Kidnapping! Stolen diamonds! Suicide! Secret bastards! Secrets in attics! And yet, terribly dull. There is absolutely no point to this book, which supposedly continues the story of Catherine de Bourgh and her relations and hangers-on. I say supposedly because not only was this book dull, but *none* of the characters match their namesakes in [book: Pride and Prejudice]. Maria Lucas, who was last a shy girl overawed by Rosings, is now a sparkling wit akin to Elizabeth Bennet. Anne de Bourgh, latterly an ill, silent enigma, runs around befriending gay painters and doing heavy garden work with her illegitimate half-brother--wait, no, half-sister! Oh the unnecessary plot twists. The new characters are even worse, because they serve no purpose at all. Why does Aiken pay so much attention to the Delaval siblings (carbon copies of the Crawfords in [book: Mansfield Park]) if absolutely nothing happens due to them? Catherine's brother has Lady Catherine kidnapped so he can search Rosings' attic--and finds his old poems. Idiocy!There is no emotional weight to this story. The various revelations and shocking events go by without any of the characters appearing in the least surprised, let alone affected. A frustrating novel.