Death Comes to Pemberley

By: P. D. James

Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor

Length: 9 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

A rare meeting of literary genius: P. D. James, long among the most admired mystery writers of our time, draws the characters of Jane Austen’s beloved novel Pride and Prejudice into a tale of murder and emotional mayhem.

It is 1803, six years since Elizabeth and Darcy embarked on their life together at Pemberley, Darcy’s magnificent estate. Their peaceful, orderly world seems almost unassailable. Elizabeth has found her footing as the chatelaine of the great house. They have two fine sons, Fitzwilliam and Charles. Elizabeth’s sister Jane and her husband, Bingley, live nearby; her father visits often; there is optimistic talk about the prospects of marriage for Darcy’s sister Georgiana. And preparations are under way for their much-anticipated annual autumn ball.

Then, on the eve of the ball, the patrician idyll is shattered. A coach careens up the drive carrying Lydia, Elizabeth’s disgraced sister, who with her husband, the very dubious Wickham, has been banned from Pemberley. She stumbles out of the carriage, hysterical, shrieking that Wickham has been murdered. With shocking suddenness, Pemberley is plunged into a frightening mystery.

Inspired by a lifelong passion for Austen, P. D. James masterfully re-creates the world of Pride and Prejudice, electrifying it with the excitement and suspense of a brilliantly crafted crime story, as only she can write it.

©2011 P. D. James (P)2011 Random House Audio

Great for Jane Austen fans!

What made the experience of listening to Death Comes to Pemberley the most enjoyable?

P.D. James excellent writing is always enjoyable to read or hear. The narration was good.It was great fun to meet again the familiar, loveable, and humorous characters from Pride and Prejudice.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Death Comes to Pemberley?

I loved the moment when the carriage driver pulled up in front of Pemberley with the hysterical Lydia! She hasn't changed a bit!

What about Rosalyn Landor’s performance did you like?

Easy to listen to; did not overshadow the writing or the story.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I liked all the times when you were allowed to see the relationship and caring between Elisabeth and Darcy, and how their characters had matured over time.

Any additional comments?

I could not decide if P.D.James was serious, or if this was a parody or satire of sorts. I would be glad to know what other listeners thought! Nevertheless, I enjoyed it a lot!

meh

Good to hear a continuation of the story but, in addressing some of the plot holes I had never considered when reading the original, this book somehow made me like the original just a little bit less :(

Very enjoyable!

If you're a Jane Austen fan, then I think you will enjoy this book. PD James does an excellent job in writing in an Austen-like style. Strong recommendation.

Christie meets Austen

The story of Mr. & Mrs. Darcy (nee Elizabeth Bennet) and the other characters from Pride & Prejudice return for this sequel set about 6 years after P&P. The action this time surrounds a death at Pemberley, the Darcy estate. Who did it? What was his/her motive? What are the ramifications? Those questions, and more, are explored in this hybrid of Agatha Christie and Jane Austen. It is enjoyable and great for a mindless read, but don't expect any earth shattering literature from it.

Fun!

I've read a few Austen fan fictions which were okay and always drive me back to the novels, which is a good thing! I thought P.D. James had a smart idea to write a murder mystery, her own art form shored up by Austen's most beloved Elizabeth Bennett and company. The story was strong but Lizzy and the others did not come alive on the page. The characters are staid and not electrically charged as the are in Austen's brilliant work. Still, hurray for James because it was great fun to speculate about the characters of Pride and Prejudice and bring them into the future while contemplating the police and courts of England in the early 1800's. James had fun including by reference, other characters in Austen novels, which will make most Janites smile. I don't know that any writer can do more than that and professional writers do it better than most.

Lovely!

I really enjoyed this book! I especially loved the cross overs from other Jane Austen novels! I think the author did Jane Austen justice with this book. The narration was wonderful and made me feel like is was really there in the book!

Lovely continuation of a great novel.

Would you listen to Death Comes to Pemberley again? Why?

I would listen to this novel again in the future. It is not like Pride and Prejudice which I could pick up and start again immediately upon finishing; however, the story is engaging and features beloved characters.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

My biggest complaint is that Elizabeth's character in this novel is much more two dimensional than in Austen's original. The primary character is Darcy, but we here a lot from Elizabeth too and some of her fire and passion is missing in this story.

Which scene was your favorite?

I enjoyed the scenes early in the novel where Elizabeth recapped her past and compared to her current position. Hearing about the past from her new perspective was nice.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I enjoyed the final scene...read it to understand.

Viva la Pemberley!

By far, to date, this is my favorite revival of Elizabeth & Mr. Darcy!!!

True to the Austen characteristics which made Pride & Prejudice so beloved. A chance to glimpse into the story where Ms. Austen left off, this peek is a delight. Lizzy has learned from some of her past prejudices ... some of the others remain stuck. Delightful narration brings each character to life.

doesn't quite work

The narrator had such a mocking tone in the extended prologue that I was tempted to stop and get the printed version, but she seemed to relax a little and give a slightly better performance after the prologue. As to the sequel itself, sadly it wasn't a good mystery as James cheats the reader, and it doesn't have the charm or wit of a good comedy of manners in the Austen style. The attempt at a romantic dilemma with the Georgiana angle was pretty weak. It's as though James couldn't quite make up her mind what kind of book she was writing and missed on both counts. On the positive side, it was nice to revisit Pemberley for a brief stay and spend a little time with Elizabeth. In the end, I was glad I took the time to listen to the audiobook, but it will not be the annual favorite that the Jane Austen books have been for decades. I did like the ending, which is very important. If this book by it's very nature wasn't begging comparisons to "Pride & Prejudice", then it might get 3.5 stars from me with a better narrator.

Enjoyable

I am not familiar with the works of PD James. I tuned into PBS' 'Mastepiece Mysteries' for the first portion of 'Death Comes to Pemberley' and was intrigued enough to get the audio book to listen to the entire story before watching the conclusion. Regarding the audiobook, the narration was sensational.It was fun to listen to. The plot was somewhat implausible and the story wraps up rather neatly - conveniently - in the end, but in the process I find one is looking for the different clues towards an actual plot twist that I would not have conceived. But Jane A didn't write this, PD James wrote this. And it's good enough. Inventive update on a classic. It's not the classic. Yet, I enjoyed it.