It’s rare that I purchase a Jane Austen sequel. Generally, publishers will send books for review or I’ll pick up a copy at the library. When Death Comes to Pemberley was announced I did not hesitate to purchase a copy for my Kindle. P.D. James, the book’s author, is a highly regarded mystery writer with a solid record for selling mystery books to discerning mystery fans. (The book placed third on the NY Times best seller list this weekend.)
A good friend of mine, whose judgment I value, owns every single P.D. James novel and was overall satisfied with this novel. I had never read a P.D. James novel before, and she was curious to know what I thought of this book. Another Janeite friend had read it and remarked that it was very well done and followed the forensic detective work of its time. They waited to discuss the book with me until after I had finished reading it and could give my opinion. Last weekend the three of us came to the same conclusion, which was that the mystery was weak and a bit lame, and that the actual murderer was so preposterous as to be unbelievable. My question to them was: “Why would a famous author like P.D. James waste her time writing a Jane Austen sequel, especially if the mystery was less than sterling?” Both defended her decision to write this book, while I was not particularly swayed. Both were ecstatic that she had written one more book, for they fear that their author, being 90+ years old, might not have too many novels left to write. To that I said she shouldn’t have bothered.
My suspicion is that had P.D. James been an unknown author peddling her manuscript for the first time to publishers and agents, Death Comes to Pemberley would have been tossed on the slush pile and she would have received a slew of the rejection letters, one of which might have looked like this:
Dear Ms. P.D. James,
Thank you for your submission of Death Comes to Pemberley, which we read with interest, for your writing style is quite extraordinary. I’m sorry to say that our interest in your manuscript was killed by its long talky scenes and sparseness of mystery plot. I don’t need to hear about the crime from potential witnesses, then learn the same information during the inquiry and then again during the trial.
You will need to solve a major problem with the plot by writing the denouement towards the end of the story, rather than 2/3 of the way through. After I discovered who the murderer was, I frankly did not care to sift through another five chapters so that you could tie up loose plot threads. Let me make a few suggestions for improvement before you send the manuscript on to others:
1. Check your facts. In the first chapter on the first page you referred to Mr. Collins as Mr. Bennet’s nephew. He is Mr. Bennet’s cousin. I almost stopped reading the book right then, for the mistake and others made me wary of the quality of your research or understanding of Pride and Prejudice and its characters.
2. Show don’t tell. Yes, I understand that this is a Jane Austen sequel and that you are working with familiar characters, but you slowed your plot to a crawl with your reams of exposition at the start of the novel and, strangely, at the end. Also, your men were too talky. While I appreciate the fact that they might have spoken more formally two hundred years ago, men don’t as a general rule talk in long unbroken sentences, especially to each other.
3. Write an original novel with your own characters. Whenever you deviated from Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth and other Pride and Prejudice characters, your novel jumped to life.
Sincerely, Vic @Jane Austen’s World
Death Comes to Pemberley is yet another instance of a famous author joining the Jane Austen bandwagon. Some of you might remember Colleen McCullough jumping into the fray with her detestable The Independence of Mary Bennet, which must have garnered riches for the publisher before readers caught on. (Read my review here.) These two best-selling authors, while they rightly have earned their literary reputations, fell down in my opinion when they so cynically wrote novels that, to put it kindly, barely scraped bottom when compared to Jane Austen’s own brilliant work. Besides, what business had they to write a Jane Austen sequel? Do they really think it is all that easy?
The career of a Jane Austen sequel writer is not an easy one. Most write their books out of love for Jane Austen and her characters. Those that I have come to know through correspondence are earnest about their desire to continue Jane’s stories. They work hard for very little recompense. Unless a publisher anticipates a blockbuster novel (such as Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, a concept novel if ever there was one), most provide book advances that barely cover the cost for postage or time spent researching a topic. Once upon a time book publishers, editors, and agents invested in long-term relationships with new authors, building their reputations up slowly and giving them time to develop their talents.
