The Vanished Bride

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.).

Elizabeth Knowelden gives listeners insight into the Bront� sisters as Charlotte, Emily, and Anne decide to become "detectors." When a local woman disappears, leaving her bedroom covered in blood, the trio find themselves the only ones who take serious notice. Knowelden effectively portrays each character in the audiobook, despite the lack of distinction among the three sisters within the text. As nineteenth-century young ladies, the Bront�s push the limits of social convention, which the audiobook highlights as they explore their writing careers in addition to their "detector" roles. By the end of the story, the Bront� sisters have lived out adventures amid the moors of the Yorkshire countryside that one can imagine taking place in their own novels. V.M.G. � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine