Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Investigator: A Novel

by Kelly Gardiner, Sharmini Kumar

In this imaginative cozy mystery, the search for a missing maid leads Miss Caroline Bingley from Jane Austen’s beloved Pride & Prejudice into murder and mayhem in the gritty underbelly of Regency London.

Two years after her brother Charles Bingley weds Miss Jane Bennett, Miss Caroline Bingley is visiting her brother's country estate near Pemberley, the home of their best friends, Mr. and Mrs. Darcy. Restless and out of sorts, Caroline wonders if there's more to life than playing cribbage and paying calls on country neighbors.

When Georgiana Darcy's maid, Jayani disappears and Georgiana sets off to find her, Caroline races to to find them in London, where she stumbles on a shocking, cold-blooded murder. Reunited with Georgiana, the pair careen through the gritty, grimy underbelly of London, a world unfamiliar to two genteel aristocratic ladies. Assisted by Caroline's trusty manservant, Gordon, the tenacious Caroline demands answers of shady characters, police magistrates, and mysterious East India Company men to discover the killer. Their search will reveal the cost of Empire on India and its people . . . and Miss Bingley's incomparable powers of investigation.

As Caroline puts her superior new talents to work, she finds out exactly what an accomplished, independent woman with a sharp mind and a large fortune can achieve—even when pitted against secrets, scandal, and a murderer with no mercy.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Audiobook, Regency

Audible Audio

First published April 2, 2025

About the author

Kelly Gardiner's new book is Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Detective (HarperCollins), co-written with Sharmini Kumar. Her most recent novels for young readers include a time slip adventure trilogy called 'The Firewatcher Chronicles': 'Brimstone', 'Phoenix', and 'Vigil'; and '1917: Australia's Great War', set in Flanders and in Melbourne during the First World War (all published by Scholastic).
Her novel 'Goddess' (HarperCollins) was based on the life of the remarkable Julie d'Aubigny, also known as Mademoiselle de Maupin - a 17th century opera singer and swordswoman.
Kelly's other books include the acclaimed young adult novels 'The Sultan's Eyes' and 'Act of Faith' (HarperCollins); and for younger readers, 'Billabong Bill's Bushfire Christmas' (Random House), and the ‘Swashbuckler!’ trilogy (HarperCollins): 'Ocean Without End', 'The Pirate's Revenge' and 'The Silver Swan'.
Kelly taught creative writing at La Trobe University for many years and now runs writing retreats and masterclasses. She lives in Melbourne, Australia, and on Waiheke Island, New Zealand.

Reviews

[K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Content warnings: murder, racism, death of a sibling, death of a parent (in the past), grooming (in the past), violence

Oh, I LOVED this. It gave me Phryne Fisher but 100+ years earlier, and I could absolutely see a younger Anna Chancellor reprising her role as Miss Bingley for an adaptation of this. I'm trash for an Austen inspired story, and I'm also trash for historical fiction that focuses on the diversity that was present in every freaking time period for all of human history.

As someone much smarter than me once said, Black people [and, indeed, all people of colour] didn't magically appear as a result of the Civil Rights Movement. They've always been there. It's just that their stories don't get told. And I loved that this weaves the yikes-worthy history of the East India Company into an Austen inspired Regency based murder mystery.

(In the interests of full disclosure, Sharmini is a close friend of mine. But I bought the book with my very own human dollars, and she did not ask me to say nice things about it.)

[Mandy White (mandylovestoread) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun historical/cozy mystery which was a mash up of Jane Austen and Agatha Christie. Always fun when you have references to Mr Darcy ❤️

This was a quick read , a missing maid, a murder and lots of secrets. Caroline and her friend Georgina are determined to solve the case, despite what the men say. It was a different time for women, and Caroline is certainly before her time. I can see this being. The start of a fun series.

3.5⭐️ thanks to HQ for my advanced copy of this book to read. Out in April 10th.

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic JA fan fiction. Perfect trashy read. Who doesn’t need a bit of Miss Caroline Bingley jn their world?

[Lindsay pinkcowlandreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charles Bingley has been married to Jane Bennett for about two years now, when Miss Caroline Bingley finds herself visiting her brother’s estate. Of course she loves seeing her brother, but she also enjoys seeing her good friend Georgiana Darcy.

… but Miss Darcy has ran off to the city in search of her missing maid, Jayani. And only Caroline has been informed. In order to protect Miss Darcy‘s reputation, she hides after her and agrees to assist in the search for the missing maid.

Caroline she finds that this investigation quickly turns into a murder investigation when they find Jayani’s brother dead!