Image @New Yorker
This is no longer the case. A writer has only two or three years to make money back for the publisher.*(See Laurel Ann’s comments below.) That is a lot of pressure, considering that royalties on the published price of trade books ranging from 10%-12.5% and on paperbacks from 7.5% to 10%. Many first time authors fail to realize any profit on their books. The average first novel sells around 2,000 – 4,000 books, but the break even for publishers is around 5,000 books. Four out of five first novels fail to make money for the publisher. Authors might only earn the total amount of their advance, minus the cost of extra copies of books they have purchased for giveaways and bookmarks, and the loss of spare time as they visit book stores, libraries, reading clubs, and groups and attend conferences all over creation in order to publicize their books will never be made up. These days authors are expected to oversee their own blog, and a Facebook and twitter account as well. Many spend hours writing down answers to interview questions or being interviewed online.
As readers you will notice a big push for books several times a year, when many new titles are competing with each other. Before the holiday season this year, P.D. James received an automatic “in” from most of the major book critics; she received extremely kind reviews in my estimation. It’s almost as if even the most discerning critics didn’t bother to read her entire book. The ordinary sequel writer gets no such first-class treatment. Their eyes are glued on Amazon’s rankings, hoping they will break free from the midlist and sell enough volumes to give them a second contract for another book.
One author I talked to said she made almost no income from writing; another said she was unlikely to collect royalties this year. Another author, who lives in my city, was dropped by her publisher despite glowing reviews, only to be picked up by another publisher. For these authors, their writing careers must seem like an unpredictable roller coaster ride.
While I am not a great fan of Jane Austen sequels and prequels, I do salute these writers, who follow their passion. Many have written a truly enjoyable story that I can wholeheartedly promote. I can’t exactly say the same of Death Comes to Pemberley. Sorry Ms. James, but I give this book only 2 out of 5 regency tea cups.
For more information about the life of a writer, read The New Literary Lottery. This NY Magazine article by Alex Williams is a bit dated, but fascinating.
Jane Austen's World 
Bravo! What an awesome post! As an aspiring romance novelist, I’ll admit that I started a P&P sequel. *Started* one. I came up with an opening line I adored, and I’m very sorry no one else will ever see it, but in three chapters it was clear that this wasn’t going to work. And that was years ago, before I had any knowledge at all of the publishing industry in general. Your post here spells out for people who might right now be in the position I was in then, why this isn’t an easy life or one they should be banking on, whether they’re writing sequels or not. Everyone sees the successful writers who make a very good living. They don’t see the ten thousand billion unsuccessfuls and wannabees who may never see a dime. Thanks for the spot-on reality check!
Thank you, Trisha. Thanks for stopping by.
No telling when I will be able to get the book from the library. All the copies are out.
I haven’t had a chance to read the book, but did read some excerpts on Amazon.com. and people have discussed it with me. Readers are split as to their rating of the book. Some think that it is good because it is by P.D. James others say it falls far short of P. D. James’ usual quality. It is either “sadly disappointed” or “Great.”
Everyone says that it is well researched but I can’t find any basis for a change of venue for a criminal case from the assize town near Pemberly to Old Bailey in London. Old Bailey was the assize court for London.
I really want to see a copy of the book to look at the legal aspects of the story.
I don’t much care for most sequels or continuations ,mish mashes, smashed books, or whatever is the current fad.
Read a rather negative review of a graphic novel . I don’t much care for that genre either but I bought the Marvel Comics set of a novel to try to lure my granddaughter into reading more.
Someone should probably seriously review the graphic editions.
I will leave Zombies, Sea monsters and all such things to those who like them.
I think getting published is as much a matter of luck as anything. I know some people with wretched books who are published while others with great books can’t seem to interest anyone .
There is a mixed bag of books being e-published by the authors.
All good points, Nancy. I suggest you wait to read the book. I looked at the Amazon reviews and people are split – 20-20-20-20-20. I find this remarkable. The book was a ‘meh’ at best, yet it received raving reviews from critics who should know better.
Any mystery writer who has to repeat the plot three times, adding another pov from a new character and slowing the mystery down to a crawl, needs to go back to the drawing board and replot her book.
I noticed that she had Darcy as an Oxford grad but he was a Cambridge man. There were just errors lurking here and there. I attributed them to an elderly writer. I’ve not read any of her other books. I thought it was an OK read but I might recommend people wait until the paperback comes out or get it at the library.
Yes, Karen, I decided not to point out all the errors. It’s more fun for Janeites to spot them on their own.
