The Vanished Bride by Bella Ellis is one of the best books I’ve read over the last few months. This historical fiction novel reimagines the Brontë sisters – Charlotte, Emily, and Anne – as amateur sleuths in the period shortly before they wrote the novels for which they would become immortalized.

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Set in Haworth and the surrounding area of Yorkshire in 1845, The Vanished Bride is set during a period where all the Brontë siblings had moved back to live with their father at their famous parsonage after losing their various positions of employment. It is there that they hear of a terrible tragedy at the nearby stately home of Chester Grange where Charlotte’s friend Matilda works as a governess. On arriving to awaken Mrs. Elizabeth Chester, the lady of the house, Matilda discovered the bedchamber empty and the room covered in vast quantities of blood. The sisters immediately suspect Elizabeth’s husband, but with the local constable apparently incompetent and the townsfolk in fear of speaking out against their landlord, no progress is being made in discovering what really happened, so the Brontës take it upon themselves to uncover the truth.

The truth, naturally, is far more convoluted than any of them could guess and puts them into dangerous situations as they travel all over to county from Leeds to Scarborough and Hebden Bridge in an attempt to unravel the truth behind the events at Chester Grange. As young women, they often find themselves struggling to be taken seriously in their detective works but when it comes to encouraging people to talk, their appearance often “turns out to be the perfect disguise.” The sisters do their best to use their enforced social positions to their advantage, however, the story also shows their annoyance at the roles society has tried to force them into and their desire to break free from the rules whenever possible. Of course, by the end, the mystery has been resolved with, if not the most shocking of revelations, an entirely satisfactory one, and the novel ends with the sisters receiving information on a new mystery for them to solve.

On the face of it, this book is a somewhat strange idea. There has never been any evidence that the Brontës engaged in anything even close to amateur detective work or solved crimes of any kind during their lives, so why write a story suggesting they did instead of creating new female characters to play the roles of the main characters? That was one of my initial questions going into The Vanished Bride but having read it, the inclusion of the Brontë sisters feels like a stroke of brilliance. All throughout the story, you can spot events that, had they been real, would likely have inspired the sisters to write their famous works. The influences are subtle. There are no mad wives locked in attics nor lonely ghosts wandering the moors, rather there are shades of these events as if the author is trying to imagine what the sisters could have experienced in their lives to help them create the incredible stories they did. There’s also a tantalizing glimpse of something that may just be supernatural, enough to pose the question without committing to any answers.

One part of The Vanished Bride that really spoke to me was its portrayal of grief. There is a particular sense of loss that comes from losing a parent at a very young age, a sense that you’re permanently in mourning for something you can’t quite remember. Author Bella Ellis captures this feeling perfectly during the early chapters when a group of characters sit together and talk about their lost parents and the memories of them that they carry. This sensation of constant grief casts a macabre shadow over the Brontë sisters, especially as they are witnesses to their father’s work with the poor in their community. They know their futures are likely to involve either never experiencing the love of a long-term relationship, or accepting that if they do marry and start a family, they will very possibly have to bury a child or leave one motherless and this knowledge constantly influences their actions and words.

Historical fiction that reimagines the lives of famous figures has been around for many years now but it does seem to be coming to prominence of late. In the last few years I personally have read fictional books centered around the lives of Edgar Allan Poe and Alexander Hamilton, and I suspect the latter may be partially responsible for this trend thanks to the popularity of the musical Hamilton. There is an ongoing question of whether or not it is appropriate to fictionalize the lives of real people in this way, putting words into their mouths and puppeting them into actions they may have vehemently disagreed with – a question that has been debated for many years in the fanfiction community because, after all, what is historical fiction if not published Real Person Fic? I don’t have the answers to those questions but they were playing on my mind as I read The Vanished Bride. It was also impossible not to wonder about how accurate (or not) the actions and attitudes of the characters were given their historical setting – I suspect the latter.

Despite a few issues, The Vanished Bride ended up being my favorite books of the year so far and I’m already excited to pick up the sequel – The Diabolical Bones – later this year as this book is the first in what will become The Brontë Mysteries series. You don’t need to be a fan of the Brontës or of classic literature to enjoy this, although a passing familiarity at least with their famous novels will help you pick up on the subtle references scattered throughout. This novel will appeal to fans of period dramas, amateur detectives, and fearless heroines and its strong feminist influence is inspirational in showing how women were always determined to change their world even when society dictated that they should stay home and stay quiet.

