This book is well-written and rich with historical details. The authors did a good job of making the characters interesting and not TOO perfect; Caroline and Jayani definitely both pushed the boundaries of what would be expected while they and Georgiana still remain mostly realistic for the time period. In my opinion, Caroline did act a bit out-of-character sometimes, and the mystery was a bit predictable. However, I still enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to others who like historical mystery. You can enjoy it even if you haven’t read Pride and Prejudice.

Also, Gordon is the best. No notes.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperVia for the free eARC. I post this review with my honest opinions. This review is cross-posted on Goodreads, and will be posted to Amazon and Instagram within one week of the book’s publication.

This mystery is set a couple of years following the close of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Caroline Bingley is living with her brother and Jane not far from the Darcys’. She’s become good friends with Georgiana Darcy. Georgie’s maid runs off to London; Georgie runs after the maid; and Caroline runs after Georgie. Caroline finds herself in the middle of a mystery, meeting people and visiting places in London she would never have visited otherwise.

Before starting the book, I was curious how the story would go when the main character is so unlikable in the original Pride and Prejudice. But the authors did a great job of balancing Caroline’s original, flawed personality with curiosity and independence. (And that’s coming from someone who usually likes my “detectives” loveable.)

I enjoyed this book. I‘m a big fan of Jane Austen and all things Pride and Prejudice, but even if you don’t there’s still plenty to like!

I could see this book being a good fit for readers who enjoy the Regency period in general and like when it feels a little more modern or updated. The mystery itself is more along the lines of intrigue and puzzle solving than thriller, and there's definitely a group of readers who prefer that.

pretty fun little mystery. lagged in the middle but in general was fun and well-done. 4 stars. tysm for the arc. would recommend.

December 16, 2025 will mark the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth, and what better way to celebrate than with this delightful reimagining of Elizabeth Bennet’s antagonist from Pride and Prejudice. Two years after the events of that novel, in which the snobby and haughty Miss Caroline Bingley lost the battle for Mr. Darcy’s affections, she is “marooned” at her brother Charles’s estate in wintry Derbyshire, bored with weeks of country dances, unchanging society, and dull conversations. Despite her complicated relationship with the Darcys, Caroline has grown fond of Mr. Darcy’s younger sister, Georgiana. When Georgiana’s Indian maid, Jayani, disappears from Pemberley and Georgiana heads up to London alone in pursuit, Caroline, accompanied by her loyal manservant, Gordon, tracks both fugitives and stumbles upon a brutal murder that implicates Jayani. Drawing on her keen intelligence, her bold self-confidence, and her large income, our Miss Bingley plunges into a gritty underworld of poverty, cruelty, and exploitation far from London’s glittering Ton. As she seeks to clear Jayani’s name, she also discovers the brutal colonialism practiced by the East India Company. Australian authors Gardiner (1917) and Kumar (who produces Melbourne’s Austencon) transform Austen’s mean girl into a more sympathetic protagonist while preserving her quick wit, sharp tongue, and independent spirit. Janeites will eagerly await Miss Bingley’s next adventure in sleuthing.—Willy Williams