Thank you for such a comprehensive review, Vic. Truth be told, I haven’t read any of that author’s work either, but did come across enough glowing reviews to consider bumping a couple titles from the nightstand in its favor. No need to consider such action now. Not knowing the family tree? Not knowing where ‘Darcy’ went to school? Wow. I blame her editor(s). For shame.
Hi Vic,
I enjoyed this post. I like P.D. James, and I like her mysteries. I thought this one would be great but when I went to Amazon and saw more one star than 5 star reviews I knew something was wrong. When I saw your post title I was curious to see what you had to say. I’m exploring forensic medicine during the Regency and Victorian time period and was hoping to discover some interesting information. I’m disappointed. I think I’ll go search your blog for information about forensic medicine. Have you done that here yet?
Thanks,
J Kent
Hi Jillian, so far I have nothing about forensics on this blog. However, a quick Google search showed tons of info online. Good luck.
Thanks Vic.
In the grip of enlightened self interest, I suggest the Edgar winning “The Science of Sherlock Holmes”, a non fiction work about Victorian forensic science and folklore.
I can vouch for it’s accuracy-I wrote it. :)
EJ Wagner
I’ve been tempted to pick this up every time I’ve seen it on the Bestseller shelf at B&N. I’m glad I didn’t waste my Christmas gift card on it! Thanks for the honest review.
Well, while I agree with many of the points mentioned here, I find it hard to believe that PD James made “errors” such as Darcy being an Oxford man and Mr. Collins being Mr. Bennett’s nephew without knowing what she was doing. Why she did it, well, poetic license? I don’t know, but it wasn’t that big a deal to me
Was it the greatest mystery I’ve ever read? Certainly not and I did think there was a lot of detail that we didn’t need. But… I didn’t think it was a horrible read, in fact, I enjoyed it
As I said, not the best, pleasant but not brilliant.
Thanks for your informative and thoughtful review Vic.
You mentioned that your research article was a few years old. As a professional bookseller, I think that “A writer has only two or three years to make money back for the publisher.” is not quite accurate anymore The life of new book is much shorter. I would say about 90 days. After that point, if they do not sell reasonably, they are sent back. There are already new titles crowding them out for table and shelf space. Churn or burn.
Regarding P. D. James’ venture into Austenland, it was almost as if she wrote the book she wanted to read and then no one edited it.
James has long said that Austen is her favorite author, so one assumes that she did it out of love. It was not terrible, just very perplexing, while McCullough’s drivel was a spike through the heart of any Austen fan and purely viscous.
James’ novel didn’t work as a faithful sequel or as an intriguing mystery. Since it has been on the NYT bestseller list for over a month, you know that many readers who purchased it based on her reputation have not read P&P (horrors) or an Austen sequel. They are just taking it for face value. That is why you see such a wide range of love or hate reviews on Amazon. They are just reacting to their expectations, and the fact that they forked out $25.99 for a hardcover book or $12.99 for the eBook.
I do agree that many major media reviewers gave her great reviews that must have been based on her career work. Yes, she is 90, but really.
Regarding Death Comes to Pemberley as a poor ambassador for the Austen sequel genre:
“One does not love a place the less for having suffered in it, unless it has been all suffering, nothing but suffering.”
I suffered through this one, but it was not nothing but suffering. It did not advance the genre, nor did it put me off reading any in the future. So, I would say it is a draw. I might come to appreciate it more in a few years, but I doubt it.
A fascinating article. I suspect many reviewers reflexively are going to be quite favorable to anything produced by an esteemed and beloved nonagenarian writer like P. D. James. When in her eighties mystery writer Agatha Christie produced books far weaker than James’ latest ones, to rather more acclaim than they deserved. I think it’s also true that editors don’t make the effort they should at proof reading when they are dealing with a famous, best-selling writer. The plain truth is, they know the book will sell lots of copies whether is has the facts right or not, so they think proofing is not worth their time. Christe’s last two novels never would have been published in the condition they were in had they not been written by someone of Christie’s stature.
I wonder how experts in this field think James’ Austen mystery compares to those by Carrie Bebris? Many reviewers seem to think that James is the first person to write an Austen mystery, but that of course is not so.
Bebris and James are quite different. Bebris knows Austen’s characters and is meticulous in her accuracy. James is first and foremost a mystery writer and is valued for it. Stephanie Barron, who has written 11 Jane Austen mysteries, is the perfect combination of Jane Austen expert and mystery writer. She is a Nonpareil in the field.
