Book Blurb:
Twelve deliciously witty short stories, the fourth in what Publishers Weekly described as “McVeigh's celebrated Austenesque series”.
"I have very little hope," said Mr Bennet, "of disposing of even one of my daughters much before luncheon."
(from McVeigh's Pride and Perjury)
What really happened when Wickham eloped with Lydia? What did the Longbourn servants secretly think of the Bennet sisters? Take a deep dive into Caroline Bingley's schemes, Lady Catherine's de Bourgh's diary - and Mr Knightley’s heart.
Download your copy today, and fall in love with your favourite Austen characters all over again!
Previous books in this series have been shortlisted for the UK Selfies Book Awards, runner-up for Foreword Indies’ “Book of the Year,” and quarterfinalists in Publishers Weekly’s BookLife Prize. In April 2024, McVeigh's Jane Austen series won Chanticleer International's Book Series (historical).
“Alice McVeigh’s narrative is perfectly pitched, capturing Austen’s authorial voice without ever descending into pastiche. Employing that coolly ironic gaze, she describes events ‘omitted’ from Pride and Prejudice with remarkable conviction.” Jane Austen’s Regency World, editorial review
“Jane Austen’s quaint speech patterns, subtle humor, and satirical jabs at high society’s preoccupation with appearances are all on display. With attention to detail and an obvious love of her subject, the talented and perceptive McVeigh has created a wonderful tribute to Austen.” C.R. Hurst. Editorial review for Readers Favorite
Book Buy Link: https://geni.us/21uxtrJ
Author Bio:
Alice McVeigh has been published by Orion/Hachette in contemporary fiction, by UK's Unbound in speculative fiction (writing as Spaulding Taylor) and by Warleigh Hall Press in historical fiction. Her books have been in the last seven for the UK Selfies Book Award (2024), been a runner-up for Foreword Indies' "Book of the Year" and joint runner-up in Writers Digest International Book Awards. Three of her novels have been Publishers Weekly's starred "Editors Picks" - one was a BookLife quarterfinalist. McVeigh's multi-award-winning Austenesque series won First Place for Book Series (historical) in Chanticleer's International Book Awards 2023.
A long-term Londoner, McVeigh was born in Seoul, South Korea, and grew up in Thailand, Singapore, and Myanmar, where her father was a US diplomat. After spending her teenage years in McLean, Virginia, and achieving a degree with distinction in cello performance at the internationally renowned Jacobs School of Music, she came to London to study cello with William Pleeth. McVeigh spent over fifteen years performing worldwide with orchestras including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic, and Sir John Eliot Gardiner’s Orchestre Revolutionaire et Romantique.
She was first published in the late1990s, when her two contemporary novels (WHILE THE MUSIC LASTS and GHOST MUSIC) were published by Orion Publishing to excellent reviews, including: “The orchestra becomes a universe in microcosm; all human life is here . . . McVeigh succeeds in harmonising a supremely comic tone with much darker notes”(The Sunday Times). And: “McVeigh is a professional cellist and is thus able to describe with wry authority the extraordinary life of a London orchestra. This is a very enjoyable novel, and not quite as light as it pretends to be” (The Sunday Telegraph). Inspired by her life as a touring cello professional, both novels have been recently released in completely new editions on Smashwords.
Alice has long been married to Simon McVeigh, Professor Emeritus at the University of London; their daughter Rachel has a Presidential Scholarship at Harvard in Chinese Lit. (Ph.D). When not playing cello or writing, Alice is generally smiting tennis balls at the Bromley Tennis Centre. (Often far too hard. As Rachel observed when aged four, “My mum hits the ball farther than anybody!”)
Editorial Review:
This reviewer will not admit to being a Janeite, but suffice to say, the dog is so familiar with the theme music that he wags his tail when Pride and Prejudice starts playing on the TV. And which version, you may ask? At the risk of being thought impolite, the 1995 BBC offering. You know the one, with Colin Firth. But enough reminiscing about white shirts and lakes, and down to the serious business of a book review. Unlike Miss Bingley, this reviewer does enjoy reading (and one day, hopes to attract a Mr Darcy equivalent by doing so!).
