A dark and stormy night, a country estate full of house guests, and that rogue Mr. Wickham arrives. It would appear that Mr. Wickham has been up to no good since we last encountered him in Pride and Prejudice.

I delighted in the turns of phrases that were nearly straight out of Jane’s novels. I loved spending time with the Knightleys and Darcys and Wentworths and Brandons. (I had quite forgotten about the Bertrams so I will need to re-watch Mansfield Park to remember Fanny Price better.) Oh! the marital tensions. Who has a made a happy union?

And who killed Mr. Wickham?

If you, too, enjoyed all the couples and plots of Jane Austen’s books, you will probably want to read. In her acknowledgments the author concludes with, ” My final and greatest debt of gratitude is owed, of course, to Jane Austen herself. What would she think of the things her characters do here? I can hardly imagine. But I hope it would be clear to her — as I hope it is to the readers of this book — how deeply I love her books and characters. They’ve given me endless delight throughout the years, and they always will. So thank you, Jane, for all the joy you have brought to my life and to the lives of so many others.”

Kindred. Spirit.

4 stars.