P.D. James playing Jane Austen….a better walking companion I cannot imagine.
P.D. James imagines the life of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth (of Pride and Prejudice) after 6 years of marriage; they have two perfect sons, her beloved father comes to visit regularly, Jane and Bingley live nearby and come to visit often, and the housekeeper loves Elizabeth. Into this idyllic world comes a murder in the frightful woodland on the Pemberley estate and the ever problematic Wickham is involved. Lydia makes an unpleasant, but blessedly short appearance. I found the plot to be satisfying in a pleasant sort of way; that is, the murder mystery does not take center stage. The brief references to characters in Emma and Persuasion were pleasing to me.