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THE MATTER AT MANSFIELD (OR, THE CRAWFORD AFFAIR), by Carrie Bebris.
Cover copy: After their recent adventures with hidden treasure and secrets from the past, Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy are looking forward to enjoying a quiet spell at Pemberley with their new daughter, but their hoped-for peace is short-lived.
Darcy's aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, is eager to arrange a lucrative and socially acceptable match for her daughter, Anne. Of course, Lady Catherine has not taken into account such frivolous matters as love or romance, let alone the wishes of her daughter. Needless to say, there is much turmoil when the young bride-to-be elopes.
In pursuit of the headstrong young couple, the Darcys speed to Mansfield Park - where the usually intricate game of marriage machinations becomes even more convoluted by lies and deception. The Darcys know that love and marriage can be a complex and dangerous business - one that can even lead to murder.
Anne's betrothal is further complicated by codes of honor, rival lovers, and mistaken identity. The Darcys must sort out the matters at hand in a manner that is quiet enough to avoid a scandal -- yet swift enough to avert disaster.
The Darcys take center stage as the Regency era's answer to THE THIN MAN's Nick and Nora, searching for truth between teatimes, amidst the social whirl of Jane Austen's England.
Gender of detectives: one male, one female
This is another one that's part of a series - but for this one, I'd argue that it not only isn't necessary to have read the previous books, it's probably better not to. Ms. Bebris likes supernatural elements, see. I had picked up the first two in the series, some time ago, only to find not only the solution to one mystery being 'possession by a possible Satanic ancestor', but Elizabeth being interested in/sensitive to psychic abilities, while Darcy was the complete skeptic. I had been hoping for something considerably more "Nick and Nora"-ish, to borrow from the cover copy, and consequently abandoned the series until now.
This one leaves aside the supernatural elements, in favor of all-Austen crossover elements - the ne'er-do-well with whom Anne de Bourgh elopes is Henry Crawford, from MANSFIELD PARK. This leads to much melodrama, and sadly little interaction between Fanny and Elizabeth, or even Edmund and Darcy. Mostly it's about Henry, and what a scoundrel he is, no really total scoundrel. And then he's dead. And then he isn't. And then he's dead again, which aside from the need to solve the murder is somewhat of a relief, as it clears the way for Colonel Fitzwilliam to marry Anne.
(...I'm pretty sure I've read that fanfic before. Anyway. Carrying on.)
Overall: good idea, not quite as good in the execution. Perhaps only one shake of drama in the stew next time, instead of six or seven.
*
Mariposa has settled in next to me again. I would find this much sweeter if I didn't suspect it's less for love of me and more for love of my body heat, with a side of love for my computer's heat.
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Cover copy: After their recent adventures with hidden treasure and secrets from the past, Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy are looking forward to enjoying a quiet spell at Pemberley with their new daughter, but their hoped-for peace is short-lived.
Darcy's aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, is eager to arrange a lucrative and socially acceptable match for her daughter, Anne. Of course, Lady Catherine has not taken into account such frivolous matters as love or romance, let alone the wishes of her daughter. Needless to say, there is much turmoil when the young bride-to-be elopes.
In pursuit of the headstrong young couple, the Darcys speed to Mansfield Park - where the usually intricate game of marriage machinations becomes even more convoluted by lies and deception. The Darcys know that love and marriage can be a complex and dangerous business - one that can even lead to murder.
Anne's betrothal is further complicated by codes of honor, rival lovers, and mistaken identity. The Darcys must sort out the matters at hand in a manner that is quiet enough to avoid a scandal -- yet swift enough to avert disaster.
The Darcys take center stage as the Regency era's answer to THE THIN MAN's Nick and Nora, searching for truth between teatimes, amidst the social whirl of Jane Austen's England.
Gender of detectives: one male, one female
This is another one that's part of a series - but for this one, I'd argue that it not only isn't necessary to have read the previous books, it's probably better not to. Ms. Bebris likes supernatural elements, see. I had picked up the first two in the series, some time ago, only to find not only the solution to one mystery being 'possession by a possible Satanic ancestor', but Elizabeth being interested in/sensitive to psychic abilities, while Darcy was the complete skeptic. I had been hoping for something considerably more "Nick and Nora"-ish, to borrow from the cover copy, and consequently abandoned the series until now.
This one leaves aside the supernatural elements, in favor of all-Austen crossover elements - the ne'er-do-well with whom Anne de Bourgh elopes is Henry Crawford, from MANSFIELD PARK. This leads to much melodrama, and sadly little interaction between Fanny and Elizabeth, or even Edmund and Darcy. Mostly it's about Henry, and what a scoundrel he is, no really total scoundrel. And then he's dead. And then he isn't. And then he's dead again, which aside from the need to solve the murder is somewhat of a relief, as it clears the way for Colonel Fitzwilliam to marry Anne.
(...I'm pretty sure I've read that fanfic before. Anyway. Carrying on.)
Overall: good idea, not quite as good in the execution. Perhaps only one shake of drama in the stew next time, instead of six or seven.
*
Mariposa has settled in next to me again. I would find this much sweeter if I didn't suspect it's less for love of me and more for love of my body heat, with a side of love for my computer's heat.
Team Mariposa, Blogathon 2010. Sponsor me!