Twelve short stories inspired by Jane Austen’s writings make “Pride and Perjury” a perfect option for reading, well, just about anywhere, really. Readers who are familiar with other Jane Austen fan-fiction will be aware of the multitude of different styles that authors will adopt in this genre. McVeigh stays true to Jane Austen’s style and it is a relief to see. Jane Austen’s writing has been revered for over two hundred years for a reason, and even now her characters are vivid and so relatable. Housekeeper Hill’s perspective is a welcome one, and provides a way for most of the household to be commented on, in an amusing and accurate fashion:
“It is beyond my poor skill to describe how irritating Mr Collins could be, for he is neither stupid, nor ugly, nor rude. As Spencer said by the fire that night, he ‘lacked the gift of seeing himself as others saw him’. His self-satisfaction in his patroness’s wealth, in his humble abode, in his person altogether – is beyond bearing.”
But it is not only the Bennet family who are the focus. Miss Bingley, surely the ultimate romantic rival, allows us a peek into her diary and her plan to snare (a word used in this review deliberately) Mr Darcy. That is the great advantage of well-written Jane Austen fan fiction, where the reader is allowed more detail about secondary characters that captured their interest when first reading Austen’s works. Using Colonel Foster as a narrator to assess the circumstances of The Elopement provides those who-are-not-Janeites-but still-read-her-books-and-watch-adaptations-repetitively with a wonderful perspective on a situation where “Pride and Prejudice” left the matter largely to the reader’s imagination.
“But when he recollected Lydia he did sigh a little, for she was not the intimate friend that he would have preferred his wife to have chosen. How unlike she was to her elder sisters! He had been quite smitten by Miss Bennet’s softness while Miss Elizabeth’s wit was almost as generally admired. Secretly, the Colonel believed Lydia more resembled her aunt, Mrs Philips – in her general boisterousness, particularly… He felt relieved when she was gone.”
Reading the formidable Lady Catherine’s point-of-view in a separate story was a guilty highlight, and even more so to recognise references to “Persuasion”. While Pride and Prejudice underpins much of the content, there are references to other works and characters for those with their Jane Austen bingo cards at the ready.
“But you are not entitled to know mine, nor will such behaviour as this ever induce me to be explicit.”
Of course, this is Elizabeth Bennet’s legendary retort to Lady Catherine, and it is cleverly woven into one of McVeigh’s narratives. It is also quoted in this review to demonstrate the (small and subjective) disadvantage with this writing style and with many facets of fan-fiction. When Austen’s works are so loved, they are familiar. Each book, each witty turn of phrase, demonstrates what is best about English literature. McVeigh’s approach stands as a tribute to Austen, but there is always a tension between fan fiction and the original, and the way in which the original is used, quoted, or expanded on.
While several of McVeigh’s stories are based on the established plot of “Pride and Prejudice”, some do expand secondary characters from this and other Austen works to create endings and outcomes that are missing from the original books. This is a choice for each Janeite; some will revel in reading of the familiar characters and settings while others will be seeking wholly new stories rather than a recounting of established scenes from different viewpoints. Other readers who are not familiar with Jane Austen’s works may not recognize the in-jokes and the significance of the original scenes and characters.
These are short stories. The variety is engaging, but as always the disadvantage is that some readers may wish for more detail than the vignette provided. There is no separate character arc or plot to analyze, as to do so would be to comment on Austen’s own works, which are incomparable and to which this reviewer can add nothing. McVeigh has selected much-loved highlights and particular characters from Austen’s works and skilfully developed these further. The result is a series of delightful episodic stories which delve into pivotal situations, or simply observe. The short story format makes “Pride and Perjury” ideal to dip into without having to commit to recalling the complexity of a long-format plot. A happy return to Austen-land for this reviewer!
*****
"Pride and Perjury" by Alice McVeigh receives 4 ½ stars from The Historical Fiction Company
To have your historical novel editorially reviewed and/or enter the HFC Book of the Year contest, please visit www.thehistoricalfictioncompany.com/book-awards/award-submission
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