Finding "Pleasure in a Good Novel": The Murder of Mr. Wickham

Summary 

A vile man with many enemies, Mr. Wickham arrives unannounced at the house party hosted by the Knightleys. Several of the guests have had sour dealings with the man where money and assets were stolen in scam investments, whereas the Darcys have had personal issues with this man who is related to them by marriage. Since the night of Wickham's arrival, the guests are trapped in Donwell Abbey for a few nights due to a violent thunderstorm. While tempers run high and sleep evades everyone, the murder of Mr. Wickham (by Claudia Gray) occurs one of these nights. The youngest of the house party members, Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney, take it upon themselves to solve the case since the local magistrate does a careless job and seems likely to hang an innocent person.

Show your support for books and reading.

  -- Spoilers --

Photo by Elaine Howlin on Unsplash

Characters

George Wickham: From Pride and Prejudice; the murder victim of the story; a former army officer; a swindler and scam artist; was married to Lydia, one of Elizabeth's sisters; deplorable personality, self-serving, spiteful.

Juliet Tilney: From Northanger Abbey; seventeen years old; father is a clergyman and mother is a novelist with an adventurous spirit which she shares with Juliet; clever; can't see why she has to be entirely feminine now and forgo her "boyish" interests; shares a love of poetry and inner fire with Marianne and tries to become friends.

Jonathan Darcy: From Pride and Prejudice; eldest son of three to Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam; written as neurodivergent, grapples with Society's rules and tries to conform as well as meet expectations; talks people's ears off about The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Gibbon and is a master with numbers and probabilities.

Elizabeth Darcy: From Pride and Prejudice'; wife to Fitzwilliam and mother to Jonathan; witty, considerate, loving, lively; has been grieving for the last eight months.

Fitzwilliam Darcy: From Pride and Prejudice; husband to Elizabeth and father to Jonathan; went to Oxford with George Knightley and was childhood friends with George Wickham; stiff but caring manner.

George Knightley: From Emma; husband to Emma and married for sixteen years; known to argue with his wife; was the wealthiest eligible man in the parish; hosts the house party; related somehow to Edmund Bertram and went to Oxford with Fitzwilliam.

Emma Knightley: From Emma; wife to George (Knightley) for sixteen years and cousin to Colonel Brandon; has a brother named John who got in trouble with Wickham; is a self-proclaimed matchmaker; known to argue with her husband; was the wealthiest eligible lady in the parish; hosts the house party.

Colonel Christopher Brandon: From Sense and Sensibility; thirty-seven years old; husband to Marianne; an army officer (former?); cousin to Emma Knightley; reserved nature; loves Marianne, but believes she does not love him as much as she did her previous suitor, Mr. Willoughby.

Marianne Brandon: From Sense and Sensibility; nineteen-years-old; five months into her marriage to the Colonel; has a tempestuous spirit and, in turn, loves thunderstorms; lover of poetry, especially Cowper; cares deeply for her husband, but feels he is distant.

Captain Frederick Wentworth: From Persuasion; married to Anne; temporary tenant to George and Emma Knightley; is a naval captain who has spent time at sea with Anne gaining prize money from the wars; has a fearsome temper, is prideful, and feels he has to prove himself; doesn't want to disappoint or hurt his wife.

Anne Wentworth: From Persuasion; wife to Captain Wentworth and temporary tenant to George and Emma Knightley; enjoys simplicity more than finery; doesn't sweat the small stuff; dedicated to her husband, but will put him in his place when necessary.

Edmund Bertram: From Mansfield Park; husband (and cousin) to Fanny; a devout clergyman who can preach a lot in normal conversation; caring.

Fanny Bertram: From Mansfield Park; A heavily devout Christian and submissive to her husband (and cousin), Edmund, to a fault; has a delicate, caring, and fearful nature; has a brother named William who corresponds with her, sharing a "dark" secret.

Photo by cottonbro studio

Let Me Explain

Claudia Gray does an excellent job with providing context to new readers of the Jane Austen era. It is done through a third-person omniscient perspective, focused on the two young suspects in the murder, Juliet and Jonathan. 

Juliet gives the female/woman's perspective of how growing up in Society dictates everything: how you should behave publicly and privately, how you should dress, what interests you can and cannot take, always needing an escort, etc. Society's dictatorship is still a common problem today.

Juliet Tilney, having just turned seventeen, had become far more conscious of her appearance in the past year. As a younger girl, she had been more of a tomboy, one drawn to boys' games and fond of climbing trees [...] Unlike her mother, and for that matter most grown people, she didn't understand why she couldn't like muslins, dancing, and a rousing match of bowls (15).

Jonathan shares a similar confusion with Juliet, but from a then unknown neurodivergent perspective.