LA, thanks for stopping by. I know that PD is valued for her mysteries, which is why I am stymied that this one is so weak that all you remember is the implausibilities. I must add that I am not a mystery fan.
I agree…. the re-hashing of obvious events in P&P, I understand were a necessity for the “un-Jane-ed”…but those entries were boring. There is a lack of Elizabeth’s wit displayed as well. I own the book because of my previous enjoyment of PD James….but disappointment reigned. Two teacups….sounds about right.
Thank you for this article, Vic. I think you have lined out very clearly why many authors, including myself, are choosing to self publish. You spoke quite eloquently when you suggested than a mid-list author would likely never have gotten to publish such a work because they were mid-list. Who they are matters more than the quality of their work. I think this is even more true of the new author.
While there are definitely some lower quality self published works out there, many quality authors, including ones previously traditionally published ones are choosing to self publish because in either case the majority of the publicity work is falling on them. When they self publish they have the opportunity to see a much better return on their investment and have more control over their product.
Thank you for your article and for this wonderful site. It is often my first go-to when I am researching the details for my own writing.
There is a tendency now for writers to be treated as “brands” – Robert Ludlum died in 2001, yet novels are still being printed in his name. And certainly in the UK, books (whatever their quality) by Celebrities still attract huge advances.
If you are a “brand” you are automatically welcomed onto the promotional band-wagon, if you’re unknown then it’s usually a case of market yourself, because no one else will. As an unknown writer I do resent the fact to some extent, but the Market-machine is what it is..
That said I would like to think that PD James did write the book out of love for Austen. Even at 90 she is a redoubtable character and I cannot see her being coerced into writing the book, either for the money or the fame/respect (all of which she has in abundance) or under pressure from her agent.
Here is a youtube interview with her about writing the book. It seems to bear out that her intentions were good even if her execution is found wanting.
So sorry – I didn’t expect the link to appear like that. Please delete if unwanted or if it could be included less prominently.
No intrusion intended.
Thanks, I was glad to see that!
Hey there E.J. Wagner,
I have your book and I love it! I don’t know which chapter I like better, Beastly Tales and Black Dogs or Notes from the Devil. Or maybe it has to be Myth, Medicine, and Murder or . . . okay, all of it. I love all of it. I’m so glad you said yes even after all the things you knew would have to be done. Brava!
Hi Jillian-thanks very much. Encouraging words like yours keep me sane as I struggle through the next project
EJ
Any chance of you sharing what you’re working on? If you’re ever able to do a blog post over at my place: http://www.jilliankent.com let me know.
All the best,
Jill
I read the book and I’m glad I did. I had seen a couple of less-than-glowing reviews on Austen-related blogs before I bought it, but I always like to make up my own mind about books. While it was far from being my favorite Austenesque novel (the actual murderer and the crime itself did disappoint me), it was also far from the worst. I’d encourage anyone who is curious to read it and decide for themselves.
Thank you! Having been a fan of PD James for many yrs, this book was on my list to read. However I will now go on to a different book
Good review. I’m not keen on fan fiction – even if it is by PD James – but my book group have chosen it for March so I will try to read it with an open mind. What annoyed me was the publication of this book in the anniversary year of Sense and Sensibility, so this novel was on display in the window of Waterstones while Sense and Sensiblity was stuffed into the tiny Literature section right at the back of the shop behind the Manga novels!!
I admit that I read almost all fan fiction that I can find (excluding zombies, vampires, sea monsters, comic books…) and I have no problem admitting that. All the mixed reviews have moved this book to the bottom of the TBR pile, especially with the $13 ebook price tag. If you want a Jane Austen mystery, read Stephanie Barron, Carrie Bebris, Tracy Kiely or Lauren Willig.
Thanks for the fun review! Love the website.
I have loved all Jane Austen’s books and also PD James’ mysteries so was interested to see how it came out. I found it tame indeed, and agree with you, as sorry as I am to say it, that if it hadn’t been for her name as a mystery writer and established reputation it would have gone nowhere. Sigh. There were various artistic license omissions which don’t bother me. An okay read, but…
I have just posted a review of Reginald Hill’s (another English mystery writer) take on Sanditon on my blog.
I’ve been meaning to read the Hill book, will check that out and link on my blog, thanks for doing!
