August 1, 2023
When Emily Dickinson's brother and new sister-in-law move into their house across the street in Amherst, they announce that their first guest will be Ralph Waldo Emerson, the nation's premier writer, who will be lecturing at the local college for a week. Emily welcomes him with flowers, but Emerson's secretary Luther Howard rejects them, saying the writer has terrible hay fever. Howard sticks around long enough to turn the town upside down: He's attacked by a peddler; the younger Dickinson sister, Lavinia, falls for his smooth ways; and Emily's maid Willa overhears Emerson accusing Howard of stealing his writing. Soon Luther Howard is dead, killed by a poison in the Dickinson garden. Emily isn't upset by his death but ropes Willa into the investigation because she doesn't want the family reputation ruined. While Willa worries about her role in the case, Emily, being a Dickinson, presumes that she's entitled to meddle and find the killer. VERDICT The sequel to the Agatha Award--winning Because I Could Not Stop for Death brings back Emily and Willa as sleuths in an absorbing literary mystery of social class, women's roles, and the abolitionist movement.--Lesa Holstine
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September 25, 2023
Flower’s spirited second whodunit featuring Emily Dickinson and her maid, Willa Noble (after 2022’s Because I Could Not Stop for Death), sees the pair solving the murder of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s secretary. It’s 1856, and Emerson is preparing to visit Amherst, Mass., to speak at the town’s literary society. To the delight of the Dickinson family, Emerson and his secretary, Luther Howard, have decided to lodge with Emily’s brother, Austin, and his new bride, Susan. Shortly after the men arrive in Amherst, however, complications arise: first, a peddler punches Luther in the face outside Austin and Susan’s home and warns the couple that their guest is a “monster” who will ruin their lives. Then, Willa becomes disturbed after Luther suggests that she share some of Emily’s writings with him, ostensibly as a way to get Emerson’s opinion on them. When Luther turns up poisoned to death in Austin’s garden, placing the Dickinson family’s reputation (and possibly their lives) under threat, Willa and Emily must delve into the peculiar man’s past to ferret out the killer. Flower plays scrupulously fair with readers and evokes the period marvelously. Fans of Stephanie Barron’s Jane Austen mysteries will be thrilled. Agent: Nicole Resciniti, Seymour Agency.
October 1, 2023
Maybe all writer Emily Dickinson needed to become a crime-solver was the help of her household maid. Emily's not a big fan of change. She's only just recently been adjusting to her brother Austin's marriage, even though his wife, Susan, is her closest friend. Now that the couple have returned from their honeymoon, they're already preparing to welcome their first guest to their home, the Evergreens: famed author Ralph Waldo Emerson, who could either lift up local writers or dash their hopes when he speaks at the Amherst Literary Society. Willa Noble, Emily's household maid and secret friend despite their class differences, can't help but worry that Mr. Emerson's presence will put undue stress on Emily, whose admiration for him runs deep. It turns out that Emily's been more stressed by the presence of Mr. Emerson's secretary, Luther Howard, who's been devoting the week to securing the affections of either Emily or her sister, Lavinia, whomever's head he can turn first. The sudden death of Mr. Howard is something Emily neither welcomes nor mourns, though she's sad for Lavinia's sake. When it appears that Mr. Howard has been deliberately poisoned, Emily and Willa work together to solve the case, each exploiting her social position as an asset in her investigation. Along the way, they rub shoulders with several other writing luminaries, especially scene-stealing Miss Alcott, whose candor about writing's bottom line is notably refreshing. Aside from a few zingers, Dickinson's a better poet than cozy detective.
COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
October 1, 2023
Set in the 1800s in Amherst, Massachusetts, Flower's story is an engrossing murder mystery that also offers an eye-opening view of the political issues of the time, including slavery, abolition, and the treatment of women and foreigners. The heroine is renowned poet Emily Dickinson, who--at least in Flower's telling--is a tenacious, savvy amateur sleuth, with her loyal maid, Willa, serving as her reluctant partner. When famous writer Ralph Waldo Emerson visits Amherst to give a series of lectures, everyone is thrilled to have such a respected personage in their midst. But then his secretary, Luther Howard, dies following a dinner celebrating Mr. Emerson's arrival. When the police investigate, it appears Howard was poisoned with a lethal insecticide. The most likely suspect is an itinerant peddler who'd had a past run-in with Howard. He's quickly arrested, but Emily is convinced he's not the killer, and she's determined to uncover the truth. A complex, inventive plot, larger-than-life characters, vivid period details, and an unexpected conclusion make this an enjoyable read.
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