Oh, it was not unheard of for sons of the gentry to sometimes take up an instrument, and a good singer was welcome in any company. But it was the job of the woman to provide such amusement; the men of the house were those to be amused. So daughters were trained extensively in musical arts, particularly if they showed some aptitude. Sons by and large, were not (219).

When the women of the house party are asked to play the piano for the others, Jonathan is upset that he can't join in. Jonathan is lucky since his parents allow him to continue to play the piano in the privacy of their home, which they had indulged when he was younger, thinking he would lose interest.

Photo by Duncan Sanchez on Unsplash

Division in Education

The Society presented in this book, based on Jane Austen's own work, is a tiny bit more advanced than it was in Rousseau's day. In Jane Austen's time, women were provided with an education that included the musical arts, going beyond simply being a housewife and mother. I had always admired Rousseau's view that "man is born free and everywhere he is in chains," from his The Social Contract (1762), but it was only recently that I learned, he was a sexist, so when he said "man," he wasn't referring to anyone else as sometimes the word is used to mean humans. According to Britannica, Rousseau's final book on education in his series titled Émile (1762) and dedicated to this protagonist contains his views on women's education: 

The final book describes the education of Sophie, the girl who marries Émile. In Rousseau’s view, the education of girls was to be similar to that of boys with regard to naturalness, but it differed because of sexual differences. A girl cannot be educated to be a man. According to Rousseau, a woman should be the centre of the family, a housewife, and a mother. She should strive to please her husband, concern herself more than he with having a good reputation, and be satisfied with a simple religion of the emotions. Because her intellectual education is not of the essence, "her studies must all be on the practical side."

The reason I brought this up is that Juliet reminded me of it when it is discovered that Wickham's room has been ransacked.

Juliet envied the boldness with which Jonathan Darcy was able to work his way into the room. The same daring considered natural in a young man would be found bizarre for a young woman, so she had to inch forward more slowly (152).

[...]

    Darcy, his son, and Knightley began searching the room immediately; Juliet started but a fraction of a second behind them. She was aware of the elder Mr. Darcy glancing at her most pointedly between his rifling through Wickham's papers. No doubt this was an inappropriate task for a young girl. But no rules of etiquette covered a situation such as this (153).

Readers see how woman and men are educated differently to show a division between the sexes and "genders," but even Society doesn't have all the answers. This scene brings to mind how, in the 1930s, when Nancy Drew was created, she is called a "girl detective." It shows progress that Society was starting to relent when it came to women's actions. And these days, the "girl" part is almost never included because it never should have been needed in the first place.

Photo by Vlad Bagacian

Unable to Be Oneself

Throughout the book, Jonathan's character highlights how Society prevents people from being themselves. He confesses to Juliet that he has the need to sit and rock back and forth for a while when he is troubled or overwhelmed. He fully expects her to be bewildered or laugh at him since he has never felt accepted (132-133). Juliet demonstrates a more open mind, "It is peculiar, of course, [...] but my mother has often told me that most people are really very peculiar, once you get to know them. The only difference is in how well we hide our peculiarities" (133).

The Society in Jane Austen's time forced men to be financially wealthy by birth and if they were not, it was often a cause for mockery like what Captain Wentworth faces since he earns his wealth. It's acceptable to marry one's cousin, like Fanny and Edmund, and it is predominantly the man who is often a decade or more older than his barely twenty-year-old wife: Marianne and Colonel Brandon are a unique pair who love each other, which is often a luxury during this time period due to some women needing to marry any rich man. So many couples are married not long after meeting, so neither really know the peculiarities of each other, more so because of Society's rules. If two unmarried people of male and female sex wish to converse with one another, thereby becoming familiar with them before potentially marrying, they must do so in front of an audience of one or more persons; simply being alone together in a room for however long could result in the woman's reputation being compromised (the man's as well, but less so, of course).

I'd say that this aspect of Gray's book was my favorite. I like that we have a character who is neurodivergent, providing diversity to the story and pointing out that, yes, neurodivergent people have always existed; they were just called something different and not understood or often accepted. It is always good to have the female perspective as well; this conversation is another that should not end until the real world changes for the better. This story has mystery, history, and politics.

Photo by Katrin Bolovtsova

Police Work Takes Time, But This Is Ridiculous

If you've read any of my blog, you'll know that mysteries are my top genre, to the point where I can often solve the mystery before the end and see things a mile away. I've watched and read stories that included the greats of Holmes and Christie. Since the synopsis on the back of the book says it's a "fusion of Jane Austen and Agatha Christie," I should have loved this. 

Well, it had its moments.

The major aspect of this book that was frustrating was the horrendous job the local magistrate, Frank Churchill, does for the investigation. Now, I'm not terribly familiar with Jane Austen and her works or even the time period of her novels. Holmes was towards the end of the 1800s and Christie was in the 1920s, so the investigative procedures were quite different during the time in which this novel is set. Gray's Author's Note provides readers with the estimated time the books take place: 1797-1819. 

With this in mind, we see the suspects do not handle things entirely well when there is a crime. For example, people touch things since fingerprinting isn't a thing yet and they call for the local magistrate rather than a detective. 

Stereotype

Frank Churchill arrives at the abbey with a few constables and investigates the scene of the crime (not very thoroughly), jumps to the conclusion that a servant or a traveller of Romanian descent is the culprit, and declares the murder weapon to be the wrong one with little to no evidence. Yes, police characters are often portrayed as bumbling and prejudiced, so these actions are not a surprise. It gives a reason for a person or persons to do some amateur sleuthing, such as our young duo, Jonathan and Juliet. Churchill is, thankfully, a reasonable man, so when they finally share their progress and findings with him, he listens and encourages them to continue their work since they are both in good positions to ascertain information from the suspects who are wary of the police. 

Photo by alleksana

There's the Rub

What frustrated me was the slowness of the police work. Churchill investigates the crime scene, takes the body away and leaves. There are so many characters in this book with so much detail about their pasts and presents that I, myself, forgot that Churchill didn't search Wickham's room. That's, like, part of the basics in mystery solving. He searches it days later after it's already been ransacked and four of the suspects enter the room and search it themselves, thereby contaminating the area! Even from a writer/reader's standpoint, Wickham is found dead at the end of Chapter 5 and Churchill has the bright idea to search his room in Chapter 19! Even the author has Jonathan highlight this: "The search would have been more to the purpose had it taken place immediately after Mr. Wickham's death," (289). No shit, Sherlock! Maybe it's how it was done during this pre-Holmesian time, but it feels like the author did it intentionally to give the characters immediate access to Wickham's room.

Usually, the police/detective is focused on solving the crime. Churchill is not. We see this when he decides to bring his daughter to the house to meet Jonathan, the one young man her age at the house party in order to make connections as Society dictates. No policeman in their right mind would bring their family anywhere near an ongoing investigation. Sure, he may still think the murderer is a servant or a traveller, but as I said, it's still an open case and the servants are in the house! Worst, Churchill decides to help his daughter in organizing a ball (268) and his daughter invites the entire house party. This also drags out the police work. While some of the suspects suggest Churchill is using the ball to study them and such, this doesn't happen nor does it help his investigation. It's only useful for our amateur sleuths who find out that Wickham's accomplice is not Jonathan's other uncle, but they get caught in the process by Mr. Darcy since Society dictates an unmarried man and unmarried woman should not be alone together (310-313).

Surrey, United Kingdom, Photo by Alicia Slough on Unsplash

Atmosphere and Ending

In many Agatha Christie novels, whether it be a Miss Marple or an Hercules Poirot, the murder victim is often someone everyone or mostly everyone hates. This book ticks that box. With this in mind, there is no reason for there to be another murder. The Austenian characters and their Societal rules add a calming atmosphere since the focus is all on the drama of the suspects' pasts as well as their emotional and marital problems they work through. A few of the men, such as Captain Wentworth, have a temper or have arguments, but the murder's design screams spontaneity, so no one was calculating, aside from Wickham. Jonathan and Juliet are never threatened by the murderer; when the trowel is found in Juliet's room, it was already public knowledge amongst the house party members that she was the only one with no association to Wickham. She may have been ashamed and filled with terror when it was found, but it was not because she was in danger of being arrested and hanged like other suspects in Christie novels who actually have motive or a connection to the crime/victim. What I'm getting at is that the stakes never felt high despite the illusion the author tried to create. One or two of the adults suggest that the sleuths, Juliet in particular, should stop snooping because they could be next. But by the time this is said, we know the characters so well that none of them give off this impression, even if they were desperate. 

In Miss Marple or Hercules Poirot mysteries, even the good people who turn out to be murderers of a vile person whose death brings relief to many, like in this novel, these murderers are still punished. So, I did wonder from the beginning if the author would actually deem one of Austen's beloved characters a murderer and have them arrested and sent to the gallows. I didn't think so since why write a novel like this if you didn't love the characters and their worlds? So, by the time we get to the culprit reveal, I was not surprised that it was a crime designed to have the murderer walk. I was upset with myself for not having come to the full conclusion, however. I figured it all out except for the provocation for the murder (and what the hell Anna Wentworth and Colonel Brandon's secret was).

Photo by cottonbro studio

Colonel Brandon: Cousin to Severus Snape?

Since the sudden release of AI software in 2023-2024, various AI Snape (along with many other famous fictional characters) accounts popped up on social media. This software allows content creators to provide new stories (headcanons) and, in this case, recreate something close to the great Alan Rickman's voice. I find Dark Arts Magic has the best version of the Potions Master. I bring this up because Alan Rickman played Colonel Brandon in the 1995 version of Sense and Sensibility. Both his portrayals of these two characters demonstrate reserved and generally calm natures. Claudia Gray wrote in the Author's Note that she used the Colonel's name from the 1995 version, which made me suspect the author also wrote the Colonel with this version in mind. Reading Colonel Brandon's parts in this book sounded so much like Severus Snape in description and dialogue, "His face—never greatly expressive—remained utterly unreadable," (351). Or at least, how he could have sounded after the war was over. 

Marianne finds that, even after five months of being married, Colonel Brandon remains closed off from her. We see so few passages of him and his thoughts, like Snape's parts in the movies since he has so many more appearances in the books. The Colonel confesses to the murder to protect another, showing that both he and Snape are willing to sacrifice their lives. 

Colonel Brandon finds himself unworthy of Marianne, feels as though she settled for him, "Willoughby was lost to her, but she would undoubtably have found love with another man. Someone younger, more dashing, more able to share in her enthusiasms," (119). Marianne confesses to Colonel Brandon, "Did you truly believe I married you without loving you?" He believes her to be only fond of him, "...But I know well my best qualities are not those to engage the affections of a young woman. I am not the sort of man who could—whom you could—" (372). Various headcanons and fanfictions have younger female protagonists fall in love with a Snape who survived the war which aged him considerably. But Colonel Brandon's internal monologue reflects what many think would be something Snape would have felt once he had no more purpose, was perhaps even stuck in his old Potions Master position at Hogwarts since his reputation was tarnished, and Minerva, being the new headmistress, may have shown him mercy in providing him with employment. Snape may have felt he atoned for his fatal mistake that cost Lily her life, but until the end of the war, there were many more casualties, some of whom he may have felt responsible for indirectly or directly. This would contribute to himself feeling unworthy by the affections of a younger woman.

Photo by RDNE Stock project

Marianne is finally able to dispel Colonel Brandon of his belief that she still harbors affection for Willoughby, 

Always I longed to marry a romantic hero. Willoughby looked the part [...] No romantic hero would ever abandon a woman simply because another had more money. But you, Christopher, [...] you searched the world for your lost love. When you found her ruined and destitute, you did not abandon her; you nursed her through her tragic end. You raised her child to adulthood. And you defended that child's honor to the point of fighting a duel. What is that, if not the behavior of the most romantic hero of all? (372-373)

Marianne gives examples of Colonel Brandon's honor and her view of him as a romantic hero. Severus Snape, on the other hand, is morally grey, an antihero. While he was motivated by love, grief, and guilt to become a double agent and work undercover for almost two decades as a Potions Master, Snape allowed his deeply personal grievances with Harry's father to dominate his relationship with Harry, becoming verbally abusive. But whenever Harry was in peril, he was there to try and subtly intervene. So, Snape is similar to Colonel Brandon, just off on a different branch, like a cousin.

Conclusion

This book was a mix of pleasure and pain where pain outweighed it a bit.

Having a pair of young amateur sleuths always reminds me of classic YA novels, like Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, etc. They show promise in their investigative skills given that they have no background in it, not even in reading since the genre may not have existed yet. With time, perhaps, Juliet and Jonathan will become a sort of Tommy and Tuppence.

Having only two young people in the book and in each of the then assumed genders, we get a good balance of perspectives. Both Juliet and Jonathan question the rules Society has placed upon them, and the author provides era-specific context to inform readers. Having both of them and one who is neurodivergent helps contemporary readers relate. 

Photo by Lisa Fotios

I found the investigation part of the book was dragged out for far too long. Between Churchill's poor policing to Juliet and Jonathan observing people, getting involved with the drama, and seeing the vaguest of "clues," the book felt like it forgot it was a mystery and learned very hard into the Austen part of it. I'd say that someone who wants to enjoy this book needs to have a strong love for the era and Jane Austen's work.

This book may pique the interest of some readers to read Austen's books or watch the movies/series. Prior to this book, I had already seen the 1995 Pride and Prejudice mini series with Colin Firth as well as parts of the 1995 Sense and Sensibility with Alan Rickman. I also had read Persuasion for a Romantics class at uni, but I loved it so much that I expunged it from my mind. I'm not a fan of Austen's works. I have to be in a certain mood to tolerate the long-winded banter and Societal restrictions and the drama because it can irritate me quite easily, more so in written form. You might be wondering why I read this book, then. I appreciate when authors create new stories with old characters and it was a murder mystery, so I tried it.

Reminder to show your support for books and reading.

Like my book reviews? Check out my library for more or read some of my posts on mystery writing.

Hire a Book Reviewer

I have a freelance business where I offer editing, beta reading and ARC reading for mysteries, historical fiction, and fantasy stories. Email me about your project at smurphy.writer1@gmail.com. 

Happy reading and writing!