By Steve Hockensmith, Quirk Books, $12.95, 288 pages
Jane Austen had a fantastic sense of humor. She would have thoroughly enjoyed the addition of zombies to her classic story Pride and Prejudice. Author Steve Hockensmith brings the Pride and Prejudice and Zombies series to a close with Dreadfully Ever After.
Since becoming the wife of a gentleman four years ago, Elizabeth hasn’t killed one zombie. In her heyday, Elizabeth could behead one hundred zombies with a grapefruit spoon. On a romantic walk, the couple stumbles across some hungry undead and Darcy is bitten. Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Elizabeth’s main adversary, can help. She has access to a serum that will delay Darcy’s descent into darkness until they can locate a cure. In order to find the cure, Elizabeth must pose as a widow in London to attract the attention of the doctor who has the powerful solution.
Hockensmith’s wry writing style compliments Austen’s classic tale and adds a modern day paranormal perspective. He gives an already strong female protagonist (Elizabeth) even more reason to shine while allowing Kitty and Mary to grow by leaps and bounds as well. Far from “dreadful,” this is a perfect conclusion to the series but can be equally enjoyed as a standalone story.
Reviewed by Kathryn Franklin