Accusing Mr. Darcy: A Pride & Prejudice Variation
Accusing Mr. Darcy is the third Pride and Prejudice-inspired novel Miller has published. The Regency-era novel combines a manor, manners, and mystery. In addition to the taciturn Fitzwilliam Darcy, his young sister Georgiana, and the sharp-tongued Elizabeth Bennet, a gaggle of eligible aristocrats—one of whom may be a murderer—congregate at a month-long house party in Derbyshire.
The novel, set in 1812, has both familiar and unfamiliar trappings. The proud Mr. Darcy and the independent-minded Lizzy Bennet warily circle each other. Absent are her mother and sisters, replaced by Elizabeth’s cousin Rose Kendell, married to upper-crust Nicholas Kendell, heir to Willow Ridge estate where the action takes place.
And action there is: the novel opens with a murder by a serial killer called the London Strangler. Then, near Willow Ridge, the strangling death of a maid follows. Elizabeth herself is violently attacked and barely escapes death. Investigators suspect Mr. Darcy. Unraveling the mystery provides ample suspense. Well-researched period details and a cast of lively characters add charm and verisimilitude. Even with the shadow of mayhem overhanging the tale, the author shines a light on the rituals of mating.