I love a good historical mystery and this one had plenty of good twists and turns with Greek characters, including some of our favourites from Pride and Prejudice and others directly related to the investigation. Caroline’s character starts off brisk and I wasn’t sure if I was going to like her, but her tenacity and her willingness to fight and find the true killer even with the class differences really made her redeemed and someone you could get behind.

I listen to the audio narrated by Shaheen Khan I really enjoyed her pacing and enthusiasm for the story. Her character voice work was top-notch and brought the different characters life.

This was a fun investigation and I’m hoping Caroline finds herself in the midst of more trouble to bring out her investigation skills again!

[Josianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

meh, didn't love the mystery as much as I thought I would. Loved the concept though.

[Magalie Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miss Bingley my icon 🔎☕️
Investigate and boss around grown ass men -> I want to be her when I grow up

[kristina allegra]

📖 audiobook

got to interview these lovely authors !

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun book to read and one I thoroughly enjoyed. I would say it is in the style of an Agatha Christie book which I have always enjoyed. It was fun to follow the journey of finding a missing maid, coming upon a murder and then trying to solve the murder and the mystery surrounding these events. All this wrapped up with a bit of Pride and Prejudice back drop makes for an interesting tale.

Miss Caroline Bingley and her best friend Georgiana Head (separately) to London from Pemberley and as you can imagine these two young single women of the times do things that raise eyebrows for sure. This story is fun, mysterious, intriguing and it was so easy to read. Entertaining and enjoyable and I look forward to seeing what might come next for this new Detective (of sorts).

Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Detective
Kelly Gardiner
HarperCollins

[Monika Armet · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is set two years after the events of Pride and Prejudice.

Caroline Bingley is staying in Derbyshire with her brother, Charles, and his wife, Jane. Charles and Jane bought a house near to the Darcys. During her stay, Caroline became firm friends with Miss Georgina Darcy, Mr Darcy’s younger sister.

When Miss Darcy’s Indian maid, Jade, goes missing, Georgina goes in pursuit of her. She writes a note to Caroline asking for her friend’s discretion, but Miss Bingley is having none of it. She decides to follow Georgina to London in the search of the elusive maid.

The two women find Jade, real name Jayani, crying over her dead brother’s body. It is evident that someone brutally killed him. But who?

It appears that it’s up to Miss Bingley to investigate.

I am in two minds about this book.

I love Pride and Prejudice and I consider myself a true fan. I usually read the spin off stories and movie adaptations, and I was very excited to pick up a copy of this.

I felt that there was something missing in Miss Bingley’s character. I loved that she worked on herself, studied, and decided that she didn’t need a man to be happy. Thanks to her family’s money, she established her own home in London, and she could come and go as she pleased. She was a shrewd woman, unafraid to put herself out there to solve a crime. However, the ‘original’ Miss Bingley was a bit snappy and quick with her tongue, and I guess that I missed that.

I can’t fault the plot or the setting, I guess it was just my personal preference.

This book wasn’t for me, but it might be for you!

[EmG ReadsDaily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rollicking read, a highly imprudent adventure and an intricate mystery, featuring Miss Caroline Bingley, who is fabulously funny, clever and snarky.

[Anneka Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am always down for a Pride & Prejudice spinoff and honestly the trashier the better. This was really fun but loses a star because I guessed the murderer halfway through.

[Alissa Case · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was just okay. It’s a cozy mystery with a predictable plot…nothing special, but it scratched an itch and I gave it a half bonus point because it’s a read my tween can enjoy, too :)

[Shaina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Kelly Gardiner; Sharmini Kumar for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Investigator coming out July 8, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

These are new authors for me. I absolutely love everything Jane Austen, so I was excited to check it out. I’ve read several Pride and Prejudice murder mysteries. Caroline is definitely not a character I enjoy, but I did really enjoy her in this book. It made her seem more human. I enjoyed the mystery. I would be down if this was a series!

[Kim (hundredacreofbooks.com) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Secrets, scandal, and a society lady turned sleuth.
When Georgiana Darcy’s maid disappears, Miss Caroline Bingley dives headfirst into London’s darker corners — and discovers that curiosity can be a dangerous trait in a woman.

Read my full review over on Hundredacreofbooks.com https://hundredacreofbooks.com/index....

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an avid P&P fan (books and BBC miniseries obviously), I had high hopes for this one. But I ended up feeling like it could have featured any regency woman and been the same book. It wasn't distinctly Caroline Bingley. And the mystery didn't feel all that mysterious! Maybe I was expecting the wrong thing, but this one didn't land for me.

[Meggie · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Wonderful concept (yes, I too would love to hear about Miss Bingley's adventures post-P&P), but once I got past the first 50 pages I discovered a rather predictable mystery and a too-nice-Caroline. Caroline's a snarky mean girl in P&P, I wanted more of that here--plus, Georgiana Darcy is an absolute brat in this book.