GeekMom received a copy of this book for review purposes.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story! I’m not sure I expected to- I’ve never been particularly inspired by the Brontes: Jane Eyre was good but I never liked Wuthering Heights. Also their life seemed to have been so drab and boring- like purgatory! This mystery was a good one and I really liked reading about the dynamics of the 3 sisters and their brother. I’m looking forward to continuing the series. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

The idea of this book is great, but somehow, for me, the execution didn't work. I found the Bronte girls 2 dimensional and the gypsy too stereotypical.
I didn’t manage to finish the book.
There is one good statement however, one which many of these historical genre novels emphasise, that women were considered property and thus the authorities - who were all men, and of which there few enough, were not bothered to investigate fully, if at all. Detectives were just coming in in London at this time and not further afield.

The mystery elements of this book were really interesting and well done but the characters weren't always engaging enough for me. I do think it was well written and reflected the time period well. I probably will read more in this series when they are released.

I liked the idea of this book (particularly as I used to live near Haworth and have visited the village and the museum many times) but was intrigued as to how the author would pull it off. I think she did well, she's picked a period when all the four children are living at the Parsonage, before any of them had their writing pusblished and invented an imaginary family, the Chester family, where a friend of theirs is a governess. When the lady of the household goes missing the Bronte family investigate. There were times when I felt the novel was too slow and the style of writing wasn't always to my taste - but that's nitpicking.

A very sweet blend of real life Bronte mixed with sleuthing and mystery. I really enjoyed getting to know the different sisters as they solved the case of a missing woman.
Thanks Netgalley and Bella Ellis for the ARC copy of this great book.

The Vanished Bride places the female experience firmly at the centre of both mystery and investigation, as the Brontë sisters are brought to fictional life as intrepid lady-sleuths.

A local woman has mysteriously vanished under sinister circumstances and the sisters manage to persuade themselves that it is their bounden duty to investigate the disappearance and whether it was voluntary, enforced, or murder most foul. Along the way they find clues, uncover secrets and genteelly interrogate potential suspects and witnesses, determined to stand up for the missing woman in her absence.

The author, Bella Ellis, has clearly thoroughly researched the factual details of the Brontë’s real lives and cleverly embroidered them with fictional quirks and opinions to bring them to sharp and witty life. Particularly enjoyable here are the nods to their various works of fiction, as bitter orphan boys and masters appearing on horseback from the fog occur to them.

At the heart of the story is the perception of the sisters as capable, adventurous, perceptive and bold; hampered only by society’s view of their limitations. In contrast, it is clear that they feel that their father and brother need protection in their fragile masculinity and must be shielded from having their world view disturbed unnecessarily. Hence competence and intelligence must be masked under a demure and ladylike exterior and feminine pursuits. Only in their private lives, their writing and amongst other women can Charlotte, Emily and Anne be free to expose their true personalities and talents fully.

Classic mystery fans will enjoy this clever and entertaining new envisioning of three of literature’s most powerful female figures exploring and dominating an entirely new field.



‘Emily, I fear that I have recklessly launched us into something with which we are not equipped to deal. I imagined that the uncovering of the truth would be somehow plain, and clearly visible to an honest eye, but rather it is like the complicated plot of a particularly implausible novel. And this is not a gothic fairy tale, but involves real people, real lives, real blood spilt. What if we get it wrong? Who are we to meddle in such reallife horrors? Lives are at stake, perhaps even our own!’

– Bella Ellis, The Vanished Bride


Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog

A gréât novel that really pulled you in with the different yet familiar characters of the brontes. Stunning prose and the description of the countryside just add to a great murder mystery

This was a very imaginative story of the Bronte sisters turning detective to find their friend who has gone missing. Lots of links to the Bronte books as the story progresses. A very well researched story giving a believable background.

A slow paced mystery with great insight into each of the sisters’ lives, which felt realistic. It was perhaps just a tad slow in places and I raced ahead to the end to find out the resolution, which I enjoyed.

What a charming little mystery THE VANISHED BRIDE turned out to be! Despite the fact I've never read "Jane Eyre", "Wuthering Heights" or any of the other of their books, I was intrigued by this one's premise featuring the three sisters. It isn't a factual account but more of a reimagined story of the Bronte sisters as lady "detectors" on the hunt for...the vanished bride!

Unlike any mystery I've ever encountered, THE VANISHED BRIDE is something different from the norm. It is fun, entertaining and, despite the mystery at hand, a delightufully light read. I rather felt it had an Austenesque feel to it as well but then I put that down to the time period it is set, within that of both Austen and the Brontes.

It's 1851 and the prologue opens with Charlotte, as the last surviving Bronte sister, reflecting on a time before she and her siblings became authors. They each were novellists, poets and even artists in their own rights, and looking back, Charlotte ponders on their lives together at the Haworth parsonage under the care of their widowed father. It also reminds us how tragically short their lives were - with Emily dying in 1848 and Anne in 1849, while Charlotte herself was to pass in 1855. Their brother Branwell, who features peripherally in the story usually intoxicated or under the influence of opioids, also died in 1848 - the same year as Emily.

