The three literary sisters Brontë—Charlotte, Emily, and Anne—become amateur sleuths when, in 1845 Yorkshire, a young wife and mother goes missing from her home, leaving behind two small children and a large pool of blood.
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 ... 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.
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.
The Brontë sisters take on their first sleuthing case—and it’s a dilly ... Move over, Jane Austen, for the latest literary ladies who snoop in this improbable but lively series debut.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay[/caption]
