Cover Image: Pride and Premeditation

Pride and Premeditation

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Six word summary: Pride and Prejudice meets cozy mystery!

Favorite Quote: It is a truth universally acknowledged that a brilliant idea, conceived and executed by a clever young woman, must be claimed by a man.
(Quote taken from Advanced Copy, yet to be verified with the finalized copy!)

Loved: Finally a P&P retelling I can get behind! I'm very picky since P&P is my favorite book of all time, but this was just pure for my little Mr. Darcy lovin' heart! While some liberties will taken regarding the historical setting, I think this is such a fun way to access a a classic set centuries ago! I also loved that several lines are used directly from the original text!

Genre: Historical Fiction/Retelling/Mystery

Recommend for: Fans of Pride and Prejudice (obviously), YA Murder Mysteries, cozy mysteries, or historical mysteries

Reminds me of: In the Hall with the Knife meets Pride and Prejudice (obviously). Or more PG, teen version of the Stephanie Plum Series (Book 1: One for the Money)!

Verdict: Gets a stared review from me! Highly recommend picking this one up.

Was this review helpful?

Pride and Prejudice plus cozy mystery! Yes, please! This reimagining of Austen's classic story takes the characters in very different directions while still being the characters we know and love (and hate in some cases). The mystery had many layers, and I would have liked it even if they were completely new characters. Elizabeth wants to become a barrister and present cases in court, and she tries her hardest to solve a case in order to convince her father to take her on as an official employee. All the other characters float into the story in interesting ways that I won't discuss because of spoilers. This book is one I highly recommend for Austen and mystery fans and especially those people who love both.

Was this review helpful?

Jane Austen meets Agatha Christie.

Debut novel by Tirzah Price and the first in the Jane Austen Murder Mystery series.

Meet Elizabeth Bennet, she aspires to be a barrister and join her father’s firm. However, women rarely worked out of the home and especially not as lawyers. On top of it all Lizzie is frustrated as others take credit for all her hard work.

London high society is shocked by a murder and Lizzie tries to seize the opportunity to prove her worth and solve the crime.
Alas faith has other plans and enters Mr FitzWilliam Darcy, the counsel for the accused and someone who questions Elizabeth’s capability.

What follows is a retelling of Pride and Prejudice with a mystery twist!

First let’s talk about the cover of this book which really draws your attention. The embroidered floral look is detailed and capturing. Love the colors and the silhouettes of Darcy and Lizzie separated by the murder weapon!

Pride and Premeditation has the same characters as the original and the author does a great job keeping the voice and tone of that era. Although not all the characters get the same attention as the original and are re- imagined in a new way; Tirzah Price does stay true to each character’s temperament.

Elizabeth is smart, witty and talented and Darcy is proud and arrogant. Like most Pride and Prejudice retelling’s there is verbal sparring whenever these two meet and a clash of personalities, however the meetings are not as frequent in this re telling. The focus of the book is on Elizabeth Bennet and her investigative skills as she solves the crime.

The writing is well done and although the plot was a bit predictable, the story has mystery, mayhem, wit, humor and a touch of romance.

The story has been written for a YA audience and was a fast read. Teens and Jane Austen fans would enjoy this read.
Wonder which re telling is up next in this series?

Was this review helpful?

This P&P adaptation was a lot of fun! I wouldn't call it a retelling - there's very little romance, but the mystery was fun and clever. I appreciated the nods to the text, the word-for-word scenes (in some cases), and the unique law setting. The final courtroom scene was triumphant. I'd pick up the next in the series.

Was this review helpful?

Pride and Premeditation takes the beloved classic Pride and Prejudice and adds a heavy mystery twist. You follow Elizabeth Bennet, the daughter of Loughbourn and Sons' owner. Her father is a barrister who'll have to leave the company to a cousin since he only has daughters. But Lizzie dreams of becoming a solicitor and inheriting the family company. To do it, she has to show her capabilities and prove Mr. Bingley is innocent of his brother-in-law's murder.

THE GOOD
📚 The mystery take on this story is pretty cool. There are continuous twists and turns, and you won't see most of them coming. Of course, if you've read the original, you know Mr. Wickham will have to be involved somehow. But believe me, you won't predict the mastermind behind the whole situation. It left me in awe.

📚 The writing is enjoyable, and it will keep you engaged. With historical books, sometimes authors overcomplicate the writing. But that doesn't happen in this story, which helps the reading experience. However, expect the story to have much more violence, with murders, kidnapping, and some gunplay.

📚 Like in the original story, Lizzie is a fantastic character to follow. She's headstrong but so driven. She's way ahead of her time, very independent and empowered. It's like the Lizzie we all know, but one step forward, where she fights against the pressure to marry and follows her will to get a job.

📚 Of course, Lizzie and Darcy's relationship is one of the main focuses for me. However, their love story is sidelined by the mystery, which I didn't really enjoy. Adding an exciting mystery is fun, but not if it takes the protagonist out of their relationship. Still, Darcy being in awe of Lizzie and her capabilities as a solicitor will never not make me feel weak in the knees. He's also way more open about his feelings than in the original story.

📚 Some lines are taken out straight from the original novel, which is always lovely to read.

THE MEH
📚 Maybe I'm too partial, but I expected more romance. I know it's a mystery retelling, but I missed Bingley and Jane together, for example. And don't get me started on Lizzie and Darcy. The potential exists, and they're meant to be together, but there should be more interactions, more pining, and a deeper hate to love progression.

📚 When you're reading a retelling, you have to prepare for things to be different. If it's too similar, it becomes boring. But some characters are way too different from the original ones. It's like the author only uses their names and changes their personality traits completely to fit the plot.

📚 There are some historical liberties, which the author mentions at the end of the book. This is to be expected, so take a step back and suspend your disbelief for a bit. But it led me to have difficulty pinpointing exactly when it was set. It feels like the Regency era, but other things don't fit.

📚 As mentioned before, the story is filled with twists and turns, but the mystery is hard to follow sometimes. I don't understand how Lizzie comes to some conclusions, and I'm not sure if I was distracted or just being dumb. Both seem accurate.

Pride and Premeditation is a YA mystery retelling of one of the most beloved classics, Pride and Prejudice. Although it doesn't focus enough on Lizzie and Darcy's romance for my taste, it still is an exciting story to follow, filled with twists and turns you won't see coming.

Was this review helpful?

Pride and Premeditation is everything that one can hope for in a classic re-imagined. The well-beloved cast of characters are present and accounted for: The Bennetts, Darcy, Collins, Charlotte, Bingley, and even Wickham. There is a perfect amount of familiarity to the original Pride and Prejudice to make it clearly recognizable in the plot of Pride and Premeditation. That being said, Pride and Premeditation is a unique re-imagining in that Lizzie is working for her father, in the hope of becoming a lawyer. When Lizzie determines to prove the innocence of Bingley when he’s accused of the murder of his brother-in-law, she finds herself face to face with Mr. Darcy, the lawyer who is already representing Bingley. When Bingley requests that they work together on his case, the games are afoot!

This is one of the best Austen twists I have read and I highly recommend it! Review will be posted on retail sites, Goodreads, and on YouTube Channel Hicks Picks Books.

Thanks go to NetGalley and HarperTeen for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

Pride and Premeditation is a murderous twist on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice that’s pitched as Pride and Prejudice meets Stalking Jack the Ripper.

Lizzie Bennett is an aspiring lawyer working to prove herself worthy of a position at her father’s firm. So, When she comes across a murder case, she seizes the opportunity, despite obstacles posed by Fitzwilliam Darcy, heir to Pemberly Associates and her competition. But, as the code and her feelings for darcy become more complicated, Lizzie discovers that her dream might get her killed.

I truly enjoyed this book! The characters were charming and I admire Lizzie’s ambition. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the mystery unfold and I found the ending to be shocking but still believable. While some people prefer simpler solutions to mysteries, I love it when novels take a more complex approach. it was complex but not so far-fetched that the clues did not line up! Although I enjoyed the mystery aspect of this book the be quite intriguing, I felt like the romance came a little too quickly for my tastes as I prefer slow burn with lots of build-up. Overall, though, I really enjoyed this novel.

Was this review helpful?

Pride and Premeditation is a reimagining of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice that places the Bennets, Bingleys, and Darcys in the middle of a murder investigation. Lizzie Bennet longs to become a barrister like her father, but she must first prove to him that she has what it takes. She gets her chance when she learns that Charles Bingley has been accused of murdering his brother-in-law. When she sneaks in to visit with him at the jail, she gains his confidence and permission to investigate on his behalf. She’ll solve this crime and prove his innocence in no time—but she’ll have to work around his friend and official representation—the infamous Mr. Darcy.

I absolutely adore Pride and Prejudice retellings and I found this to be a fresh take on the story. This version veers from the original plot line just enough to keep the reader guessing, but maintains the spirit of the characters. The women in this novel are a bit more self-aware and the romance is not the main plot driver. I would recommend this to murder mystery lovers, those who like period pieces, and Janeites alike.

Was this review helpful?

I loved this book. It's a fun twist on a classic. It's Pride and the Prejudice Mixed with some Mystery and women power.

Was this review helpful?

What a fun twist on an Austen classic! Fans of Pride and Prejudice and other versions of the classic will love falling into this world. In this fun retelling Mr. Bennett is now a lawyer, and Elizabeth desires nothing more than to work with her father on hic cases. In order to prove herself worthy, Lizzie decides to investigate a recent murder in high society, with the chief suspect being Mr. Bingley. Lizzie strives to figure out the truth of the murder and in doing so prove Bingley's innocence and her own talent in detective work. Many obstacles in her path, none as aggravating or attractive as Mr. Darcy, friend of Bingley's, and employee at another law firm.

This book turns the story of Pride and Prejudice on its head, but still keeps many of the wittiest moment. However, changes them and portrays them in a different and unique late. Overall this was a fun read and great for fans of Austen, historical dramas, and detective mysteries.

Was this review helpful?

First off, I just wanted to say thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read the advanced copy of this book through Netgalley!

Pride and Premeditation is a retelling of Pride and Prejudice with a murder mystery twist! Lizzie wants to become a lawyer, but her mother is refusing to allow her to and her father won't give her a position until she proves herself. A murder in their town offers Lizzie the perfect opportunity to prove herself capable of being hired to train as a lawyer. The great Mr. Bingley is being accused of this murder and has already hired Mr. Darcy to represent him in court, but asks Lizzie to look into who, in fact is the true murderer.

I have to start this out by saying I LOVE Pride and Prejudice and Mr. Darcy is one of my original book boyfriends. I have to say that while this book was witty and a very cool twist on the story, I found Mr. Darcy lacking and Lizzie was awfully annoying. She was so single minded in her intentions for finding out who the murderer was, and while she was looking to clear Mr. Bingley, it was with very selfish motivations which I felt was very unlike the Elizabeth from the original book. I thought the different roles the characters played was very cool and the way they all fit into the outline of the original was also done well. It wasn't my favorite, but I thought it was okay! 3/5 stars!

Was this review helpful?

A fresh, high-energy retelling of Pride and Prejudice, where Lizzie's dad and Darcy are lawyers at competing firms. Lizzie takes matters into her own hands to solve a murder and defend an innocent man. Gently challenges patriarchal systems, and Lizzie is a strong heroine. There are some satisfying twists and the romance element is subtle but sweet.

Was this review helpful?

Pride and Premeditation
By Tizrah Pierce
4 out of 5 stars

"Lizzie’s greatest strength was the quickness of her mind, but her greatest weakness, according to her mother, was the quickness of her tongue." You and me both, sister. 😂

This murder-mystery retelling of P&P is told through the eyes of Lizzie, and her POV is exactly what you would expect of a 17 year old young woman learning how to investigate murder for the first time. It's light, funny, sassy, and a bit naive - but in a good way, since we get to watch her character develop as she learns from her mistakes. (Let's be honest though, the real MVP of any P&P retelling is Mr. Bennet, and he is just as entertaining here as in the original story.) The sprinkling of famous lines from Austen's novel are a nice nod to the original text without being too cutesy and are integrated into the new storyline seamlessly.

My only real qualm is that we didn't get more Darcy until the second half of the book! I guess that's on par with their love story, but I would have like to see some more interactions in the early parts just to make my heart all aflutter, even if they are snotty to each other at the beginning. To me, that makes the outcome all the sweeter in their relationship!

While your knowledge of the book might spoil some of the mystery points, I still found myself a bit surprised at the end even though I was paying attention and looking for clues. Looking forward to getting my hands on the next installment of the Jane Austen Murder Mystery series!

Was this review helpful?

