Hi everyone! Today I’m excited to participate in the blog tour for The Diabolical Bones, written by Bella Ellis, published and hosted by Hodder and Stoughton.
The Diabolical Bones by Bella Ellis
Publication date: September 15th, 2020
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Pages: 353
Genre: Fiction, Mystery
Buy: Blackwells | Goodreads | Book Depository
Synopsis:
Haworth Parsonage, February 1846: The Brontë sisters— Anne, Emily, and Charlotte–are busy with their literary pursuits. As they query publishers for their poetry, each sister hopes to write a full-length novel that will thrill the reading public. They’re also hoping for a new case for their fledgling detecting enterprise, Bell Brothers and Company solicitors. On a bitterly cold February evening, their housekeeper Tabby tells them of a grim discovery at Scar Top House, an old farmhouse belonging to the Bradshaw family. A set of bones has been found bricked up in a chimney breast inside the ancient home.
Tabby says it’s bad doings, and dark omens for all of them. The rattled housekeeper gives them a warning, telling the sisters of a chilling rumour attached to the family. The villagers believe that, on the verge of bankruptcy, Clifton Bradshaw sold his soul to the devil in return for great riches. Does this have anything to do with the bones found in the Bradshaw house? The sisters are intrigued by the story and feel compelled to investigate. But Anne, Emily, and Charlotte soon learn that true evil has set a murderous trap and they’ve been lured right into it…
– My Thoughts –
The Brontë sisters are back in The Diabolical Bones, the sequel to The Vanished Bride. And what perfect timing too!
Set in December 1845, in Yorkshire, this novel will make you forget about all your tasks and solve the mystery of the diabolical bones with the sisters. The story begins with the discovery of bones- that of a child- in the isolated and dreary-looking Top Withens Hall. The discovery took place in the same room where the mistress of the house had died. The lord of the manor refuses to hand over the bones and so the task falls to Emily, Anne, and Charlotte Brontë to recover them.
The story is more of a slow-burn mystery but it does get darker and colder further along in the book. I loved the author’s portrayal of the Brontë sisters since I read The Vanished Bride and this book is no exception. The atmosphere, especially the biting cold and the moors around their home, makes this book a perfect winter read of ALL time.
We see one old character and the sisters also make lots of new acquaintances. Besides lots of references to the sisters’ literary works, the author also mentions how the Irish were treated back then, the way orphans were subjected to hard labour, and also about poverty and substance abuse.
Overall, I would recommend you read it if you’re looking for a cozy mystery to satiate your reading appetite and if you love the Brontë sisters’ writing. I, for one, would love to read more of the sisters’ adventures from the author!
Thanks to the publisher for gifting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review and for including me in the blog tour.
– About the Author –
Rowan Coleman(pen name: Bella Ellis) lives with her husband, and five children in a very full house in Hertfordshire. She juggles writing novels with raising her family which includes a very lively set of toddler twins whose main hobby is going in the opposite directions. When she gets the chance, Rowan enjoys sleeping, sitting and loves watching films; she is also attempting to learn how to bake.
Rowan would like to live every day as if she were starring in a musical, although her daughter no longer allows her to sing in public. Despite being dyslexic, Rowan loves writing, and The Memory Book is her eleventh novel. Others include The Accidental Mother, Lessons in Laughing Out Loud and the award-winning Dearest Rose, a novel which lead Rowan to become an active supporter of domestic abuse charity Refuge, donating 100% of royalties from the ebook publication of her novella, Woman Walks Into a Bar, to the charity. Rowan does not have time for ironing.
Thank you for reading! Do you think you’ll read The Diabolical Bones? or, Have you read any of the author‘s previously published books before? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
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