The Murder of Mr. Wickham

Description

A summer house party turns into a thrilling whodunit when Jane Austen’s Mr. Wickham—one of literature’s most notorious villains—meets a sudden and suspicious end in this brilliantly imagined mystery from a New York Times bestselling author featuring Austen’s leading literary characters.

“Had Jane Austen sat down to write a country house murder mystery, this is exactly the book she would have written.” —Alexander McCall Smith

The happily married Mr. Knightley and Emma are throwing a party at their country estate, bringing together distant relatives and new acquaintances—characters beloved by Jane Austen fans. Definitely not invited is Mr. Wickham, whose latest financial scheme has netted him an even broader array of enemies. As tempers flare and secrets are revealed, it’s clear that everyone would be happier if Mr. Wickham got his comeuppance. Yet they’re all shocked when Wickham turns up murdered—except, of course, for the killer hidden in their midst.

Nearly everyone at the house party is a suspect, so it falls to the party’s two youngest guests to solve the mystery: Juliet Tilney, the smart and resourceful daughter of Catherine and Henry, eager for adventure beyond Northanger Abbey; and Jonathan Darcy, the Darcys’ eldest son, whose adherence to propriety makes his father seem almost relaxed. In this tantalizing fusion of Austen and Christie, from New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray, the unlikely pair must put aside their own poor first impressions and uncover the guilty party—before an innocent person is sentenced to hang. 

A VINTAGE ORIGINALONE OF THE WALL STREET JOURNAL‘S BEST MYSTERY BOOKS OF THE YEAR

“Had Jane Austen sat down to write a country house murder mystery, this is exactly the book she would have written. Devotees of Austen’s timeless novels will get the greatest possible pleasure from this wonderful book. Immense fun and beautifully observed. Delicious!” —Alexander McCall Smith

“A well-done pastiche that balances menace with wit, recrimination with reconciliation, sin with redemption and justice with mercy.” —The Wall Street Journal

“Satisfying…. Readers looking for a charming mystery will adore this book. Gray captures Austen’s tone perfectly, allowing fans to step back into the Regency author’s beloved world.” —BookPage

“An astonishingly convincing and tremendously entertaining pastiche…. Written elegantly, with a keen eye for Regency detail as well as a deep knowledge and affection for Ms. Austen’s oeuvre, this is an entirely plausible continuation of the Austen canon that stands as a worthwhile read in its own right.” —Criminal Element

“What a splendid conceit! … Gray provides plenty of backstory and enough depth to her characters that even those who mix up their Pride and Prejudice with their Sense and Sensibility will delight in the Agatha Christie–style mystery…. There’s so much fun to be had in this reimagined Austen world—and the mystery is so strong—that one can only hope, dear reader, that more books will follow.” —Booklist (starred review)

“The Murder of Mr. Wickham illuminates Jane Austen’s best-loved (and lesser loved) characters, introduces a dynamic sleuthing duo, and delivers a most satisfying murder mystery in the grand tradition of Clue.” —Jane Pek, author of The Verifiers

“Jane Austen is spinning in her grave: she’s trying to climb out and shake Claudia Gray’s hand. The Murder of Mr. Wickham delivers in spades—and in diamonds, hearts, and clubs!” —Alan Bradley, author of the Flavia de Luce series

“Claudia Gray’s The Murder of Mr. Wickham is a charming, sharp, and engrossing mystery that evokes the meta wonder of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen with the evocative depth of the Jane Austen library—delivered in a voice and tone that is modern and mesmerizing. Gray has crafted a book that one won’t easily forget.” —Alex Segura, author of Secret Identity

“[An] enchanting mystery…. Gray perfectly captures the personalities of Austen’s beloved characters. This is a real treat for Austenites.” —Publishers Weekly

“Who would NOT want to read a book in which one a literature’s most notorious rakes meets his final demise? … A delightful Agatha Christie meets Jane Austen romp.” —Laurel Ann Nattress, AustenproseCLAUDIA GRAY is the pseudonym of Amy Vincent. She is the writer of multiple young adult novels, including the Evernight series, the Firebird trilogy, and the Constellation trilogy. In addition, she’s written several Star Wars novels, such as Lost Stars and Bloodline. She makes her home in New Orleans with her husband Paul and assorted small dogs.Book Club Discussion Guide: The Murder of Mr. Wickham
Questions for reading groups written by the author of The Murder of Mr. Wickham

1. The Murder of Mr. Wickham features most of Jane Austen’s principal characters from her novels, continuing their life stories after the original books. Which of the characters’ “futures” felt most believable? Most interesting? Did any of these futures ring false for you, and if so, why?

2. Today, Jonathan Darcy would probably be understood as someone who is neurodivergent. How do the Regency-era characters—including Jonathan himself—understand him? In what ways do the differences between Jonathan’s time and our own make his life harder, or perhaps easier?

3. Mr. Wickham deeply resents the other characters, above all the Darcys. What do you think lies at the core of his resentment?

4. Many of the couples within the book struggle with keeping secrets from one another: George Knightley hides his entanglement with Wickham from Emma; Juliet Tilney becomes angry when Jonathan fails to give her critical information about his family; and Fanny Bertram is reluctant to reveal her brother’s secret to Edmund. Which character, if any, did you feel was most justified in remaining silent? Which characters’ silence could have been most damaging to their relationships?

5. Fanny isn’t certain how to react to her brother William’s romantic relationship with another man. How are her thoughts and conclusions influenced by the time and culture in which she lives?

6. The Darcys’ marriage has been strained in the months immediately preceding the events of The Murder of Mr. Wickham. How did each character express grief over the death of Susannah? How can differences in the ways we grieve cause problems within relationships?

7. Juliet Tilney is a very conventional young woman of the 1820s English gentry in many ways . . . but not all. How does she deviate from societal expectations? In what ways do her differences make her life more difficult? More interesting?

8. The characters live in a world with very concrete expectations, rules, and schedules, far less flexible than in most of our lives today. Would you find this constrictive? Or would having more definite guidelines make life less uncertain, and maybe even a little bit easier?

9. Through different characters’ points of view, we learn a little about what has happened to some of the secondary characters from Austen’s six novels—such as Mary Bennet, John Willoughby, and Mrs. Smith. Which of these were you most eager to learn about? Which other Austen characters do you wish had been mentioned in greater detail?

10. Every principal character is either a member of the gentry—what we might now call “lower upper class”—or related to nobility. To what extent do they consider the thoughts and needs of those around them with less money and social standing, from the servants at Donwell Abbey to the townspeople of Highbury?

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