cover image The Plight of the Darcy Brothers: A Tale of Siblings and Surprises

The Plight of the Darcy Brothers: A Tale of Siblings and Surprises

Marsha Altman. Sourcebooks Landmark, $14.99 (359pp) ISBN 978-1-4022-2429-4

In her second Pride and Prejudice sequel, Altman brings back the Darcys and the Bingleys, offering up a charming tale of family and intrigue, along with a deft bit of comedy. When proper Bennet sister Mary returns from the continent, she is a compromised woman. Darcy and Elizabeth go to the continent to find the father and convince him to do the right thing, but on the way, they discover secret scandals about the Darcy family, including one half-brother Darcy didn't know about and a bigger problem that could ruin the entire family's reputation. Altman follows a well-tread path with this sequel to Austen's classic, and Austen fans will be pleased with the treatment of her characters. Though the ending feels rushed, Altman takes the spirit of the original runs with it to mostly deliver on fans' great expectations.