I've been looking forward to reading this story ever since I first heard about it. I studied English Lit, so have read all the Bronte works (Anne was always my favourite), and so throwing them into a gothic horror detective drama seemed an inspired idea. I wasn't disappointed! This is very, very readable. The chapters just slipped on by as I thought I'd read 'just one more'. I loved the chat (and arguments) between the sisters, and they were all just as I had imagined them for myself in my head (Anne still being my favourite!) It's a real romp of a crime story - the sisters are lying and sneaking and doing everything they can to try to discover the truth of the mystery. I had half an idea part way through, but I couldn't put my finger on it exactly and so I was kept guessing, which is just how I like my crime stories.
It is fiction, obviously, but it's very much based in fact with regards to the life & times & location.
I'm looking forward to more crime-solving adventures for the sisters.

3.5 stars


I don't know enough about the real life Bronte family to know accurate these characters we're,but each of them stood out as a fully rounded person.
The ladies did well to detect what had happened to the vanished bride,given the restrictions on the fairer sex during that era.

A good plot that revealed itself slowly,and I never fully guessed what was going on,which is always a pleasant surprise.
Definitely be looking out for and reading any more of these books.

This novel by Bella Ellis is an impressive debut in the new "Bronte Sisters Mysteries."

Although any story that follows the formula of "legendary author solves crimes" requires a hefty suspension of disbelief, this one had much more to offer. For one thing, the characterizations of each Bronte are spot on! This is an author who knows the facts, but who has also been mesmerized by the Brontes to the point where she has a feel for each independent spirit. Charlotte, Emily, Anne and Branwell come to life on the page. The depiction of Emily in particular has a compelling sense of both humor and passion that can't fail to win over the reader.

The mystery itself was not very complicated, and a careful reader will latch on to at least a partial solution before too many pages are past. Still, the mystery isn't the raison d'être for this series. The best part is getting the chance to watch these beloved but mysterious authors walk and talk on the page, thanks to the authenticity of the author.

The is the first book in The Bronte Mysteries series.
In this story Charlotte Bronte and her siblings become amateur detectives when a young mother is found missing in their neighbourhood.
The story was set in 1945 and reflects the views and language of that time period.
I was invited to read this book by the publisher and found this an interesting change from the books I normally read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review

What a delightful entertaining book. I'm a fan of the Brontë sisters, and always wished they would have lived longer to give us more beautiful books and poems.
Although this story is sometimes a little over the top (profiling? Seriously?) it is a good read not only because of the characters but also because there is an interesting crime to solve. It is always amazing to see how women were treated then, and so very recognizable how some of them did escape their fate.
I'd love to read more in this series.

Thanks to Netgalley for this digital review copy.

Well, I was a little doubtful when I received this from Netflix. The Bronte sisters acting as private detectives? Really?

Anyhow, I was completely won over.

First of all - the plot - a great riff on gothic horror, complete with scary dogs, evil villains and plucky heroines. Throw in a touch of feminist sensibility and an awareness of the restricted lives of intelligent women with no money and no prospects, and you have a great read.

On top of that, there's the Brontes themselves, and Bella Ellis cleverly lets their characters develop through the book - wild Emily, determined Charlotte, quietly powerful Anne. They are a great trio. Even Branwell makes an appearance, just starting out on his downward slope, the remnants of his charisma intact.

There's a great sense of place, too, and Ellis obviously knows the area well.

What I liked best, though, was the way the different strands of the plot prefigured the great novels of the trio. You could see how a creative imagination would take these events and turn them into gold. I have to admit that I haven't read anything by a Bronte for years, but even so, I had little thrills of recognition. A real buff would have a great time here.

This is a cute idea, featuring the Bronte sisters (with the dubious help of Branwell) as "detectors" of crime before they embarked on their novel-writing careers. There are many true biographical facts interwoven into the story which add interest. The personalities of the sisters and brother, their interactions with each other and their father are quite charming. The crime itself is a Victorian gothic style melodrama involving murdered wives, gypsies and madness. There are many references to the plight of women at that time. I thought this had potential but it was actually boring to read, with little depth.

I assume you have all heard of the 3 Yorkshire Sisters called Bronte, Charlotte, Emily and Anne plus their brother Barnwell. This is a novel that tells a fanciful story of their curiosity in the new force in London the Metropolitan Police Force with the creation of detectives now the fashionable or sexy side of Policing well from the outside anyway..
So the story starts with the news that one of Charlotte's school friends who is a nanny for the wealthy Mr Robert Chester and his wife Elizabeth but whilst talking a cup of tea in the morning to Elizabeth she sees blood seeping from under the bedroom for and then no body inside the bedroom, So after visiting their friend of hero's decide to give this detective thing ago. It appears that they have a knack ("gift" probably a more Bronte word in fairness) as the clues begin to build up with the hot tempered Mr Chester a very obvious suspect. They get to travel all over Yorkshire but not as quickly as you or I now a day's, and so they slowly but steadily collect clues and a ability I'm told of many sisters to wind each other up but still get along and gather facts. It's the putting them all together that takes the time.
This is clearly a fun work that shows a possible way for the Ladies to grow up into adulthood and set a path that could lead them to the great works they are famous for, It is a work of fiction however with a few dark moments so not all just fun i guess, but has a credibility that snares you and before you know it your hooked. There is great drama fanfare and a escape from their romantic stuff but a clue as to why they remained single which was a major relief for me..
I loved this book and feel it is more than worthy of five stars and I'm looking forward to reading more books from Bella Ellis.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book and I loved reading it and trying to keep up with the Bronte sisters- what characters they were, strong willed, determined and highly intelligent.

I love the idea that, although, "spinsters", they were off gallivanting across the moors in search of the truth, They found a bit more than they bargained for in trying to solve the disappearance of Elizabeth Chester. Was she murdered, kidnapped or has she run away? Follow the twists and turns of this mystery and meet brother Branwell and follow his despair in the story.

I admit that I am not altogether familiar with the lives of the Bronte family and loved how Bella Ellis turned them into sleuths determined to catch a killer. I am currently reading a children's book about their lives called The Fantastically Feminist (and totally true) story of the Astonishing Authors, the Brontes. I have also just purchased Glass Town Game which is a work of fiction about the real game the siblings played together.

This book kept me hooked and engaged and I hope there will be a second in the series.
I can't wait to see what trouble they get into next.

A joyous novel with the Brontë sisters as amateur detectives, read in a few fun hours. Their characters are clear and bold, echoing the different styles of their books. The claustrophobic isolation and boredom of their lives before they become "detectors" is well drawn, I have always wondered if we would have their novels had TV been invented in the 1840's. The biographical details are used to good effect, although we are told once too many times that Branwell has red hair.
The story moves at a rapid pace and contains many of the features of Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre, mysterious strangers, figures in the attic, passion, madness, and fire; its not a pastiche, but I had fun spotting how this "real life" made it into the sisters novels. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and am hoping this will be a series.