Linné Elizabeth's New Short Story
By Rick Graf
A seven-story anthology, Crime & Culpability is a whodunit retelling of Jane Austen's characters as sleuths. Besides writing stories, Elizabeth Gilliland and Michael Rands also edited the anthology. It has an expected publication date of September 10, 2024. Most importantly, it features the short story “New Year, New Problems” by Utah writer Linné Elizabeth Marsh. She writes under the pen name Linné Elizabeth and is a Write on – St. George Chapter member of the League of Utah Writers. Her short story won third place in The Quills fiction competition in Salt Lake City.
Linné Elizabeth Marsh Previews Anthology Stories
"In Crime & Culpability, Austen’s beloved characters explore new facets of their personalities while tackling crimes that disrupt the peace and propriety of their lives," Linné Elizabeth Marsh said. "If you’re an Austen lover or new to her genius, dive into these seven bite-sized mysteries and reimagine her characters as they navigate some sticky situations."
In “Order and Disorder,” Detective Thomas Cowan and Mr. Darcy investigate a murder related to familiar faces from Darcy’s past.
“Shadows at Northanger” has the original characters move to Northanger Abbey and discover the home is not as idyllic as it first seems.
“Death at the Races” (a sequel to Pride and Prejudice and a Mary and Alexander short story) is a trip to the horse races, ending in murder.
In “The Beginning and the End,” Professor Walter Elias discovers he is being blackmailed and turns to an unexpected source for help.
“New Year, New Problems” involves a robbery of an emotionally valuable item in a modern club setting after Liam Darcy and Izzy Bennet have a close romantic encounter.
“Detective Woodhouse and the Gallery of Forgery,” a painting goes missing—but no fear, Emma Woodhouse is on the case!
“Darcy’s Revenge” is a modernized, noir-styled sequel to Pride and Prejudice. Darcy has fallen on some hard times thanks to trusting an old friend.
Linné Elizabeth Marsh Honored at Austen Conference
Linné Elizabeth Marsh and the other six anthology writers are true blue Janites. As a part-time English instructor and master’s student at Arizona State University (ASU), she won an essay competition at the Jane Austen North American Society's conference in Denver, Colorado. Her essay “Growing into Love: A Comparison of Adolescent Marriage in Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility” won second place. She met ASU Professor Devony Looser there, who played a crucial role in her life as Linné Elizabeth Marsh fully embraced Austen. She also met Elizabeth Gilliland, who introduced a fellow Janite to the Crime and Culpability anthology.
Her author page features other anthologies with her flash fiction and short stories. And her newest short story may be a precursor to a novel. Linné Elizabeth Marsh said, “I don’t have a published novel yet. I love Jane Austen and retellings. A novel is a different beast from a short story.”
Why Retell Jane Austen? Elementary, Dear Watson!
English novelist Jane Austen's fiction has earned her a place in the Western Canon. She is one of the most-read writers in English literature. The late literary critic Harold Bloom put her characters on par with those of William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens. So Austen’s books rarely go out of print. Worldwide, readers have purchased thirty million copies, with Pride and Prejudice accounting for twenty million.
Austen wrote six novels anonymously during her life in nine years from 1811 to 1820, known as the Regency Era. She began writing comic stories around eleven years old, known as the Juvenilia, completing her first mature work, a novella, in her late teens.
Her characters have appeared in many retellings over the last two hundred years, from romances to mysteries. Austen’s keen insights into human nature, vivid characters, and engaging plots continue to captivate readers and inspire adaptations.
Mystery Retellings of Austen Characters
Like Crime & Culpability, here are other mystery retells: a bestseller by the late mystery writer P. D. James and a mystery series by Claudia Gray.
Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James: This novel brings a murder mystery to the tranquil world of Pemberley, involving characters from Pride and Prejudice. Lacking a detective meme, the story unfolds with suspense and intrigue, capturing the essence of a whodunit within Austen's universe.
Mr. Darcy & Miss Tilney Mysteries by Claudia Gray: This series reimagines characters like Catherine Tilney's daughter and Darcy and Elizabeth's son as junior detectives solving crimes in a Regency setting. The series combines Austen's character-driven storytelling with classic mystery elements, providing a fresh take on her beloved characters.
Adaptations like those and Crime & Culpability highlight how Austen's characters, with their distinct personalities and social insights, can seamlessly transition into the roles of detectives, bringing a unique blend of literary elegance and mystery-solving prowess to the genre. Crimes Reads lists from best to worst which Austen's heroines would make the best detectives based on their deductive reasoning.
Story Retelling, a New Spin on a Classic Tale
Copyright laws prohibit anyone from copying someone else’s works until they enter the public domain. Yet, it occurs lawfully and successfully. The sheer volume of reimagined stories proves it. With retellings, they can be loose or close. Borrowing select elements from the original is “loose,” and adhering to the original plot, with only minor element changes, is “close.”
While retellings may look like fan fiction, they differ legally and in other ways. Cosplay is fan fiction, the act of celebrating copyrighted characters, and not a story retelling. In addition, reimagined works also have certain traits. Among them are:
An identifiable familiarity with the original work
A unique story all by itself
A safe passage through copyright laws
If imitation is flattery, writers who retell stories honor the original authors. Here are two online sources that show how to write a tale retelling. One is Hannah Kate Kelly's in-depth article, “How to Write a Story Retelling,” and a free workbook. The other is speculative fiction writer Hannah Yang's article on “How to Write a Retell.”
Author Bio:
Rick Graf
Short Story Writer
Rick Graf has proven his versatility and adaptability in writing roles over his forty-year career. He has worked as a journalist, technical writer, copywriter, content writer, and now as a short story writer. He is an active member of the League of Utah Writers' Write on – St. George chapter and lives in St. George with his family.