Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Detective

Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Detective is a collaborative novel by Kelly Gardiner and Sharmini Kumar that transforms the traditionally minor and unsympathetic Austen character Caroline Bingley into a sleuth.

Set in a Regency-era world, the book uses familiar Austen social settings as the backdrop for a murder mystery and investigates class, privilege and gender through a playful inversion of expectations.

The authors drew on Austen's original characterisation while expanding Caroline's role into an active protagonist who solves crimes and navigates social constraints.

The novel mixes historical research with genre conventions of detective fiction, aiming to appeal to readers who enjoy Austen adaptations and historical mysteries.

It was discussed by the co-authors in the podcast as originating from a suggestion at an Austen-focused event and written during lockdown with a shared plotting and scene-swapping process.