I feel like the apology at the beginning of this book should not be for involving Elizabeth in the trauma of a murder investigation. In fact, I felt no sense of trauma about anything. I had no investment in the murder investigation. I never really felt we were trying to solve a murder. Information was bumbled upon, but never actively looked for. The characters were vague sketches of Austen's vibrancy. They often didn't speak aloud, presumably incase they sounded too different. Instead, it led to a lot of showing instead of telling. The prologue and epilogue just seemed awkward rehashing, with a slight twist of information from Pride and Prejudice. I've been trying to avoid all the Pride and Prejudice fanfiction (for lack of a better term). This one seduced me with all the press and exposure. Unfortunately, it wasn't worth it, or its very attractive cover.