The Mysteries of Pemberley: A Pride & Prejudice Variation

By: Amy D'Orazio

Narrated by: Brady Smith

Elizabeth Bennet made her sister a promise on her deathbed: to love and care for her son, young Charles Bingley, like her very own child. And so she did, for four years, until the boy's guardian, Fitzwilliam Darcy showed up in Meryton, insisting on removing the boy from his aunt, his life, and everything he knew, to be raised at Pemberley.

Elizabeth, determined to honor Jane, insists on going with them, soon finding herself installed at Pemberley as an unwanted guest of Mr. Darcy and his aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. It's the year without a summer and Pemberley is austere and ghostly, with shadows and secrets lurking in every corner. With too much time to herself, Elizabeth soon finds herself wondering about Mr Darcy’s past, and the identity of a young lady who she reads about in the lady’s journal. She soon thinks she has a faithful sketch of Mr Darcy’s character until one key truth emerges which shatters all her prepossessions. Bit by bit the mysteries of Pemberley unravel — but what will she find at the end of it?

This Pride and Prejudice variation is written in the style of gothic novels of the regency era, such as Northanger Abbey. The beloved characters of Jane Austen in scenarios of the author's imagining.

©2020 Amy D'Orazio (P)2020 Quills Quartos Publishing

Just excellent

Great variation of P&P with a mystery surrounding the Darcys which prevented Darcy from joining Bingley at Netherfield. In addition, many deaths prior to the story due to a flu outbreak.

Wonderful story

This variation was outstanding — very different than most. It had some surprising twists and kept me interested from the very first chapter.

The narrator was outstanding. I highly recommend this book, especially if you like a bit of mystery and intrigue.

Great story

I loved the story and length of the book. Unfortunately I did not care for all the narration of the characters, especially Elizabeth’s. She had a deep throaty voice which to me sounded like a man. I did stop listening for a while b/c of it but after a few days started listening again ,but still did not like her voice at all!

Nice story, but ended too soon.

It would have been nice to have a little more story in the end. Maybe an epilogue. But, still a 5.

loved the story

Loved the gothic feel of the book, it only wanted for a bit better editing of the narration. There were maybe 10 or so repeated words that kept attempting to break the spell of the story.

Lovely mystery

Really interesting. I love JAFF and I highly recommend this book to a Jane Austen fan fiction lover.

Very Original

This book is very original within the genre and brilliant writing as usual by AD'O, it's a very enjoyable story. The narration - while good, was not my favorite. Many of the male voices are too heavy and gruff. ESPECIALLY Viscount Saye, he is an all time favorite from other novels and the way this narrator portrayed him - it's like he's not even here. He is flamboyantly foppish to disguise his brilliant wit and humor - in this book he sounds like a gruff old toad!! I'm so sadly disappointed, it kind of ruined the book for me. Col FW is a bit too gruff also, the young Charles Bingley was well done.

Other than that, like I said, the story is original and entertaining. I hated Mr. Bennet and Charlotte, EB made a huge number of great assumptions throughout the book, Darcy and Georgianna were particularly stubborn. I think I would have enjoyed the book as a whole a bit more with a different reader.

There are also a HUGE number of editing errors in the audio. Perhaps have the reader re-record just the viscount Saye parts to show his character like we've come to expect him and it would make a big difference. Honestly, I could listen to an entire book about him!

Pride, Prejudice and Presumptions ....

.... might have been an appropriate subtitle. ODC both display all of those, but Elizabeth especially presumes quite a bit in this well-written, variation. It begins following a time of death of many, as illness swept Netherfield, Longbourn and Meryton, along with a stark landscape of ruined crops following drought and flooding. Dark setting indeed.

Elizabeth has given her word to Jane, upon her deathbed, to care for her infant son. Bingley, on the otherhand, has assigned Darcy to be little Charles’ guardian in his will, a document that Elizabeth cannot afford to take to the courts, let alone win. She begs Darcy to let her go to Pemberley as the now four-year old Charles’ governess.

Pemberley and Darcy have secrets and Elizabeth is determined to uncover them. Some discoveries, along with new acquaintances, lead her to make incorrect presumptions.

Despite being a somewhat darker story, which includes the description of some abuse, the entrance of the Fitzwilliam family, especially Lord Saye (a favorite character in other books by Amy D’Orazio), brings some welcome humour and nudging where necessary. Wink, wink. Gosh, I love him.

Another great read by this author. Always entertaining, a master at riveting dialogue, and always a page-turning plot, Amy D’Orazio never disappoints, which is why she is one of my favorite Jane Austen fan fiction authors. There are some proofreading errors.

Very good narration by Brady Smith. There are some glitches with some repeated phrasing during stops and starts in the audio.

Major issues, spoilers

I did not like how the characters were all unlikable. No one is good and many are too stupid to live. Dysfunction junction. I mean there’s silly and scoundrels in JA books but no one is sadistic or criminally insane. Certainly Lady Catherine is too silly to run a syndicate more or less. She’s mostly an ignorant bully in Jane Austin’s work. It gets too crazy toward the end and there’s no epilogue so we don’t really know how it all turns out after they leave for the colonies.

Annoying narration

"HERD For sure! DER burr sure"! REALLY? Austen fans will find it difficult to listen to these mispronunciations of Elizabeth and Darcy's home counties. Unfortunate for this talented author of Austen fan fiction. I had to stop listening to this version.