The Murder of Mr. Wickham

Claudia Gray

May 2022 · MR. DARCY & MISS TILNEY MYSTERY Book 1 · Sold by Vintage

About this ebook

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 ORIGINAL

Ratings and reviews

Take beloved Jane Austen characters, invite them all to a house party, and solve a murder mystery! What a perfect beginning to a new series. As a lover of all things Jane, I had high expectations going into this story. I’m happy to say I was not disappointed. While the timeline was tweaked a bit, this glimpse into what the future might have looked like after the happily ever after endings of Jane Austen’s couples was intriguing. A fun, must read cozy mystery!

The author has done great work providing each character with their own unique story line full of narrative texture & emotional depth. Each character has their own emotions, struggles, & conflicts. It was interesting to see them deal with these problems while placed in the very difficult situation of a murder investigation & in turn, the worst house party ever! This is a very well written, unique, and fun series. I love and highly recommend it! 5 stars

So after many years, I have been returned to my young self’s first love of all books Austin. This is a whodunnit, based on the Austin characters, crossed with Ms. Agatha Christie “light”, It is an enjoyable mystery. The time frame puts the language and actions old fashioned. Add this to your TBR list.

About the author

CLAUDIA 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.