A rare meeting of literary genius: P. D. James, long among the most admired mystery writers of our time, draws the characters of Jane Austen’s beloved novel Pride and Prejudice into a tale of murder and emotional mayhem.

It is 1803, six years since Elizabeth and Darcy embarked on their life together at Pemberley, Darcy’s magnificent estate. Their peaceful, orderly world seems almost unassailable. Elizabeth has found her footing as the chatelaine of the great house. They have two fine sons, Fitzwilliam and Charles. Elizabeth’s sister Jane and her husband, Bingley, live nearby; her father visits often; there is optimistic talk about the prospects of marriage for Darcy’s sister Georgiana. And preparations are under way for their much-anticipated annual autumn ball.

Then, on the eve of the ball, the patrician idyll is shattered. A coach careens up the drive carrying Lydia, Elizabeth’s disgraced sister, who with her husband, the very dubious Wickham, has been banned from Pemberley. She stumbles out of the carriage, hysterical, shrieking that Wickham has been murdered. With shocking suddenness, Pemberley is plunged into a frightening mystery.

Inspired by a lifelong passion for Austen, P. D. James masterfully re-creates the world of Pride and Prejudice, electrifying it with the excitement and suspense of a brilliantly crafted crime story, as only she can write it.

Tallinn, March 1933.

Estonia, a small country trying to survive – caught between the jaws of Germany and Russia.

And political crisis looms when a senior policeman is found impaled on the roof of a kiosk.

Chief Inspector Jüri Hallmets, former schoolteacher and veteran of Estonia’s struggle for independence, builds a team to investigate the crime. His political masters demand a quick and easy resolution to the case. But Hallmets has principles.

Two journalists are looking into the case too, but their curiosity could prove their own worst enemy. Their fates become entwined with Hallmets’ investigation. And as Hallmets finds himself in a race against time, he uncovers a network of illegal activities.

After a bloody shoot-out, a plot unfolds which will threaten Estonia’s fragile democracy.

Recommended for fans of Alan Furst, Philip Kerr and Robert Harris.

Allan Martin is a former teacher and lecturer, who lives to the north of Glasgow. His first novel The Peat Dead was shortlisted for the McIlvanney Debut Award in 2019.