Reviews of Murder at Mansfield Park
The forthcoming PD James murder mystery inspired by Pride & Prejudice has provoked a lot of media interest, and both The Times and The Observer have acknowledged this week that Death Comes to Pemberley is following where Murder at Mansfield Park led the way!
So it seems like a good time to collect together some of the wonderful comments I’ve had from reviewers of the book. So if you will forgive a little blatant self-promotion, here are some of my favourites over the last year or so….
Publishers’ Weekly – starred review
“A clever reworking of the Austen novel that’s strong on plot, character, and historical accuracy”
“While mystery fans will find much to like, it is Austenites who will be most gratified, particularly by how well Shepherd has captured the tone of Austen’s original”
Kirkus – starred review
“First-timer Shepherd remains true to Austen’s style while providing a sound puzzle. Janeites may be delighted or appalled, but more impartial readers will find much to enjoy.”
People magazine – 3.5 stars out of 4
“Shepherd’s delightfully witty reimagining of Mansfield Park, with its country manor and simmering family tensions, as a classic whodunit”
“Shepherd is a passionate aficionado who pays scrupulous attention to historical detail, and her mystery shines a lively light on the classic.”
Library Journal
“Faithful to Austen’s elegant style without being mawkish, Shepherd’s knockoff puts a playful, irreverent twist on a beloved classic. Verdict Some Austen purists will be outraged at the liberties taken with the characters, but others will delight in the changes of the insipid Fanny, who is not one of literature’s more popular heroines”
Sydney Morning Herald
“This…novel is for those looking to relive the pleasures of Austen, rather than see them savaged”
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/society-murder-keeps-austen-alive-20100426-tmpm.html
Jane Austen Regency world website – six regency fans, its highest rating ever.
“That Murder at Mansfield Park is Lynn Shepherd’s first novel is most surprising. Her writing style is lovely and effortless as she weaves several plot elements into a seamless whole. Rather than copy Jane Austen, Ms. Shepherd uses Mansfield Park as a take-off point”
“A truly hearty and satisfying new mystery novel”
http://janeaustensworld.wordpress.com/2010/07/27/murder-at-mansfield-park-by-lynn-shepherd-a-review
Austenprose.com – 5 out of 5 stars
“This was a pastiche written with great respect for the original by an author who understood the novel as it was evolving during the early nineteenth-century and had a superior command of the language”
“Shepherd had achieved the impossible by renovating Jane and totally charming me in the process”
http://austenprose.com/2010/07/31/murder-at-mansfield-park-by-lynn-shepherd-%e2%80%93-a-review/
Historical Novels Review – Editor’s Choice, May 2010
“Lynn Shepherd does a superb job of keeping the reader guessing with the twists in the plot in the race to find the murderer, and producing an unexpected heroine along the way”
“Much lighter, more entertaining, and more amusing than the original”
“Its language is authentic, with quotations and snippets that will warm the hearts of true Austen readers, and includes enough dead bodies, motives, murderers, and detectives to keep crime readers riveted, complete with the inclusion of a 19th-century equivalent of a post-mortem”
http://www.historicalnovelsociety.org/ec-may-2010.htm
Elaine Simpson-Long’s Random Jottings blog
“I found this engaging, witty and amusing and great fun. Lynn Shepherd has the right turn of phrase and sounds positively Janeite and, while there are many other sequels, prequels etc linked to Jane Austen’s novels, most of which I dislike, this is not one of them”
http://randomjottings.typepad.com/random_jottings_of_an_ope/2010/11/murder-at-mansfield-park-lynn-shepherd.html
The Milorambles blog, which included the book in its top 15 for 2010
“Full of twists and turns, Murder at Mansfield Park is a beautiful and very well written book”
“Deliciously opulent, Murder at Mansfield Park is a must read”
http://www.milorambles.com/2010/11/24/murder-at-mansfield-park-by-lynn-shepherd-book-review/
Thebookbag.co.uk
“The language throughout is delightful and lends a particular charm to the novel. Wholly in keeping with the times but I can see that Shepherd is having fun now and again, dragging out perfectly innocent conversations to almost comic proportions. Lovely stuff.”
“There are some nice twists and turns along the way before the whole unhappy and complex story is laid bare before us. And some lives are changed forever. In essence, a rollicking good story.”
http://thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/index.php?title=Murder_at_Mansfield_Park_by_Lynn_Shepherd
www.shotsmag.co.uk
“In preparation for Murder at Mansfield Park I reread the original – it was as slow-going as I remembered it, and its heroine, Fanny Price, as prim and annoying. It was worth the effort, however, as it brilliantly brought out the wit of Shepherd’s reworking”
“The result is a novel so much more entertaining and thrilling than the original”
http://www.shotsmag.co.uk/book_reviews_view.aspx?book_review_id=156