Mr. Darcy teams up with the curious Mr. Bennet to find a statue and discuss second chances.
Many thanks to Emma Aubrey and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in advance in exchange for an honest review. This book is now out!
In a world where Darcy never had the chance to explain himself and where Mrs. Bennet’s worst fears have come true—her daughters destitute, The Case of Bingley’s Missing Aphrodite by Emma Aubrey is one of the more exciting derivatives of Jane Austen’s most popular work that does the original source material justice. Possibly the first in a series, this book has captured the essence of the original characters that make them instantly recognizable bur still fleshed out enough that they don’t feel forgettable. The mystery itself is well done and didn’t feel like it was getting dragged because each twist served to color the situation and the characters involved; it’s twists and revelations were entertaining, and really pushed the story forward. It’s infinitely amusing that the title is “Bingley’s Missing Aphrodite”, a double entendre for both his missing statue and Jane—Jane often being called the prettiest of the sisters.
Now on to Mr. Darcy. His characterization isn’t too far off from the original standoffish nature as seen in the source material. This is seen in the way that he is skeptical to Bennet’s motives and methods, but also of the other characters in general. And then of course, true to the original material, he shows his softer side to his sister and Bingley, and who have earned his trust. I had some reservations about his relationship with Bennet in the later part of the story but find that this adds something of interest that can be further delve upon in later additions. His character development makes it so that there is a change in him by the end of the book that feels just right and just a tiny bit endearing.
And then there’s the enigma that is Bennet, the main detective of this piece and as with the mystery genre, it’s hard to balance a detective character that isn’t completely omniscient but at the same time not so daft that you wonder how they ever solve anything. In this case, Bennet does a good job explaining some of their deductions and leaps of rationale that sound logical enough for all intents and purposes of the plot. This is balanced with some moments of faultiness in their deductions that lead to points of error and keeps the character from feeling too all-knowing. It would be interesting to see how Bennet develops as the series develops.
The other characters are distinct enough to differentiate which made recalling them when mentioned quite easy. In this story, Jane Bennet is still the gentle lady as depicted from the source material but with the added change that she’s a bit more proactive; this makes sense when considering the change of her family’s fortunes. Bingley is also changed in a way that makes sense, he’s still jolly and trusting with some moments where he’s a teeny tiny bit broody—after all, canon divergence made it so that he never got another chance with Jane and he’s so obviously not over her. The character of Colonel Fitzwilliam has a fuller background and has been developed in a way that feels like they’re going to be a reoccurring character in future stories.
This story was easy to follow with some exceptions, mostly related to historical norms of the time. Those exceptions however were either clarified as the story continued or was built upon, both added more color to the story without going off tangent or being overtly fantastical. The whole mystery isn’t something that keeps you at the very edge of your seat and there’s a number of times that the explanation is actually foreshadowed. Despite this, the way that the plot processes makes it so that the conclusion still feels worthy. Overall, the plot flowed smoothly and the reveals were logical like how Wickham’s story changed to fit the canon divergence.
THE VERDICT
This read is a solid 4 and I’ve ordered the book for my own personal collection to reread. The rating may change depending on how well the future sequels fair. So far, this pilot has set up a colorful world ripe for more mysteries to be solved, crossovers to be had, and characters to study. This is for fans of Jane Austen’s characters and modern spin-offs of Sherlock Holmes (Elementary & Sherlock & Co.).
