Infamous Relations by Catherine Bison 5* Very satisfying mystery with character twists

Infamous Relations: A Pride And Prejudice "What If?" Tale by Catherine Bilson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Infamous Relations had me from the beginning. It has several things going for it. This author just plain writes well. Although we as readers know the answer to the mystery, the author allows us to see how the characters resolve it and this is done very well.

However, to make this an interesting variation from canon, readers are always looking for something to make the story different from the original without straying too far. We see this in Infamous Relations in spades. We have always known Mr. Collins was a weak, toad of a man, but here we see just how low he can go given the right incentive. Lady Catherine is greedy, we know, but here we see just how quickly she will jump on a misfortune to make her wishes come true. And, from a positive standpoint, we have always been told what a good person Jane Bennet is. In this story she shows just how kind, strong and intelligent she can be if given a bit more stage time and has a beloved sister to protect. And, when shocked, Mr. Darcy can reveal just how strong his feelings are for Elizabeth.

After Elizabeth receives the letter from Mr. Darcy at Hunsford, she is attacked, but escapes. She heads for Rosings knowing Mr. Darcy will come to her rescue. But, a terrible storm has left her wet, she is distraught, and the path is wet and muddy. She takes a fall and is knocked unconscious. She is found by Colonel Fitzwilliam who returns with her to the parsonage. To the shock of Charlotte, the doctor examining Elizabeth discovers evidence of bruising from the attack. Dr. Trent, Charlotte and Colonel Fitzwilliam keep to themselves this last piece thinking they will both preserve Elizabeth's reputation and investigate quietly to bring the attacker to justice.

The story now centers around who should be told what and how the mystery is solved. This is very finely expressed by the author and we see how the characters work out the solution. In addition, Darcy is so totally devastated by Elizabeth's accident that he reveals how much he cares about her to pretty much everyone, including Lady Catherine and Anne. But, the letter was found and read by Lady Catherine, adding another twist to the story.

I love to use the word satisfying to describe a book. To me this is a great compliment. It indicates the story raised expectations in the reader, created enough tension to keep the reader engaged, and then finished off the story in a manner that meets or exceeds those expectations. This was a very satisfying Pride and Prejudice variation. I can hardly wait to read more by Catherine Bilson. Highly recommended, particularly to purists who want to see their characters true to canon, but are happy to see circumstances cause them to become greater versions of themselves.


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