Sometimes, you need to settle in with a cozy book and maybe a cup of tea. Or a fast read to make your flight (I took a flight!) speed by. Enter Pride and Premeditation (Harper Teen, 2021) by Tirzah Price, a fun spin on – you guessed it – Pride and Prejudice. And that’s exactly the book you’d start with if you were beginning a Jane Austen Murder Mystery series.
This version of P&P has 17-year-old Elizabeth Bennet wanting, more than anything, to join her father’s law office and present a case in court. Ah, but that’s not what young women were expected to do in the day. Even so, her father agrees: convince him of her capabilities, and he might be swayed to hire her.
And so she sets out to do just that with the case of a Mr. Bingley, who has been accused of murdering his brother-in-law. Elizabeth is determined to prove his innocence but to stay on the case, she must contend with Bingley’s good friend and family attorney, Mr. Darcy. What ensues is a fun whodunit, filled with danger and desire and with all the characters you love and hate from Jane Austen’s classic.
Ah, the characters! Tirzah Price has done a wonderful job capturing the spirit and voice of each and, at the same time, manages to make this an ultra-approachable read even for those who shy away from older literature. And while this book may be more fun if you are familiar with Pride and Prejudice, in no way is that a prerequisite for enjoying it.
Do understand that you may need to suspend your knowledge of Regency-era facts. The author admittedly took liberties with the time period to allow the plot to play out. Her note at the end of the book explains it all.
If you turn out to be a fan of this book, #2 in the series, Sense and Second-Degree Murder came out yesterday (4/5/2022).
I will be picking this up in time for my next flight.
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@Barrie Summy
What a great idea for a book!
I wish I’d though of it. Then again, I wouldn’t have been able to do it justice 🙂
I love murder mysteries, don’t know why. I guess it is the suspense. – Margy
I was smiling through this review. I think I’m going to have to read it! 🙂
Thanks for reviewing and bringing it (and the next book) to our attention!
Enjoy!
Sorry, Jody. I got you and Phyllis mixed up in my mind.
Linda
This does sound like a fun release. I can’t claim to be an Austen purist since I read and enjoyed P&P and Zombies. 😉
Hope you get to take another flight soon, Phyllis.
Linda
Not a purist here either 🙂
That does sound like an original retelling!
It is!
This is pretty mind bending for me. I love to re-read Pride and Prejudice. So messing with it is, ah, not what I am looking for! But I will allow that this version might be a very fun story.
It took a bit to adjust my thinking about the characters, but it was fun to see what she did with them.
This really sounds fun! And I love the title (and the title of the new release, too)! Thanks for reviewing. And thanks for no spoilers. 🙂
Spoiler? Having been at the wrong end of a spoiler by a guy who thought he was being funny…never!