Sense and Second-Degree Murder

In this version of Sense and Sensibility, Mr Dashwood was a private investigator who dies unexpectedly in the night. Marianne is an aspiring private investigator, Elinor is a self-taught chemist, and Margaret reads and writes mysteries. All three sisters have an active role in figuring out what's going on.

Mr Brandon has been aged down to a twenty-something medical student. The two Elizas have been combined into a friend of his who unexpectedly died a year ago. These are the biggest changes to the characters.

The mystery isn't quite as tidy as the one in Pride and Premeditation. A few elements aren't quite subtle enough but others seem very abruptly thrown together. I still enjoy the book thoroughly.

I didn't think I will get to this book immediately after finishing Pride and Premeditation but I've been having trouble reading anything these days because of how busy I've gotten and an quirky audiobook sounded like the right way to go.

Sense and Sensibility is my favorite Jane Austen. Though I did enjoy P&P on my second read, my first love will always be S&S, so this book was exciting to read. And adding a multiple murder mystery and making our Dashwood sisters investigators was fun but I loved how the author kept the essence of Eleanor and Marianne intact. Eleanor is intelligent, rational and scientific in her observations while Marianne is spirited and a bit impulsive (and I did feel exasperated with her just like in the original) but together they make a formidable team. I also thought the underlying thread behind the murders was very fascinating and while I don't know how accurate the issue is to the times, I found it very plausible. The supporting characters are also quite fun, especially Margaret who is a delight and I especially adored the way she was narrated in the audiobook.

Overall, I'm unexpectedly loving this Austen meets Agatha Christie series and I have to emphasize that I feel it's extra enjoyable because of the entertaining narration. The next installment is a Mansfield Park reimagining and because I don't remember much of the original, I'll have to see how I'll like it.