Death Comes to Pemberley

I think Jane Austen would be pleased with how well P.D. James captures her literary style in Death Comes to Pemberley (#190).  Pemberley is, of course, the home of the former Elizabeth Bennett and her husband, Fitzwilliam Darcy, of Pride and Prejudice, now settled for several years into wedded domestic bliss with their two young sons, and with the added felicity of Jane and Charles Bingley and their family living nearby.

Preparations are underway at Pemberley for their annual October ball, and the Darcys have been joined the evening leading up to the ball by Darcy's cousin Colonel Fitzwillam, the Bingleys and their house guest, Mr. Alveston. Along with Darcy's sister, Georgiana, the company expects to spend a quiet evening at home when a chaise comes galloping at full speed out of the Pemberley woodlands.  Elizabeth and Jane's black sheep sister Lydia is the sole occupant of the coach and cries out hysterically that her husband is dead, shot in the Pemberley woodlands.  The Colonel with his military experience takes charge of the search party, and they do, indeed, find a body in the woods - with George Wickham, Lydia's husband, kneeling over the body.

There are plenty of questions as the party at Pemberley tries to discover what Lydia and George were doing on Pemberley property in the first place; the Wickhams are not received at Pemberley, and only Lydia is an acceptable visitor to the Bingley's home.  What did George and his friend Martin Denny, the victim, quarrel about that caused him to stop the coach in the woods and jump out? Is Wickham innocent, as he claims? 

Some of the most critical questions, however, are those raised in the minds of Darcy and Elizabeth as they ponder whether their own past actions could have influenced what took place in the dark woods that night. Each must come to terms with the revelations made during the course of the investigation and trial before they can face the future together.

P. D. James is an admirer of Jane Austen, and it shows in her sly references to Persuasion and Emma, among others.  I did feel that I could have been reading one of Austen's works and I found that very appealing.  I must admit that I have never read any of James' other mysteries. (Although my husband is willing to read this Jane Austen tribute because he has.)  But I must also confess that there was one thing about this book that did bother me: Lady James uses the term police consistently throughout this book. I would have expected to see constabulary, sheriff, Bow Street Runners or thief takers used instead for the law enforcement functions she describes in the book.  I know that she did work for the British Police for many years, but in 1803, the Marine Police had just been established in London in 1798, and the Glasgow Police Act was newly passed in 1800.  It wasn't until after 1828 that Peel's Bill established a police force as we know it.  A small nit, but I did have to include it. It's the only small thing that marred my enjoyment of this literary murder mystery.