Murder on the Bride's Side

I enjoyed Tracy Kiely's Murder at Longbourn last winter and have been eagerly anticipating Kiely's second Austen-inspired murder mystery, Murder on the Bride's Side. I was not disappointed. Murder on the Bride's Side is not your typical second novel (i.e., not as good as the first), maybe because it is simply a continuation of the first delightful novel.

In Murder, self-effacing Bridget Jones clone, Elizabeth Parker, stumbles onto a murder and into a Sense and Sensibility inspired plot. I say S&S-inspired because Kiely doesn't try to retell Marianne's and Elinor's stories clothed in modern dress, but alludes to, references, and quotes from the book and the movie. In fact, it is the allusions, references, and quotes that make the book so much fun to read. And she doesn't stop with Austen, there are literary references galore, all of which made me smile.

The murder mystery itself is pretty standard fare, although I didn't guess the murderer at all, but the breezy style, marvelously apt quotations (not necessarily Austen's) that serve as chapter titles, and warmth and wit make this novel a romp and a rout.

Headed for the beach? Need a pick-me-up after a downer classic? Looking for another way to celebrate the 200th anniversary of S&S? I heartily recommend Murder on the Bride's Side--it's a quick read that is light, bright and sparkling.