A review by travelsalongmybookshelf
A Gift of Poison by Bella Ellis

adventurous dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

As I am taking part in thegreatbrontereadalong2023 I couldn’t think of anything better than being able to read the fourth installment of the Brontë mysteries.

I love this series of books, where the Brontë sisters lives are reimagined and they take up mysteries and murder with their detecting.

Ellis knows her subject inside and out and I feel has really got inside the heads of these famous sisters. Their characters are as I would imagine them to be, from what I know of them, which isn’t much. But through this year I am planning on knowing them better. Already having read Jane Eyre and most of Wuthering Heights, there are a lot of little nods and touches that I recognise.

This story takes place at the time when Emily and Anne’s novels have been accepted for publication, Charlotte’s work has been rejected everywhere but she works like a demon on a new work, which will become Jane Eyre.

They plan on a relaxed summer with their friend Ellen but are then approached by notorious local man Abner Lowood (check the reference!)

Acquitted of killing his wife, he blackmails the sisters into detecting one last time to clear his name in the eyes of the public.

Darkness must be confronted by the sisters to unfurl this case, more than they could possibly imagine.

I think it is just the characters of the three sisters that I love the most. I can see Charlotte, Emily and Anne clearly and reading their books fits their characters also. They are all different and each bring something to their ‘detections’. I also adored Catherine Crowe, showing the Brontes what their futures could hold as strong women of independent means.

I am sad that this is likely the last of the mysteries, we are about to lose the sisters to illness and so the novels can’t possibly continue but I hope Ellis can find some way of being able to resurrect these most remarkable of ladies in some form. I really like to think that they did in fact solve mysteries in some way, now that would really be remarkable!

‘I am not afraid of death,’ Anne said, and she meant every word. ‘I only wish that I will be able to improve the lot of others in the time I am given.’

❤️❤️❤️