This Jane Austen "re-telling" was everything I hoped it would be. I seriously love re-tellings and murder mysteries and I could not wait to dive into this book!

I really enjoyed Lizzie as a MC and enjoyed the laughs and banter between her and Darcy. I wanted their to be more romance, but honestly I was more than ok that the mystery took the drivers seat in this story.

There were plenty of twists, turns and *gasp* worthy moments but I felt like the conclusion to the plot-or the big solving of the mystery was a bit unsatisfying.

Overall this book was amazing and fans of Stalking Jack the Ripper, Down Comes the Night and of course Jane Austen will devour this book.

Was this review helpful?

I'm a sucker for a good 'Pride & Prejudice' story, whether it's the original text, a movie or TV adaptation, or a modern retelling. No matter what, P&P is a classic in its own right and one I will watch or read any time I can. So, when I saw this book's description, my eyes went wide. It's like P&P but a murder mystery and thriller which intrigued me from the get-go. Still set in the same setting with the same cast of characters, but Lizzie is an aspiring lawyer who's trying to prove innocence for her client and Darcy is the opposing council, heir to the prestigious Pemberley Associates firm. It's a teen mystery novel. full of compelling language and juicy dialogue. It has a thrilling twist on a story we know and love that changes everything you thought you knew about the ending. A quick, engaging Regency mystery novel.

Was this review helpful?

Growing up I loved reading Nancy Drew and as an adult, I developed/kept the spark for mysteries. I love trying to guess who the bad guy will be before it’s revealed!!

Pride & Premeditation follows in the steps of Pride & Prejudice and Nancy Drew mixed in together. I have to admit, I’ve never read any of the Jane Austen classics but after this read, I’m going to try to add them to my TBR. Tirzah Price takes some liberties with some of the topics that weren’t acceptable in the timeframe when the story took place but I don’t think that it took anything away from the overall story.

Lizzie wants to be able to officially work in her dad’s office but being a female in the 1813, that was out of the question. However, Lizzie was fortunate enough that her dad cares more about his daughters’ happiness rather than what society expects of them and so he allows Lizzie a bit of free reign. Enough that he offers to make her an official solicitor in training if she can solve a case on her own using logic.

Instead of starting off with a smaller case, Lizzie goes big and wants to take on a very scandalous murder, and she does just about everything in her power to land the case but things don’t exactly go as she might’ve hoped. While unofficially but officially working the case, Lizzie learns a lot about herself and about how her ideals and perceptions don’t exactly match up with the rest of world and she has to learn how to deal and adapt.

On the journey to finding the murderer, Lizzie learns a lot about herself, learns that first impressions can be misleading, and that while she has the skill and passion for the job, they don’t always mean success.

Loved seeing how everything came together and how certain relationships played out. I hope that the next books in the series continue to follow Lizzie because I’d love to see how she continues to grow.

Was this review helpful?

I loved this adaptation of Pride and Prejudice! The writing was smart, sassy, and intriguing and it kept the essence of Pride and Prejudice which was a huge bonus for me! I am a Jane Austen super fan so I tend to rate adaptations of her books a bit harshly but...all the stars for me!
I can’t wait for more from this series!
Check out my website for the full review! All still spoiler free!

Was this review helpful?

This is such a fun take on Pride and Prejudice. I’ve read quite few P&P inspired novels over the years and this is my new favorite. It had just the right amount of changes and felt fresh but still very familiar. Since we already know the characters, we get to jump into a fast paced plot that includes mystery, deception, and a carriage chase through Cheapside. The author’s love of Austen comes through in the references to the original text as well as a few nods to the famous TV and film adaptations. There are a few historical inaccuracies which the author acknowledges in the afterward but they didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story. I’m happy to suspend believe for a little while and visit a world where Lizzie Bennet can aspire to be an attorney.

Was this review helpful?

If you enjoy Pride and Prejudice, you'll likely enjoy this fun version of it that combines mystery and humor, along with a touch of romance. It was fun to sleuth along with Lizzie and Darcy. I appreciated the fact that the mystery angle was stronger than the romance one.

Was this review helpful?

This was a fun new take on Pride and Prejudice. Pride and Premeditation had a good balance of mystery, humor, and romance. The banter between Lizzie and Darcy was fun and I would love to see Lizzie and Darcy solving crimes together again.

Was this review helpful?