Review of The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray

 

“How unfortunate for public morals that being unladylike feels so... exciting.”- The Murder of Mr. Wickham

In this fun murder mystery, Claudia Gray brings together favorite Austen characters under one roof and sets them prey to one despicable Mr. Wickham. Unfortunately for Mr. Wickham, he won't make it out alive.

I truly enjoyed this fun romp of a novel! I thought that Gray mainly stayed true to the characters' personalities that we know from the original books. I had minor grievances, but nothing that distracted me from my overall enjoyment of the novel. I also enjoyed the addition of her own characters, Jonathon Darcy and Juliet Tinley. 

Jonathon Darcy especially interested me as he is presented as a young man located somewhere on the Autism spectrum. I loved to see how someone of the Regency Era, when Autism was not recognized or truly known about, behaved and acted in a society with very strict social rules. It is always a plus for me when we can get strong and precise representation in novels, especially in genres we would not typically expect to see such representation take place. In addition, it was comforting to see Johnathon and Juliet understand and respect one another (he did not dismiss her ideas because she is a woman and she accepted his "peculiarities" without question). Their partnership felt smooth and very natural.

For readers who are looking for a satisfying mystery, all I can say is that I did not see the ending coming. I was very satisfied with the reveal and appreciated how the characters were left off. I had no trouble believing the plot or why and how the murder took place. I am so looking forward to the second book in the series! I'm excited to see what else Ms. Gray will put old and familiar characters through, and I cannot wait to have Johnaton and Juliet reunited.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars