A secret letter brings them together. Will an assassin tear them apart?For Miss Elizabeth Bennet, love is the cipher she cannot crack.Outside the Longbourn house, Elizabeth Bennet is an ordinary country miss. But in secret, she and her father crack codes to foil Napoleon’s schemes against England. More than anything, Elizabeth wants to be loved for herself, but how can she when she lives a double … for herself, but how can she when she lives a double life?
For Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, a coded letter hides the key to his heart.
After Fitzwilliam Darcy’s brother is killed in France, a coded letter carries his final words and a dangerous secret. Mr. Darcy brings the letter to the Bennets for answers. But soon the code is the least of Mr. Darcy’s conundrums as he finds himself falling for Elizabeth Bennet. Caught between an assassin and an old enemy, can Mr. Darcy accept his feelings and win Miss Elizabeth’s heart before it is too late?
Find out in Mr. Darcy’s Cipher, Book 1 of the Spies and Prejudice series. Mr. Darcy’s Cipher is a Pride and Prejudice variation novel of 65,000 words with heaps of romance, humor, suspense, code-cracking, and two sometimes bullheaded but lovable leads who struggle to save a nation while falling in love.
If you love Pride and Prejudice variations with a twist of espionage, start reading Mr. Darcy’s Cipher now!
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“Do not fear those who operate in the shadows” –Michael Brady, The Fever
Rating: PG-17: adult themes and situations discussed, violence, murder[s], and threats against a nation at war. Angst Level: low-to-medium as tensions increased with an assassination attempt in full swing. Source: KU 6-30-21: SPOILER ALERT: This review may contain *** Spoilers ***
“A murderer is less loathsome to us than a spy. The murderer may have acted on a sudden mad impulse; he may be penitent and amend; but a spy is always a spy, night and day, in bed, at table, as he walks abroad; his vileness pervades every moment of his life.” –Honore de Balzac
Mystery, secrets, more secrets, threats to the Crown, counter-intelligence, spies, disguises, hidden agendas, poison ring, murder[s]… this was a veritable James Bond story but with a female character. Elizabeth was amazing and yet she had a mouth on her that could skin and fillet within a hair’s breadth. Once Darcy disrespected her abilities [and in her own home], it was on and Mr. Darcy was in her sights.
“Secret operations are essential in war; upon them the army relies to make its every move. An army without secret agents is exactly like a man without eyes or ears.” –Sun Tzu, The Art of War
These two spend a LOT of time at each other’s throats. One of the problems was the secrecy under which Elizabeth and her father operated. No one knew exactly what they did and suddenly other coders were dying and or disappearing. The number of coders and decoders was quickly dwindling. Darcy had a coded letter from his deceased brother. He wanted to know what it said and had come to the expert, Mr. Bennet. He never realized that working with Mr. Bennet was his very talented and very intelligent daughter, Miss Elizabeth. She was as capable, if not more capable, than her father.
“In this job, you handpick your people. You need the best. You need the most loyal. You need the most ruthless.” –Karen Traviss, Halo: The Thursday War
I really enjoyed watching ODC crash and burn but then circumstances forced them to come together to fight against a common enemy. Still, Darcy had no idea the extent or depth of the workings of team Bennet and what it meant to the nation and the Regent especially. Time was running out and a life needed to be saved.
What I didn’t like: a few editing errors: also, at the end of the story, I had LOTS of questions. In the author’s pages, it was indicated that there would be a sequel. I hope those threads left dangling and the questions unanswered will be addressed at a future date. I would really like to follow up on this story.
Spies and Prejudice Series:
Book 1: Mr. Darcy’s Cipher [publication date 11-20-18]
Book 2: [unknown]
Our heart is like an unfinished puzzle — that is why we search for the perfect one to complete it. ~ Author unknown.
I noticed this story when it began posting on a Fan Fiction site but I skipped it. The JAFF I read is almost entirely Regency P&P and I supposed from the title it was probably code-breaking in WWII. This story will teach me to investigate more before rejecting a story!
It turns out this story is Regency. The code-breakers are Elizabeth Bennet and her Father and they are active in the war against Napoleon.
Mr. Bennet has solved code puzzles for the English government for years. As a child, Elizabeth surprised him with her ability to find puzzle solutions. Now Mr. Bennet’s vision is failing and Elizabeth regularly aids him in his work.
Fitzwilliam Darcy arrives with a letter from his younger brother who was murdered in France. The letter contains passages in “gibberish” Latin. What code was used? What message is hidden?
Madame Godiva has moved to Meryton. Mrs. Bennet and her youngest daughters enthuse over her fortune telling. Even Miss Bingley and eventually Mary Bennet seek her counsel. But does she actually have insight?
While Darcy resides with the Bingleys at Netherfield, Elizabeth puzzles over the puzzle. When she arrives at Netherfield to attend her sister Jane, Darcy is attracted. What will finally push him to anger?
I read an early copy of this story which contained many typos, word-usage errors, etc. I have learned the story will be proof-read before publication, so I will not downgrade for errata.
This fast-paced, well-constructed mystery has enough clues to keep the reader guessing and is the first part of the “Spies and Prejudice” series. I will be watching for the next.
The author gave me an ARC of this book with no promise of a review, good or bad.
There are no extra pieces in the universe. Everyone is here because he or she has a place to fill and every piece must fit itself into the big puzzle. ~ Deepak Chopra
This book is a fantastic variation of Pride and Prejudice, combining elements of our beloved story with a twist of espionage. In this, Elizabeth works with her father to translate coded messages for their country. The characters were know and love are still there, but some new characters will have you eager to become better acquainted. This is the first book in what is to be a series. It was so entertaining, but left me disappointed that I must wait for the next one!