PD James Death Comes To pemberley.
Hi Vic. I have read your very good, in depth analysis and review of this book. I have also read some reviews on other sites. The main criticisms appear to be ageism, so many harp on about PD James being 90+, that she repeats herself, builds the plot too slowly, is very obvious in her conclusions, is rather dull, and as you point out, is not very good with Jane’s characters but comes alight with characters of her own invention. I believe you all.
But the professional critics give some praise. It can’t be just because of her fame, surely?
Good writers, any structural mistakes they make, and yes, you are right, they shouldn’t make them if they are renowned, provide something which is beyond words, beyond structural mistakes. They take us to depths within ourselves where we are able to explore the human condition. They make us ask questions, they give a view of life we would not have otherwise. They help us grow and develop. In fact just the thing Jane Austen’s novels do in abundance. If P D James has been able to do this in this novel, not withstanding all its flaws, then she has produced something far above the usual spin off fair of nice writing and clever plot. Nice writing and clever plots are pretty useless and bland fare and should be strangled at birth.
I have only ever read ONE spin off novel and that was by mistake. In my ignorance I didn’t realise it was a spin off novel until I was a hundred pages in and things began to click into place. I know, thick as two planks me!!!!!, A prequel actually. It did all the things that great writing should do. I experienced a world and life through it. The Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys.
Just to say – They were points worth making, and you make them well.
Tony, I so agree with your comments. Had PD James done something novel with this sequel and taken it to a higher plane, I would not have objected. In fact, this is what I expected. I did not expect her to review the characters ad infinitum boredom and rehash Pride and Prejudice’s plot in order to catch the reader up.
As for ageism – my two friends really are concerned that with PD entering her nineties she won’t have much time to write many more books. The attitude that any book is better than none surprised me.
I cannot imagine that many critics bothered to read the book from start to finish. They just got caught up in the publicity of P.D. James tackling Pride and Prejudice! The book started out fairly well, and I could overlook the occasional mistake in facts, but then it droned on and entered the world of a not so very good mystery.
I enjoyed this article and am very appreciative (from a personal perspective) of the stand you have taken on behalf of the new and lesser known writers and the problems of a Market obsessed with names and celebrity.
I can’t comment on the book itself, because I haven’t read it, but I do suspect it was written out of love for Austen, rather than any other motive. The motives of publishers, agents, and the usual media promotional circus are quite another matter.
It may be a poorer book than James’ fans expected or devotees of Austen hoped for. But then some Austen books are better than others. And “Northanger Abbey” good though it is also a book of two halves – the latter part tending towards the “Gothic” theme that was going out of fashion in 1817 when it was published.
Even Austen said, “This little work was finished in the year 1803, and intended for immediate publication…The public are entreated to bear in mind that thirteen years have passed since it was finished, many more years since it was begun, and that during that period, places, manners, books and opinions have undergone considerable changes.”
Hi Unpub, Thank you for your comments! I agree that PD James wrote the book out of love for P&P, for she has said so in her interviews and in the video you supplied in your comment.
Good intentions don’t result in a good book. While Jane’s Northanger Abbey may not come up to par with her better novels, it was not published in her lifetime. The publisher, Crosby, had second thoughts about “Susan” and Jane’s brother, Henry, had to purchase the book back for her for ten pounds. She then retitled it and rewrote it and added a foreword, but she put it on the shelf. PD James’s editor and publisher would have done her a tremendous favor by asking her to rewrite the book and to withhold its publication until its problems were solved.
Totally take your point, Vic. The bigger the writer nowdays, the more reluctant editors seem to intervene.
In fact the role of editors, in my perhaps jaundiced opinion, has been undermined, or even subsumed by the marketing department.
It seems wrong, because it’s in the more traditional editing roles that Publishers “added value,” – but there we are.
I’ve been wondering about this book after all of the hype. It sounds like a book I should skip. There are too many good sequels out there to waste my time! :-) I really enjoy the Carrie Bebris mysteries with Austen’s characters and the Stephanie Barron mysteries starring Jane Austen herself.
[…] tossed on the slush pile and she would have received a slew of the rejection letters,” writes Vic Sanborn of Jane Austen’s World. Meanwhile, Liesl Schillinger, reviewing James’s sequel to Pride and […]