Yorkshire 1845. Charlotte, Emily and Anne Bronte live a quiet life writing or drawing, trying to find the inspiration to write that novel that would see them published. But in the 19th century, it was very much a man's world and if the sisters were to achieve anything it would have to be under the guise as man. Each of them had been governesses before returning to Haworth after the death of their Aunt, who left the sisters a tidy sum to live comfortably until they were published. But life at the parsonage is somewhat dull after the structure and busyness of governess life, and the sisters at oftentimes find themselves a little bored.

One morning, they hear the news that Elizabeth Chester. a young wife and mother, has disappeared from her home at Chester Grange under mysterious circumstances, leaving behind pools of blood in her bedroom. And with the amount of blood found it is unlikely she would have survived. The sisters are immediately concerned for their friend Mattie, who is governess to the Chester children, and take it upon themselves to visit Chester Grange on the pretext of that concern. While they are worried for Mattie, who incidentally discovered her mistress to be missing and the considerable amount of blood she left behind, the sisters decide that they will create their own inquiries and do some detecting of their own.

Is the bedroom of Elizabeth Chester a crime scene or did she disappear of her accord? Given the amount of blood found that seemed unlikely. And yet the sisters couldn't dismiss it entirely. So had she been murdered and disposed of? Or is there something more sinister at play? And if not, why would she leave the children? According to everyone who knew her, Elizabeth loved her son and step-son and would never just leave them. These are just some of the questions the sisters, assisted by their brother Branwell, ask themselves and set about trying to answer.

Elizabeth is the second wife of Robert Chester of Chester Grange, and it seems that his first wife, Imogen, died under some rather baffling circumstances. Questions arise leaving some suspicion over what might have, or might not have, happened to Elizabeth.

The sisters decide to split resources with Anne and Branwell investigating around Chester Grange while Charlotte and Emily gather information from the community. But they soon learn that as they are women, the community are reluctant to talk to them so Emily comes up with the guise of working under the instructions of Bell Solicitors, leaving instructions for any messages to be left for Messrs Bell & Co at the local inn under the strictest confidence. The tenants of Arunton trust the governing hand of a man to know what's best as well as having influence when it comes to women. They wouldn't talk to them otherwise.

And it seems the more they uncover, the more complex the mystery becomes as it deepens and stretches into places as far as Scarborough. But what could they possibly find there? And why are Elizabeth's parents being evasive? Exactly what is it that they are hiding? And who is the mystery man a villager had seen with Elizabeth Chester in the woods leading up to her mysterious disappearance?

I loved the re-imagining of the Bronte sisters and their brother Branwell solving mysteries together. It is all rather a novel concept and makes for delightful reading. The alternation between sisters in narration kept it interesting as we are given a glimpse into each sister. I found it amusing to note Charlotte's constant discomfort around her father's curate, Arthur Nicholls, when she herself marries him nearly a decade later prior to her death.

The inclusion of Branwell to the story leant something of a contrast to that of his sisters. He is quite the scandal - a drunkard, a gambler, a womaniser and an addict. However, he has the advantage that his sisters do not in that he is male and therefore it appears far more acceptable. The sisters, on the other hand, are all at the age where they should be focusing on getting married...not gallivanting across the moors and the seaside playing at "detecting"! This is behaviour that would acceptable in Branwell, not the sisters. Hence the guise of the fictitious Bell & Co. This, of course, was a nod to the sisters themselves as their pen names at the time of their publications used the surname "Bell". The other being the author's pseudonym - incorporating the name "Bell" into Bella and "Ellis", which was Emily's pen name at the time.

A truly engaging historical mystery, THE VANISHED BRIDE is enchanting and delightful with the addition of some darker nuances woven throughout making this an intriguing well-written fun read.

If you are a Bronte fan, or you love historical mysteries, then don't go pass THE VANISHED BRIDE. You will thoroughly enjoy it!

I would like to thank #BellaEllis, #NetGalley and #HodderAndStoughton for an ARC of #TheVanishedBride in exchange for an honest review.

What a very clever book in the way that it is a mystery that is investigated by the Bronte sisters whilst informing the reader of the lives of these famous authors.
Well researched on the intricacies of the lives of this famous family so that no one can be offended.
Fast moving so that you are on the edge of your seat from the very first page.

An entertaining romp through Bronte land and the time period of swooning women and brooding gentlemen. The storyline held my interest and the characters well developed and believable.

Definitely worth reading on a rainy winter’s afternoon.

