Gardiner and Kumar have taken Caroline Bingley's personality and gleefully run with it, setting up a plausible mystery involving Georgiana Darcy's missing ladies' maid, the East India Company, smuggling, the slave trade, and (to paraphrase a long ago Dr Who episode) a wonderfully violent butler. There are some gorgeous scenes on the frozen Thames, lively drawing room banter, and thoughtful social commentary, as well as plenty of criminal action. It would have been so difficult to pursue wrongdoers without the benefit of mobile phones (or indeed any phones), cars or a fully functional police force.
I can't wait for further adventures of Miss Caroline Bingley, and I'm sure Jane Austen, though she might have been nonplussed, would thoroughly approve.
Absolutely delightful! Kate Constable's blog post on Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Detective is a witty romp through Regency-era sleuthing. Who knew Caroline Bingley had it in her? With her sharp wit and sharper retorts, she's the detective we never knew we needed. The frozen Thames scenes are as chilling as her disdain for Elizabeth Bennet. And the "wonderfully violent butler"? A plot twist that had me gasping and giggling simultaneously. If Jane Austen had a penchant for murder mysteries, she'd be all over this. Can't wait for Caroline's next case—hopefully, it involves a certain Mr. Darcy. Thanks~ Emily from http://www.auscovertinvestigations.com.au
ReplyDeleteI'm also hugely looking forward to Miss Bingley's future adventures! Mr Darcy would certainly be an added enticement...
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