mr Darcy is a member of. Thus ensues the race to solve whodunit.
The mystery is multi-layered. It is not obvious from the beginning who the bad guy or bad guys are. There were several moments that I found amusing, especially some of the interactions between Lizzy and her sisters and Lizzy and her mother. There was also a time when Lizzy forces her way into someone’s house, which had me on pins and needles.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperTeen for the free Advanced Reader’s Copy, in this case it was one of their new audio formats. It was great to be able to multitask and listen to a not yet released book.
I gave this book four and a half stars. I would definitely recommend it to younger and older readers.

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I received an advanced copy of this audiobook from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This audiobook is well written and the characters are described well. It is the mysterious twist to the classic Pride and Prejudice. The narrator did a great job reading this book. It keeps you wondering who did it. It is a fun listening experience. I would highly recommend listening or reading this book by Tirzah Price. I know I definitely will read and listen to more books by her in the future.This audiobook is in stores now for $17.99 (USD).

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*Arc provided by Netgalley and HarperTeen in exchange for an honest review."

Pride and Premeditation takes the the story you know (Pride and Prejudice) and flips it on it's head as Lizzy pursues a career in law in a time when women are expected to only marry, have children, and make a happy home. Mr. Darcy is now a lawyer at Pemberley and Associates, and his best friend Charles Bingley just so happens to be accused of murder.

This was such a fun take on the classic and the perfect read when you want to read but you can't focus 100% since the characters are people most are already familiar with. Even though the author makes note at the end that liberties were taken with Lizzy's given career track being well ahead of when women would have been historically allowed to enter into that field I still think it's a great fit for the character. I loved that most of the characters from the original make an appearance. This book is less of a romance novel and more of a murder mystery with some dashes of subtle romance.

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Darcy and Elizabeth have always been one of my favorite couples of all time and all their miscommunications have never ceased to amuse me.

Elizabeth and Darcy a younger in this one so we don’t have the pleasure of that violent rejection of marriage but all of our favorites make an appearance with a twist.

Bingley has been accused of MURDER! Dun dun dun!! And Elizabeth Bennet of Longbourn and Sons investigates the murder as a means to prove herself to her father that she has what it takes and she’s better than the rude and pompous Mr. Collins. Bingley on the other hand is being represented by his dear friend Darcy! Lizzie and Darcy reluctantly agree to work together so Lizzie can find the real murderer and Darcy can exonerate his friend of all charges.

Don’t worry everyone you know is also a part of the story, some more than others. But it’s the same story with a murderous twist. It’s full of the same fun and good humor mixed with the miscommunication and yes there is still a marriage proposal.

If anyone is a fan of Austen’s work than you’ll love this book.

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This is the first in the Jane Austen Murder Mystery series and I’m looking forward to seeing what they get up to next.

The reimagining of classics, or taking much-loved characters and putting them into new situations is tricky business but the author did it remarkably well and this book was so much fun. The characters and their personalities are much the same, but their environment and professions are much altered. Lizzie Bennet aspires to work at her father’s law firm, and is much thrown together with Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy, from a rival firm, as they both fight to prove the innocence of their friend Mr Bingley (who’s been arrested for murder).

The closer they get to the truth, the more dangerous things become. You’ll be shocked to learn who’s behind it all!

I loved the banter between Lizzie and Darcy, but would have liked a little more romance. There’s a touch of it, but mostly the focus is on the mystery side. You’ll be pleased to note that Mr Collins is as odious as ever though.

The audiobook was narrated by Morag Sims, and is a quick 8 hours and 29 minutes. I recognized the narrator’s voice from other audiobooks, and I dare say she's becoming a favorite of mine!

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