The Mysterious Disappearance of Mr. Darcy

A Darcy & Elizabeth Pride & Prejudice Variation

By: Kelly Miller

Narrated by: Vicki-Jo Eva

What secrets lie in Mr. Darcy’s past?

During a summer sojourn in Ramsgate, Elizabeth Bennet meets Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy—an irresistible, eminent, and seemingly unobtainable model of an ideal gentleman. Following a whirlwind romance with Mr. Darcy and a blossoming friendship with Georgiana Darcy, her life is forever altered.

When Darcy disappears under mysterious circumstances, the new Mrs. Darcy’s world is thrown into chaos. A friend of Darcy’s provides much-needed support as Elizabeth is confronted with rumours insinuating lewd explanations for his absence. Could any of them be true?

In this Pride and Prejudice variation, a Regency mystery romance, Elizabeth cannot be certain what to believe or whom to trust. She is determined to find out what befell Darcy, but will the truth break her heart?

TRIGGER WARNING: THIS STORY MENTIONS A PAST ASSAULT ON A YOUNG WOMAN THAT IS THWARTED BY A MAIN CHARACTER.

©2024 Kelly Miller (P)2024 Kelly Miller

A Ramsgate proposal and a P&P mystery.

While playing fetch with her Collie in Ramsgate, Elizabeth Bennet has a delightful encounter with Georgiana Darcy in this Pride and Prejudice variation mystery. Her brother, full of suspicion, quickly joins them, and his sharp and unfair insult puts the Darcy pride in the spotlight, creating tension from the start—not at a Meryton assembly!

The insult leads to an apology, which leads to a marriage. As the book description provides, there are some Darcy secrets unknown to Elizabeth that set the stage for this light mystery. Despite not being overly complex, Kelly Miller’s clever writing skills kept me guessing until the final pages.

While there is a hint of angst, the book’s short duration ensures a speedy and satisfying resolution. I really loved the fact that Elizabeth and Darcy are together almost from the very beginning of the book. The action is limited to Ramsgate and London. Other than the Gardiners, only Jane, Bingley and Mr. Bennet are briefly seen. Other family members only receive a mention.

I was thrilled with this new-to-me narrator, Vicky-Jo Eva. Her tone is very expressive and brings forth each character’s emotions really well. This talented performer brings the audiobook version to life with an exceptionally well-done and satisfying performance, and I hope she explores more JAFF variations in the future.

Although I have the book, I hadn’t had the opportunity to read it due to a busy schedule of late. The author kindly sent me a promo code for the newly released audiobook which allowed me to listen while I multi-tasked. It made my chores much more pleasurable!

Recommend.

Kisses only.

Romance and Mystery

This is romance with a mystery set in Jane Austin’s world. The romance was wonderful, the characters were well done and though modern still true to Jane’s style. The mystery was a little slower paced and Elizabeth depended more on others to learn the truth. Still, it was true to character and very enjoyable.

Another great variation!

I’ve read several of Kelly’s Pride and Prejudice variations and have loved every one of them! This I no exception! The intrigue around Mr. Darcy’s disappearance had me questioning everyone! The story is well written, engaging, and as always, extremely entertaining! Highly recommended!

For Pride and Prejudice Variation Fans (And fans of good period yarns)

I listened to this on Audible, which was a pleasant diversion as I was cooking. In this variation, Fitzwilliam (Mr. Darcy) and Elizabeth marry. Things are going swimmingly as Elizabeth is introduced to society as Mrs. Darcy under his and his aunt's wing. Then Mr. Darcy announces that he must leave for an unexpected appointment, but will be back later in the day. He also alerts Elizabeth that an old school chum is arriving for a visit and for her to entertain him in his absence. Mr. Darcy does not return as scheduled--he has disappeared.

Then the knives come out. Apparently, society's acceptance of Elizabeth was not as universal as she might have thought. Rumors abound about Darcy's past and whether or not Elizabeth is the spouse he wanted. And there are others only to willing to take advantage of his absence.

An engrossing tale that makes you remember the expectations, or lack thereof, of women in that time. Highly recommend.

A Charming P&P Variation

I’m new to the world of Austen variations, but Kelly Miller’s reimagining of this classic tale was just the medicine I needed! Charming and richly painted with accurate historical detail, Miller takes us beyond Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam’s courtship, into their marriage—a marriage with a healthy dose of intriguing secrets and subterfuge. This was just lovely. And the narrator’s performance was excellent!

Courtship, marriage and mystery

In this version Darcy and Elizabeth meet prior to canon. After a stumbling block they fall quickly in love and marry. Not long after returning from their honeymoon Darcy disappears. Rumors swirl about and Elizabeth has to figure out the truth. I was able to guess some of it but the end tied things up. Overall it is a quick read/listen and will listen to again. I’m sure that I will pick up on clues earlier.

Slow read P& P Variation

Normally I love all P&P Variations from drama, suspense, thriller, romance and other genres, but this book and narrator, personally I wish I had saved my money. As far as romance, not well written. As far as drama/ thriller- bland. Narrator was bland which is why I barely give this review out of over 1,000 other audible and book reviews a one star.

Ho Hum

Too many anachronisms in the speech. The narrator's voice was just not right for Elizabeth. The plot was just shaky and thready and not worthy