Northanger Abbey and Angels and Dragons by Vera Nazarian

Northanger Abbey and Angels and Dragons by Vera Nazarian

Firstly I have to admit that Northanger Abbey is not a favorite for me, that’s a start!

This story was just not my cup of Earl Gray. I love a bit of Dragon and was looking forward to reading this but I actually found it hard work to finish.

I am not going to get into all the reasons why, I just didn’t get into it at all. End of story!

So make up your own mind about it, I shall still be on the lookout for Mansfield Park and Mummies  by the same author.

North by Northanger by Carrie Bebris

North by Northanger by Carrie Bebris

(or The Shades of Pemberley)

A Mr and Mrs Darcy Mystery

Just as good as Pride and Prescience and another great Elizabeth and Darcy Whodunnit.

Another Jane Austen Sequel for  your enjoyment

Drawing the characters from Northanger Abbey into the lives of those at Pemberley in a very alarming and unfortunate way.

A pregnant Elizabeth while moving her mother in laws desk to suit herself finds a letter from Lady Anne Darcy and addressed to Mrs Fitzwilliam Darcey, which leads to a treasure hunt and so much more.

One of the down sides is, it highlights Lady Annes death due to childbirth and makes Darcy overly protective and nervous about Elizabeth.

The characters from both books are blended beautifully and the only problem I have with this book is that I want to read more, and I don’t have the other two! Suspense and Sensibility and The Matters at Mansfield, so, it looks like I am due another trip across to Singapore to try and get my hands on them. If they are as good as the two I have read it will be well worth it.

I still can’t get the image of poor Elizabeth too pregnant to run away being stuck in the house with Lady Catherine, her Mother and Lydia, the stuff nightmares are made of.

I recently did a self portrait for fun and I can’t help thinking I would make an excellent Lady Catherine. I will put the picture on here and see what you think, it’s quite scary, I look like you would not win a verbal sparring match with me, but, really I am a pussycat.

Mr Darcy Vampyre by Amanda Grange

Mr Darcy Vampyre by Amanda Grange 

(also author of Mr Darcy’s Diary)

I share my love of Jane Austen with my Daughter who is now a committed fan and like all teen age girls of our time she is also a great fan of the Twilight saga (I much prefer True Blood personally).

So when I first saw Pride and Prejudice with Zombies I was quite pleased as I had always said to my daughter some one should do a Vampire style Pride and Prejudice and hey presto, there it was on the book shelf.

I bought it as soon as I saw it and read it very quickly over two days, so that I could pass it on to my daughter and by pass on I mean post back to England which certainly took longer than it did for me to read it.

After the wedding instead of the original honeymoon in the Lake District, Mr Darcy whisks her away on a Grand Tour across Europe where she get’s to meet some fairly bizarre family members of his. 

The travels are fine and the descriptions good but for me the fact that the dark brooding Darcy who can not consummate his marriage with Elizabeth is not enough to ignite the Lizzy that I am sure would not put up with all that brooding and neglect. I found myself very frustrated with her.

The gothic bits of the book are very Gothic just the style Jane Austen poked fun at Northanger Abbey but maybe the Swiss castle and angry nest scene was stretching it somewhat.

And when they did finally get around to passion it should have been big, bold and powerful not just a mention. But at the end of the day any book that took my favorite heroine to my favorite city of Venice cannot be all bad.