(Or, First Impressions Revisited)
A Mr. & Mrs. Darcy Mystery
By Carrie Bebris
Forge Books, February 2005
ISBN 0-765-30509-7
Book #2 in the Mr. & Mrs. Darcy Mystery series
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Persuaded by Mrs. Bennet to sponsor a London social season for Elizabeth’s sister Kitty, the Darcys
reluctantly return to the glittering ballrooms and parlors of the fashionable world. There Kitty meets Harry
Dashwood, the handsome young owner of Norland, and they quickly fall in love. But for the Bennet sisters, it
seems the course of true love simply cannot run smooth. No sooner do Harry and Kitty announce their
engagement than Harry begins to change. His disreputable behavior, unexplained absences, mysterious
gatherings, questionable new companions, and sinister activities lead all to wonder: Who is the true Mr.
Dashwood -- the respectable gentleman Kitty thought she knew, or the dishonorable rogue now reflected in
the mirror? A clue from Harry’s family tree sends the Darcys once more on a quest to discover the truth
before history can repeat itself. For if Harry and Kitty are to have a future, the past must first be put to rest.
Discussion Questions
1. The book's subtitle, First Impressions Revisited, serves as a theme of the novel. Discuss first impressions
in Suspense and Sensibility. What were your first impressions of Harry Dashwood and other characters, and
did they differ from the impressions the characters made on each other? How were these impressions
changed, or revisited, as events unfolded?
2. Another theme of the novel is that of seeing and reflection. How does each character wish to be seen by
others? What events, actions, statements, and objects reflect his or her true nature? Are some characters
better at "seeing" than others?
3. Is Sir Francis evil? Was he wrong to trap Harry in order to free himself from the mirror, or was he
justified in escaping any way he could?
4. When Mr. Darcy tells Professor Randolph that he is not discontent, Randolph responds, "Everybody wants
something, Mr. Darcy." Do you believe this statement is true? Is it possible for a person ever to be perfectly
content?
5. After Harry is rescued, he accepts all blame for what happened. Is he indeed responsible?
6. What kind of future will Harry and Kitty have?
7.The book takes place primarily in London during the high social season. To what extent does this setting --
including the constant background presence of the ton, or fashionable society -- influence the story? What
contrast do scenes at Pemberley and/or Norland offer?
8. Jane Austen fans might also recognize the subtitle as an echo of First Impressions -- Austen’s working title
for Pride and Prejudice, the book upon which the Mr. & Mrs. Darcy mystery series is based. If you are
familiar with Austen's novel and/or the first book in Bebris's series (Pride and Prescience), how does
Suspense and Sensibility revisit characters and elements of those preceding novels? How has the Darcys'
relationship -- both as a married couple and as a sleuthing team -- developed? Was this a satisfying sequel?
9. If you are familiar with Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, compare Bebris’s representations of Austen's
characters (the Dashwoods, Brandons, Ferrarses, and Middletons) with the originals.
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