There seems to be no end to Jane Austen spin-offs. Some focus on the life of the author and her family and others develop storylines for minor characters. Pride and Prejudice is the most-raided novel. An example of the former, which has recently been made into a BBC TV series, is Gail Hornby’s Miss Austen, about the life of Jane’s sister, Cassandra.
Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Detective, timed for the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth, is an example of the latter. Jointly written by Australians Kelly Gardiner and Sharmini Kumar, the novel follows the adventures of Caroline Bingley, whom we know as the sniping, snobby sister of Mr Bingley and one-time hopeful for Mr Darcy’s hand. The action begins two years after Pride and Prejudice ends, as Caroline attempts to track down a runaway maid.
It’s an unexpected turn of events for the fastidious and fashionable Miss Bingley. But there has been a sea change in Caroline’s character since last we met her; she has “spent a great deal of the past two years improving herself, and felt her changed vigour and stamina in both mind and body”. Fear not, she still looks down her nose at Elizabeth, “so evidently ill-equipped to manage such a vast household [as Pemberley]”. There are many jibes like this at the Bennet family’s expense, and it’s clear that Caroline still feels done out of the glory of the Darcy estate (if not Darcy’s personal regard, which seems less of an issue).
The runaway maid worked for Georgiana Darcy. Jade (real name Jayani) is a young woman of Indian descent and Georgiana is particularly fond of her. Caroline, in turn, is very attached to the 18-year-old Georgiana, which is why she agrees to help find Jayani when she goes missing. This turns out to involve barrelling around the more disreputable parts of London in a carriage with her trusty manservant.
While Caroline races around the East End, Georgiana mainly rests in Caroline’s Mayfair flat, warming her feet by the fire – very much the pampered ward of zealous big brother Darcy. Her timidity and languor throw Caroline’s energy and engagement with the world into high relief, which seems to be the point. Caroline is driven to solve the puzzle of the missing maid, not out of sentiment, believing “kindness an overrated virtue”, but because she is intellectually curious and doesn’t have enough to do.
Caroline tracks Jayani down to a grim boarding house, only to find the terrified maid has been framed for murder. The victim was Sameer, the brother Jayani had never met. Caroline now has to discover the real killer, which leads her to tussle with shady magistrates, inn-keepers and the Dunstons, a gracious and sociable family involved with the East India Company.
The involvement of the East India Company and its agents leads to revelations concerning slavery, racism and the injustices of the Imperial project.
This book is lifted above the ordinary cosy crime novel with its exploration of these issues. The main characters from Pride and Prejudice remain off-stage, providing a ready-made back story and opportunities for numerous Austen in-jokes. By the end, Caroline has solved all the crimes and unmasked all the nefarious projects – with some tardy assistance from Georgiana and more effective and timely assistance from Jayani.
“If only [I] could continue this fascinating process of detection forever,” Caroline thinks towards the end, “and never return to the life of a lady of fashion.” This strongly suggests there may be a series of Caroline Bingley crime novels, and, from the evidence of this one, they will be well worth the read.
Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Detective, by Kelly Gardiner & Sharmini Kumar (HarperCollins, $39.99), is out now.
