July 1, 2019
Set in 1845 Yorkshire, this fine series launch from the pseudonymous Ellis (a nod to Emily Brontë’s pen name of Ellis Bell) portrays the Brontë sisters of Haworth Parsonage as sleuths. Chester Grange, the household of their governess friend, Matilda French, is turned upside down when Matilda’s employer, Elizabeth Chester, disappears and a great deal of blood is found in her room. As the diplomatic Charlotte, the passionate Emily, and the level-headed Anne pursue their inquiries as agents of their invented firm of Bell Brothers and Company, solicitors, they uncover more questions than answers. Was Elizabeth abducted by gypsies? What is the true state of the marriage of Elizabeth and her husband, Robert? What happened to Robert’s first wife, and what of Elizabeth’s life before her marriage? Is Elizabeth alive or dead? Appropriately gothic touches as well as the author’s solid research on the lives and works of the Brontës—including cameos by their dissolute brother, Branwell; their good-hearted father, Patrick; and Charlotte’s clumsy future husband, Arthur Nicholls—enrich a diverting adventure. Brontë aficionados won’t want to miss this one. Agent: Lizzy Kremer, David Higham Assoc. (U.K.).
July 15, 2019
The Brontë sisters take on their first sleuthing case--and it's a dilly. In 1845, Emily, Charlotte, and Anne Brontë lead a plain, quiet life with their father in Haworth Parsonage, with only their brilliant imaginations for company. The Yorkshire quiet is shattered when their roustabout brother, Branwell, reports a bloody killing at nearby Chester Grange and the disappearance of the body, assumed to be that of Elizabeth, the second wife of Robert Chester. The Grange has been notorious ever since Chester's first wife threw herself out the window some years back. Following this new horror, the sisters decide to engage in the newly developing career choice of "detecting," particularly because Matilda French, a schoolmate of Charlotte and Emily's who's the governess at the Grange, witnessed the blood-soaked bed in Elizabeth's chamber. Undaunted by the chilly reception they get from the Grange's housekeeper and their unpleasant first encounter with the master of the house, the sisters investigate a nearby gypsy camp and a place in the woods where they find a charred bone and an intact tooth. While Anne and Branwell insinuate themselves completely enough into the Grange to discover a hidden panel, a secret staircase, bloody evening gloves, and an incriminating note, Charlotte and Emily conduct wide-ranging interviews, sometimes as themselves and sometimes in disguise. Witnessing a macabre scene of obsession and remorse gives the sisters more insight into Elizabeth's life with Chester. And the more they learn about the unfortunate woman, the more sympathetic they feel and the more they're willing to flout convention and the more risks they'll take to learn the truth. Along the way, Ellis, a pseudonym for Rowan Coleman (We Are All Made of Stars, 2016, etc.), drops plenty of hints about where the sisters supposedly find inspiration for their future novels. Move over, Jane Austen, for the latest literary ladies who snoop in this improbable but lively series debut.
COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
August 1, 2019
In 1845, Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë's famous novels are yet unwritten. Life on the Yorkshire moors is disrupted when a Mrs. Chester vanishes, leaving rather more than a trace--a great quantity of blood. The Brontë sisters are naturally curious, and they resolve to find justice for the woman when no one else will. Their quest takes them from the local pub to lavish parlors, from the seaside to the forested ruins of a derelict village. It involves a frightened governess, a disgraced musician, and a startling, hidden family trait. The theme of the novel is the role of women in a world that expects submission, demanding respectability without granting respect. Pseudonymous author Ellis succeeds in her aim to portray the "conviction that the sisters' short lives were...as compelling and exciting as their novels." Many elements appear that echo those of the Brontës' actual writing: wild storms, a woman tumbling from towering battlements, mysterious fortune tellers, madness, and other details worthy of the most gothic penny dreadful. VERDICT Brontë fans will rejoice to see how well the sisters fit the imagined role of sleuths, while those less familiar with the trio can still expect an enjoyably haunting read.--Sara Scoggan, Fishkill, NY
Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Starred review from August 1, 2019
In Ellis' inventive and thoroughly enjoyable series debut, Emily, Charlotte, and Anne Bront� try their hands at a relatively new method of solving crimes: detecting. Living in straitened circumstances and dealing with their brother Branwell's alcoholism, the sisters are having trouble finding time for their beloved writing, let alone other pursuits that are allowed to spinsters. But when they hear that the lady of a nearby house has disappeared, leaving her beloved children and a large quantity of blood behind, Emily seizes the day, persuading her sisters to help. The limited sleuthing methods available to Victorian ladies serve well to portray the strictures binding their lives, and the biographical and historical details included will familiarize readers with both the Bront� family and their era. The sisters are distinctly drawn, and their love and gentle sibling rivalry bring them to vivid life. What happened to the titular vanished bride involves a satisfying twist; even more satisfying is the sisters' concluding realization that they can ask for more from life. While it's not by a Bront�, Pride and Prejudice has spawned many spin-offs, and the fans of those works are a likely audience for this one.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)
August 1, 2019
In 1845, Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Bront�'s famous novels are yet unwritten. Life on the Yorkshire moors is disrupted when a Mrs. Chester vanishes, leaving rather more than a trace--a great quantity of blood. The Bront� sisters are naturally curious, and they resolve to find justice for the woman when no one else will. Their quest takes them from the local pub to lavish parlors, from the seaside to the forested ruins of a derelict village. It involves a frightened governess, a disgraced musician, and a startling, hidden family trait. The theme of the novel is the role of women in a world that expects submission, demanding respectability without granting respect. Pseudonymous author Ellis succeeds in her aim to portray the "conviction that the sisters' short lives were...as compelling and exciting as their novels." Many elements appear that echo those of the Bront�s' actual writing: wild storms, a woman tumbling from towering battlements, mysterious fortune tellers, madness, and other details worthy of the most gothic penny dreadful. VERDICT Bront� fans will rejoice to see how well the sisters fit the imagined role of sleuths, while those less familiar with the trio can still expect an enjoyably haunting read.--Sara Scoggan, Fishkill, NY
Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
July 15, 2019
The Bront� sisters take on their first sleuthing case--and it's a dilly. In 1845, Emily, Charlotte, and Anne Bront� lead a plain, quiet life with their father in Haworth Parsonage, with only their brilliant imaginations for company. The Yorkshire quiet is shattered when their roustabout brother, Branwell, reports a bloody killing at nearby Chester Grange and the disappearance of the body, assumed to be that of Elizabeth, the second wife of Robert Chester. The Grange has been notorious ever since Chester's first wife threw herself out the window some years back. Following this new horror, the sisters decide to engage in the newly developing career choice of "detecting," particularly because Matilda French, a schoolmate of Charlotte and Emily's who's the governess at the Grange, witnessed the blood-soaked bed in Elizabeth's chamber. Undaunted by the chilly reception they get from the Grange's housekeeper and their unpleasant first encounter with the master of the house, the sisters investigate a nearby gypsy camp and a place in the woods where they find a charred bone and an intact tooth. While Anne and Branwell insinuate themselves completely enough into the Grange to discover a hidden panel, a secret staircase, bloody evening gloves, and an incriminating note, Charlotte and Emily conduct wide-ranging interviews, sometimes as themselves and sometimes in disguise. Witnessing a macabre scene of obsession and remorse gives the sisters more insight into Elizabeth's life with Chester. And the more they learn about the unfortunate woman, the more sympathetic they feel and the more they're willing to flout convention and the more risks they'll take to learn the truth. Along the way, Ellis, a pseudonym for Rowan Coleman (We Are All Made of Stars, 2016, etc.), drops plenty of hints about where the sisters supposedly find inspiration for their future novels. Move over, Jane Austen, for the latest literary ladies who snoop in this improbable but lively series debut.
COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.