Mr. Bingley: Just as a Gentleman Ought to Be

By: Brandon Dragan

Narrated by: Ben Fensome

For centuries Jane Austen's classic novel, Pride and Prejudice, has been dearly loved he world over. However, few people know the hidden truth about Mr. Darcy's closest friend, the affable Mr. Bingley—who is much more than he appears on first impression.

Mr. Bingley: Just as a Gentleman Ought to Be is the previously untold story of a young man who unwittingly uncovers an evil cabal among the British Empire's aristocracy. Bingley finds himself confronting an enterprise so nefarious, he cannot help but act to redress it, even if it costs him his own reputation and the love of his life, the angelic Miss Jane Bennet.

Follow Mr. Bingley down a rabbit hole of intrigue and corruption, as he fights to protect the country's most vulnerable alongside friends old and new. Can he set things right before he loses Jane forever?

©2024 Brandon Dragan (P)2025 Brandon Dragan

Critic reviews

"Finally, a novel that reveals the true Bingley! Heartily recommend to all Bingley-philes!" (Crispin Bonham-Carter, Mr. Bingley in the BBC Miniseries, Pride & Prejudice)

Brilliant story and spectacular reading

True to the spirit of P&P and built on the characters in a compelling and surprising way. The author and the reader have created a fascinating and entertaining story and performance. Bravo!

Fun and imaginative of a familiar world.

Loved the narrator and his multiple characters portrayed. The story captured your attention right away and it was exciting/ interesting to see vigilante action in Regency times play out.

Mystery, Suspense, Intrigue

★★★★½ rounded up

It’s rare to see a book devoted entirely to Mr. Bingley of Pride and Prejudice fame, so it was with great anticipation and extremely refreshing for me to see him in the spotlight and given more depth than just being Darcy’s usual easygoing friend. If you’ve wished for a Mr. Bingley with more spine, Mr. Bingley: Just as a Gentleman Ought to Be definitely fits the bill, yet it may not be what you might expect.

Mired in mystery and intrigue, this story gives us a fascinating glimpse into what Mr. Bingley might have been up to before he leased Netherfield and what he did when he left. I enjoyed seeing a more complex side of him, but I was a bit conflicted about how the author balanced Bingley’s good-natured personality with the vigilante role he takes on against an evil cabal. Some of his actions are shockingly brutal, and while the book does show him struggling with his choices, I wasn’t entirely convinced he could do such things and still be the same affable Mr. Bingley we know and love.

Dragan has given Bingley a strong supporting cast—a group of steadfast allies who aid him in different ways. Darcy is, of course, present, and his friendship with Bingley is well done, showing both loyalty and the occasional tension between them. But there are also other men who surround him and recognize him as a man worthy of their loyalty. Each of them contributes something worthwhile to the plot.

The storytelling is strong, but the writing isn’t flawless. There are quite a few errors—missing words, grammatical slips, and incorrect word usage—that could have used another round of editing in the ebook version. They didn’t ruin my enjoyment, but they were distracting at times. That said, I loved getting a story that focused so much on Bingley, and despite my reservations, I feel the author did a great job making this particular portrayal compelling.

I read the book as I listened along with the audiobook, which is narrated by Ben Fensome. His performance is fantastic—definitely a five-star narration in my view. He captures the charm and affable personality of Bingley beautifully and handles the darker, more intense moments with gravity. His character voices are distinct and engaging. His pace is a little fast for me, but I easily fixed that by slowing down the playback, and once I did, it was perfect.

I hate to give a spoiler, but I feel the graphic suicide which takes place near the end of the book warrants a trigger warning (one of the bad guys).

Recommend.

Mature rating due to the sometimes graphically violent nature of the content.

Very enjoyable!

I downloaded this on a recommendation and was not sorry. The story is a fun flip on Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice from Charles Bingley's POV and takes some great twists. The narration is done by Ben Fensome, whose career I've been following for some time, and I look forward to future projects, especially after this. He has brought the story to life while giving a unique voice to each character. Fun listen! I hope to hear more from both Brandon Dragan and Ben Fensome soon.

Mr Bingley…Avenging Angel

The narrator’s engaging telling of this story was just right. All the different voices, accents, inflections-it was all exactly as it should be! Well done, Mr. Fensome!