[josie · Rating 2 out of 5]

rated: 2.5 stars

this was kind of a stock standard regency detective novel that should have been comp'd as a poor mans miss fisher's murder mysteries. there was really nothing about caroline bingley that made her feel like caroline bingley. i think i would have liked this a lot better if it was an original character, because the p&p callbacks lowkey started to feel like a cash/reader grab at the end. the writing style also felt a bit like a poor mans imitation of jane austen, instead of attempting to do its own thing and really stand out.

even though she didn't stand out though, i do like that the authors attempted to rehabilitate what has traditionally been a mean girl in the austen world. caroline did have clear intellect and social understanding beyond expectations in the original p&p, and it was nice to see that shine more here. i do wish her growth in moving past the barriers imposed by social classes was a bit slower through - she jumped right into helping jayani which didn't really mesh with her original dislike of elizabeth bennett, which was based almost entirely on superficiality and a rigorous adherence to the immovable nature of social classes. the growth that was there however was interesting, and by the end of the book i did very much believe caroline's desire to continue investigating, working, and using her brain, if only because of a selfish nature that craved the satisfaction of a job well done.

Thank you to the publisher via NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book, and a very interesting take on Caroline Bingley, but I felt like something was a bit missing. Caroline mentions that she's improved in the past couple of years since the end of P&P (and I agree, she definitely has), but I think I might have liked to have seen more of the process of that improvement, instead of jumping in at the end result. Still, a very interesting take on the character!

[Library of Dreaming (Bookstagram)]

Caroline seems to have gone through some epic character development or had a personality transplant before this book starts. I wanted the mean and snarky Caroline from Pride and Prejudice and I wanted to see her character development. DNF.

[Jennifer Abella · Rating 3 out of 5]

I particularly appreciate the exploration of the East India Company and its implications for the characters.

[Bella Azam · Rating 3 out of 5]

A murder mystery set in the Pride and Prejudice universe featuring the minor characters from Jane Austen's novel, Caroline Bingley and Georgiana Darcy. Expanding into the territory of a murder mystery & historical fiction, this book made for an interesting story but alas proven to be a standard & average mystery at its best. To be fair, I haven't read any Austen novels (i know how ludicrous 🥲) so I'm not familiar with Caroline & Georgiana whil I have heard about Mr Darcy & Elizabeth Bennet a lot. There were mentions of this couple as the story set two years after Pride & Prejudice where they have gotten married and this time, we are more focused on Caroline & her friendship with Georgiana Darcy

Georgiana unexpectedly went off to London in haste to pursue her fleeing young maid, Jade that she cared a lot. Caroline then moved quickly to trace her young friend with her servants traversing the harsh wintry journey. Once in London, they found Georgiana & after promising her to find Jade, Caroline was thrown into a murder case involving Jade's brother, with deceits, lies & tragedy. The story started well enough introducing us to the characters while at first focusing on the missing maid which led them to scavenging the underbelly of London, dark and dodgy places where they found out information of Jade's origin as an Indian then to Caroline discovering a gruesome scene of a bloody murder

The mystery was pretty straightforward with twists that I expected. I knew who the murderer is before the reveal. The pacing for me is slow with constant back and forth investigations that felt redundant at times but understandable since Caroline is no sleuth, she mainly investigate out of Georgiana's persistence but then ultimately due to her own curious nature. There are talks of women's role & expectations in society, the social status & class between the rich and the poor, of marriage talk and the desire to find someone as Caroline spoke of still wanting to marry but she prefers to enjoy her life as it is for now and I like these moments. But was put off by her lack of empathy or her attitude towards those different than her, she is more of a selfish person rather than a likeable one. She is fair enough but still has some cold air about her, intelligent but not emotionally fair to others. The ending was okay, there are reveals and twists but not shocking. For those who enjoyed Regency style murder mystery then you might like this

Thank you to Times Reads for the review copy

[Erin Hawley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Investigator is a charming murder mystery novel investigated by our favorite Regency villain. This book is set a couple of years after Pride and Prejudice, focusing on Caroline Bingley and Georgiana Darcy. This is an unusual P and P imagining, as Darcy and Elizabeth are referenced but never make an on paper appearance. The story focuses on Caroline, who has grown up a bit since her disappointment at Pemberly but who is still a snobby English Regency lady. Caroline comes to the aid of Georgiana and stumbles upon the murder of an Indian servant. Caroline, of course, thinks herself more capable than the riff raff and investigates.