I wanted so much to like this book………

I wanted so much to like this book! It begins so well. The opening sequence is knowledgeable and assured, even the author’s pseudonym Bella Ellis has literary resonance. The Bronte sisters noms de plume was Currer (Charlotte), Ellis (Emily) and Acton (Anne) Bell. I was immediately delighted and engaged, settling in for a wonderful read.

The author’s sense of the Bronte sisters – their very different characters and intellects, the constrained and constricted world they inhabited in which only their soaring imaginations were free, the atmosphere in the Haworth Parsonage, the depictions of Branwell and their father Patrick – all of this is excellent, vividly evoked and profoundly explored. The early sequence, in which the author describes Charlotte’s being the sole survivor of a once large and close band of siblings, is beautifully written and deeply moving.

However, for me when the author moves away from the biographical into her own narrative – a Gothic tale of murder and mayhem, burning houses and mad husbands, complete with gypsy encampments and sinister servants, with the Bronte sisters as self-appointed sleuths – the assured and accomplished tone slides into a yarn that is neither pastiche nor straight storytelling. The dialogue becomes stilted, even arch, and the strong sense of character, so redolent in some places, falters and is lost.

I found this book an exasperating read. As the narrative gains pace cliché follows cliché and the writing becomes patchy. The trouble with this type of tale is that it has been done before and done sublimely by the Brontes themselves and their brilliance only highlights this pallid imitation.

The central idea – that the creative urge linked to trenchant observation can lead to a unique insight – is an interesting and valid one. What did not work for me was its execution.

Victorian themes of madness and sanity, the complete powerlessness of women in a society in which an unfaithful wife could be incarcerated in a lunatic asylum for an indiscretion that would have gone unnoticed on the part of her spouse, the removal of children from their mother, the abuse of the servant girl, these are themes that still resonate, particularly in some parts of the world.

So “The Vanished Bride” was, for me, an infuriating mishmash of serious issues and nonsense, where considered and sensitive writing is too often buried beneath a melodramatic mound so silly as to be unintentionally funny.

Not one for me, but this is only my opinion. Others may feel very differently. For me, this was a bitter disappointment. It could have been wonderful and the fleeting passages when it had only made me long for a quality that was rarely apparent.

Charlotte Gower

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review

I really enjoyed this genuinely delightful cosy-esque crime novel featuring the famous Brontë sisters as 'detectors', who look into a missing woman case they simply can't resist (and which no one else appears to investigate properly).

Reading this reminded me somehow of the 'Three Investigators' kids books I read as a child that featured Alfred Hitchcock in improbable yet believable-during-the-read scenarios.

The Bronte's are at home in Haworth when they really were at home. Their characterisation is charming, and how accurate it is I really don't know, but I liked it. The gothic atmosphere is depicted perfectly.

The mystery kept me guessing - mostly, I guessed the gist but not the execution - all the way through and found it satisfying.

Would read the next one if it fell into my lap!

Enjoyed reading this well-crafted and atmospheric novel. Always loved the Brontes and vividly remember visiting Haworth as a teenager, so it was easy for me to visualise many of the settings. The author has clearly done her homework on the backstory of the Bronte family and their various works, and it all added to the writing.

Some rather gory and disturbing imagery at times, but entirely in keeping with the times I think.

I rather like the author's choice of pen name too - "Bella Ellis" is surely inspired by the Bronte sisters' own pseudonyms of "Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell".

I'll certainly look out for other novels in what I hope will be a series!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC.

This is a gothic novel with a difference, it’s main characters are based on the 3 Bronte sisters, Charlotte, Emily and Ann help a friend with the apparent murder and disappearance of her employer, a large spooky house, candle light and of course the moors add to the environment as the 3 pre authors discover how being a woman can help as well as hinder them.

Wow what can I say, this book is a wonderful read, Mystery with the Bronte sisters at the heart of the novel. This is so well written it will draw you in from the first to the last page, Great plot, fantastic characters, Just read it and you will understand why this is simply an outstanding read.

A well researched and brilliant story about the Bronte sisters helping to solve a crime. I visited Haworth many moons ago so could imagine the sisters discussing the vanished bride in the parsonage. Not to be missed and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

First of all - I'm a fan of the Bronte sisters - I think its all kinds of genius merging fact and fiction together, making Charlotte, Emily and Anne detectors!
The authors love of the Bronte's is clear in every word, I loved learning a little more about them, as Ellis wove facts about their early lives throughout the narrative.
The story itself is a page-turner, it was a joy following the sisters on their journey of discovery. The reader is the fourth sister, helping them uncover clues and solve the mystery of the vanished bride! The relationship between the siblings is credible too, with little niggles manifesting every now and then. I have to confess that at the end of The Vanished Bride I was Team Emily all the way!
For me, this is the perfect read for fans of historical fiction and mysteries. Charming, satisfying and very moreish!