Before they became legendary writers, Charlotte Brontë, Emily Brontë, and Anne Brontë were detectors in this charming historical mystery… Yorkshire, 1845. A young wife and mother has gone missing from her home, leaving behind two small children and a large pool of blood. Just a few miles away, a humble parson’s daughters—the Brontë sisters—learn of the crime. Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë … Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë are horrified and intrigued by the mysterious disappearance.
These three creative, energetic, and resourceful women quickly realize that they have all the skills required to make for excellent “lady detectors.” Not yet published novelists, they have well-honed imaginations and are expert readers. And, as Charlotte remarks, “detecting is reading between the lines—it’s seeing what is not there.”
As they investigate, Charlotte, Emily, and Anne are confronted with a society that believes a woman’s place is in the home, not scouring the countryside looking for clues. But nothing will stop the sisters from discovering what happened to the vanished bride, even as they find their own lives are in great peril…
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Thanks to Penguin’s First To Read program for a digital ARC of this book to review. The following is my honest opinion:
I enjoyed this book so much. I must confess that Wuthering Heights is one of my all time favorite novels, but that had little to no impact as to why I found reading this mystery story so pleasurable! Quite honestly, this book is so refreshing and original that it’s hard to put down.
Set in England in the 1800’s, the Bronte siblings fancy themselves detectives. Branwell struggles with drinking and behaviors that are considered untoward, while his sisters busy themselves with writing. Their father, Patrick, worries over his children but recognizes they are adults and will live their lives accordingly. He’s very progressive for the time and allows his daughters freedoms that would be unheard of during that period in history (which if my understanding is correct, that was actually his real life nature).
When news arrives that neighboring Elizabeth Chester has vanished, the Bronte sisters set out to “detect”. Upon visiting the manor, they learn from Mattie (the house girl) that Elizabeth’s room was discovered to have had a large quantity of blood throughout it but no one knows of her whereabouts. Instant suspicion falls on Elizabeth’s husband, Robert, as his first wife died by suicide. As clues are discovered, the girls (sometimes assisted by Branwell) set out to find out what has happened to Elizabeth.
This book has an excellent plot and one that is so well written that it continues to keep the reader entertained and guessing. There are multiple suspects and all have motives that could potentially make them the person behind Elizabeth’s disappearance (murder?). Beyond that, the atmospheric prose is wonderful. It’s easy to find yourself transported back to 1800’s England. The characterization is remarkable and it clearly shows that Ellis put time and effort into researching her characters and their history. While the work is one of fiction, there are numerous factual additions worked into the story which add to the richness and authenticity of the work.
Through this book, Ellis has given new life to the Bronte siblings and (if possible) has made them even more interesting. I can’t wait for the second book in the series to be released!
Highly recommended!