The story was fun and provided enough suspects and details to let the reader create their own theory. I appreciated that Caroline stumbled a bit in her investigation and that she so steadfastly resisted attempts by men to interfere with what she wanted to do. There's also discussion of abolition and slavery of the era, expectations of marriage for wealthy women, and perception and treatment of India and Indian people during the colonial occupation. I think this was handled well and incorporated into the story.

The writing itself was good, and I sped through the chapters pretty quickly. The middle part of the book felt a little slow and tedious as Caroline gathered evidence, but the pace picked back up by the last third. The ending was not my favorite but likely more realistic.

It's the semiquincentennial (250th) anniversary of Jane Austen's birth this year, which means this is the perfect time for Austen world works. If this is a series, I would certainly read the next Caroline Bingley mystery.

Thank you, HarperVia, for the arc!

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the free Kindle book. My opinions are my own and are freely given.

Caroline Bingley has finally come to the conclusion that she does not need a man in her life and will be perfectly happy if she never marries (not that she is ruling it out altogether). I love this change in her character from Pride and Prejudice; the author has changed her goals in life but has not completely changed her. There is no focus on romance, and no male character comes up that immediately could be her main love interest in the series (although there is one possibility? maybe, she hasn't shown any interest and neither has he, so I don't know). So if so, be prepared for the slowest of the slow burns.

Not only is the mystery and plot amazing, but I absolutely love that the characters are starting to become aware of their own prejudices. For example, Georgiana gave her Indian maid a name, and later in the book, the women learn her real name. From that point on, the narrative changes what name she is called by, and the women change what they call her. While Caroline's thinking is quite a bit less progressive than Georgianna, both women have begun to think about it.

I can't wait for the next book in this series!!!

If you did too, please check out The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Grey. Amazing mystery series featuring Mr. Darcy and Lizzie's son, Jonathan

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I was vaguely intrigued by the idea of Caroline Bingley, resident mean girl of Pride and Prejudice, as a detective. Her nerve and perceptiveness certainly would be assets, but I really didn't know what to expect beyond that. This book did incredible things with that premise. Not only did I get an incredible reframing and growth of Caroline Bingley and Georgiana Darcy's characters, but it highlighted the insidous presence that the East India Company held in London well into the Regency and beyond. Yes, some of you may argue that we already knew that, but most pieces tend to focus on the 18th-century impact. Regency-set pieces rarely focus on the way India and Indians in Britain were treated; if we're lucky, they might focus on the abolition of slavery and the presence of Black Brits. This book definitely leaves itself open to being a series, so I am intrigued to see if we get more stories in the future. In the meantime, it proved itself a refreshing and delightful read. In Caroline's own words, "I am all astonishment!"

[Anne Herbison · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are two authors, one of whom appears to be missing above. The other is Sharmini Kumar. It intrigues me how two authors manage the process of sharing the writing. I have enjoyed a number of books which take characters from well-known novels and give them a new life. An unusual choice of heroine at first glance (she did not redeem herself well in Pride and Prejudice) Miss Caroline Bingley triumphs over snobbery and decorum with her curiosity and sense of adventure. She has the good luck of being in possession of her own means of support and has stopped wasting her time on the idea of marriage. Georgiana Darcy is her companion in this book, and the instigator of the search for a lost Indian maid servant, a task we would not have thought her capable of from her portrayal in Jane Austen's novel.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun regency romp with the hilariously pompous Miss Bingley and her surprisingly wholesome household as they try to unravel the mystery behind a murder. The culture clash of a high society lady vs. London's seedy underbelly offers endless entertainment, while the tongue and cheek tone makes it a breezy read despite heavier themes of women's independence, colonial exploitation, and unequal justice lurking at the heart of the story. As a mystery, it could have utilized certain characters a little more to flesh out the climax, but Caroline's posh-lady detective persona is worth the slight hiccups. Also, Gordon is the best. 4 'all ills can be remedied with tea, hot chocolate, or brandy' out of 5.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75! very fun murder mystery, with ties to austen really in name only. caroline is a very changed character, and most other characters are either off-screen, or depicted so little in p&p that their appearance here is up to creative interpretation. reminded me a bit of the phryne fisher formula, which is always a plus!

i do think that the plot left something to be desired - it feels like its building up to some grand conspiracy, only for the reveal to be quite predictable and formulaic (most of those reveals weren't at all surprising). but the humour sold me.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting crime novel featuring some of the Pride and prejudice characters. Pacy, tense (at times violent) and with snowy London a key character. This shows Caroline Bingley taking action. I am hoping for a sequel.

[Sarah Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ax different sequel to Pride. and Prejudice

[Lilli · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the end of the book as Caroline’s character development was very enjoyable to read. I do think parts were slow but the themes discussed in the book were very informative and important. I did think there was something fishy about Robert!