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  • Death Comes to Pemberley

  • By: P. D. James
  • Narrated by: Katie Scarfe
  • Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (316 ratings)
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Death Comes to Pemberley

By: P. D. James
Narrated by: Katie Scarfe
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Summary

Two great literary minds - master of suspense P.D. James and literary icon Jane Austen - come together in Death Comes to Pemberley, a bestselling historical crime fiction tribute to Pride and Prejudice. Conjuring the world of Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy and combining the trappings of Regency society with a classic murder mystery, James creates a delightful new story that will intrigue any fan of Jane Austen.

The year is 1803, and Darcy and Elizabeth have been married for six years. There are now two handsome and healthy sons in the nursery, Elizabeth's beloved sister Jane and her husband Bingley live nearby and the orderly world of Pemberley seems unassailable. But all this is threatened when, on the eve of the annual autumn ball, the guests are preparing to retire for the night when a chaise appears, rocking down the path from Pemberley's wild woodland. As it pulls up, Lydia Wickham - Elizabeth's younger, unreliable sister - stumbles out screaming that her husband, George Wickham, has been murdered.

Inspired by a lifelong passion for the work of Jane Austen, P.D. James masterfully recreates the world of Pride and Prejudice. Combining Austen's characters with her own signature excitement and suspense, James has crafted a brilliant crime story. Death Comes to Pemberley is a distinguished work of fiction, from one of the best-loved writers of our time, and was adapted as a miniseries by the BBC in 2013, starring Matthew Rhys, Anna Maxwell Martin, and Matthew Goode.

©2011 P.D. James (P)2014 Faber Audio

Critic reviews

"P.D. James has recreated the world of Jane Austen magnificently." ( Sunday Telegraph)
"Dazzling...a book that combines the grace of Jane Austen with the pace of a thriller...as good as anything P.D. James has written and that is very high praise indeed." ( Sunday Express)
"An elegantly gauged homage to Austen and an exhilarating tribute to the inexhaustible vitality of James's imagination." ( Sunday Times)

What listeners say about Death Comes to Pemberley

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    5 out of 5 stars

still great!!

Being a massive fan of Jane Austin, it was with hesitance that I ordered this book. The writer has just beautifully explained why she ventured writing this book and as I reader I have thoroughly enjoyed reading it! It doesn't take anything away from the original and I could linger around, a bit longer, in the lives of Elizabeth and Darcy and the dealings of their families. Good plot and well performed by the excellent Katie Scarfe.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Austin taken on by James what a delightful combination

All you would expect from both authors.
The characters are all dealt with as JA would have, I'm sure, approved of. However PDJ is less censorious bringing a refreshing humanity to some of the situations.
In is thrown in bloody murder and scandalous intrigue providing a wonderful who-dunnit.
Do try to guess the culprit - it is possible! Almost Christie-an in solution.
On top of that fantastic narration - thank you all!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful collaboration

What a huge pleasure to listen to this book! It took me so successfully back to the pleasure of Jane Austen, with the additional pleasure of P.D.James‘ skill as a mystery writer. The narration was excellent. Thank you!

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brilliant

I brought this book as I had seen the TV adaptation. The book is 10 times better. really enjoyed it. I would recommend.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

six years after the HEA

In the style of Austen a story beyond the HEA of Pride and Prejudice.

A must for fans.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

To much meddling with Jane Austin characters!

Being a total lover of Jane Austin novels I looked forward to more stories concerning some of her most beloved characters. I did enjoy the crime story itself but I got irritated when the author embellished other Austin character’s lives and personalities. For example Mr Collins and his wife’s life history, especially Charlotte’s feeling towards Elisabeth’s marriage to Darcy, had nothing to do with the story. Also inclusion of characters from Sense and Sensibility or Persuasion I found unnecessary and irritating. She should have just stuck to the personalities from Pride and Prejudice, and even that without trying to explain parts of the original in the final chapter.

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Excellent: I loved it

I’d only seen the television version which was slightly underwhelming, then read here that the book was different so thought I’d give it a try. I loved it. I can visualise all the original characters in this and the plot is fascinating but moves at the right pace for Austen - it wouldn’t be credible to unroll at the speed of a modern detective novel.
I was surprised early on to hear of a ‘one horse fight-on’ though - cockfighting was of the period, but horses? Turned out to be a phaeton. My heart sank as so many of the newest generation of narrators have no idea how to pronounce words from previous times and that can jar and spoil the flow of a book - but it was a false alarm. That was the only slip and the narration was excellent, really bringing the characters to life.
Overall, I loved it and found it head and shoulders above so many of the Austen sequels.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Different to the authors other books.

This book is set in past times and not the authors normal thriller murders. Was not keen on this book hope to read some better books of theirs.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Very Jane Austin!

It was as though Jane Austin had written it herself and that was wonderful. I have to say that I was not taken with the performance, but that is very subjective.

But the story was every inch what it should have been.

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Absolutely incredible

it is as if Jane Austin is sitting with PD James such fabulous story writting

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