Alias Thomas Bennet by Suzan Lauder

What if Mr. Bennet wasn’t the Mr. Bennet we are used to? What if his attitude was completely different? Would it affect the personalities of the rest of his family?

Susan Lauder penned a very different and interesting story with an innovative twist that changes everything. 

In Alias Thomas Bennet the reader is invited to follow two different stories, the one of Mr. Bennet and his wife, and the one of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth, and the two are more intertwined than readers initially expect. As the story slowly unravels we start to understand all the connections, and the details the author had to bring to the story to make it work are really worth praising. 

Without going too much into the storyline, because it wouldn’t be the same with spoilers, you’ll find in this novel a very different Bennet family with a moderate and affectionate Mrs. Bennet, an interventive and assertive Mr. Bennet, and with accomplished and proper ladies within the Bennet household. 

I liked the idea behind this change because, after all, Lydia and Kitty’s attitudes are the result of the education and incentives they received from their parents, and Mrs. Bennet’s effusions are also the result of Mr. Bennet’s lack of interest, so if we have a very different Mr. Bennet, we are sure to have a very different household. Even if at times this family seemed too perfect, I loved knowing each one of these characters and seeing them talk with each other in such a fashion.

I also loved the mystery that slowly unravels in this story, and to be honest, I loved Mr. Bennet’s love story even more than Darcy and Elizabeth’s. Mr. Bennet’s story is interesting and captivated me until the end. We don’t see a lot of books focusing on the romance between Mr. and Mrs. Bennet and this was a refreshing change. Mr. Bennet is a great hero in this one.

The beginning of the book was very difficult for me because it has a rape scene, and I never like to read about that, but the story progresses rapidly and it doesn’t focus too much on it after it happens, so I was able to distract myself. Nevertheless, if that is not something you like to read about, be aware you’ll find it in the initial pages. 

The writing style is compelling and in line with what I’ve previous found in this authors books, I was so enthralled by this story that I didn’t want to stop listening to the audiobook

Summing up, Alias Thomas Bennet is a well-written and innovative take on Pride and Prejudice that will show us a different side of Mr. Bennet, which will, in turn, change all characters in the story. It links beautifully two stories, spikes our curiosity and captivate our hearts. If you’re looking into a completely different plot with secrets, romance and mystery this book is for you.

 

Audiobook Narration:

Elizabeth Bennet’s Level

Jacq Ainsworth was a nice surprise, her narration is smooth and her voice is very pleasing to hear. I recommend the audiobook version.

 

You can find Alias Thomas Bennet at:

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Kindle Unlimited and on Audible