Caffeinated Reviewer

A THRILLING STORY OF MURDER AND BETRAYAL FILLED WITH THE SCANDAL, WIT AND INTRIGUE CHARACTERISTIC OF AUSTEN’S CLASSIC NOVELS

Fitzwilliam Darcy is devastated. The joy of his recent wedding has been cut short by the news of the sudden death of his father’s beloved cousin, Samuel Darcy. Elizabeth and Darcy travel to Dorset, a popular Regency resort area, to pay their respects to the well-traveled and eccentric Samuel. But this is no summer holiday. Danger bubbles beneath Dorset’s peaceful surface as strange and foreboding events begin to occur. Several of Samuel’s ancient treasures go missing, and then his body itself disappears. As Darcy and Elizabeth investigate this mystery and unravel its tangled ties to the haunting legends of Dark Dorset, the legendary couple’s love is put to the test when sinister forces strike close to home. Some secrets should remain secrets, but Darcy will do all he can to find answers—even if it means meeting his own end in the damp depths of a newly dug grave.

With malicious villains, dramatic revelations and heroic gestures, The Mysterious Death of Mr. Darcy will keep Austen fans turning the pages right up until its dramatic conclusion.

Sophia Rose is here to share the first novel in the Pride and Prejudice Mystery series, The Mysterious Death of Mr. Darcy by Regina Jeffers. Grab a cup of peppermint mocha and check out her review!

Sophia Rose’s Review

When I realized that my review visit would coincide with Jane Austen’s birthday, of course I had to bring along a review tied strongly to one of her novels.  Happy Two Hundred and Forty-Fifth, Jane!

Doesn’t that title make you catch your breath?  I was only able to breathe easier when I read the exciting blurb to see that the death in question was another Darcy.  But, that blurb… it hooked me and I had to read this one.  I didn’t realize it until after I started reading, but I’d enjoyed a later mystery in this series and I was finally coming back for the book that started the series.  However, this book is actually a sequel, too- a sequel to the great classic, Pride and Prejudice.

The Mysterious Death of Mr. Darcy opens with Fitzwilliam Darcy and his wife at home when he receives the news that a fond relation has past.  He thinks to follow the lawyer’s request that he come to help settle his cousin’s estate, but leave early so he and Elizabeth might enjoy a prolonged journey and chance to see a bit of the Dorset resort area to make up for their short honeymoon.  They are glowing from their journey when Samuel’s housekeeper sets them straight.  His cousin didn’t die naturally.  Through a series of mysterious events including a lack of real investigation and some disappearances, Darcy and Elizabeth investigate on their own.

I loved that there was a murder mystery set in the Pride and Prejudice world and that the author further explored the dark legends of the Dorset region, Regency era antiquities, criminal investigation and the legalities and social customs around death and family.

There was a lot packed into this one including a sensual ongoing romance and whirl of activity around the mystery.   In truth, there was perhaps too much packed in and the romance got mushy and distracting at times so that the story bogged down.  In a variation-sequel, you get the author’s version of the characters.  I found this portrayal of Darcy intelligent, exciting, but highly romantic. The romance overbalanced like getting needy if Elizabeth happened to be in another room and not right at his side or the pair seeming to constantly being in a state of arousal that I couldn’t picture the original characters portraying.  Don’t get me wrong, I adore a good spicy romance and a gothic-type murder mystery especially in this setting, but my preference is for a bit less saccharine. 

The author thoughtfully included a cast of characters at the beginning which was helpful once the book got rolling because there are a lot of people, side activities, further deaths and more that keep piling on to leave the reader twisted around and not sure who might be the killer or even why.  In truth, even when I got the solution, I knew I would have never guessed.

As to Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth, they are adorable together and she’s still as feisty and intolerant of stupidity as ever.  I liked seeing them use their skills separately and together to figure out what was going on and, yes, I enjoyed seeing them as a newly married couple in love, but working out a new relationship.

About Kimberly

Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram

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