"The Diabolical Bones" by Bella Ellis

Year of Publication:  2020

Length:  340 pages

Genre:  Mystery

Haworth, December 1845:  Aspiring writers and amateur detectives (or "detectors") Charlotte, Anne and Emily Brontë are shocked when the bones of a child are discovered sealed up inside the walls of the nearby Top Withins Hall.  The prime suspect is immediately assumed to be the brutal Clifton Bradshaw, owner of Top Withins.  However, the Brontë sisters investigate and find themselves plunged into a murky world of occult rituals, human sacrifice, and a horrific orphanage, as they find themselves up against their most dangerous enemy yet.

This is the second in the "Brontë Mysteries" by Bella Ellis (the pen name of author Rowan Coleman), following The Vanished Bride (2019), which reimagine the famous literary sisters as detectives, investigating mysteries in and around the village of Haworth in Yorkshire.  As with its predecessor, The Diabolical Bones has an intriguing story, with an effectively creepy mystery at its centre.  Ellis writes with real skill, keeping the plot moving at a good pace and she has a strong feel for character and location.  Despite obviously being fiction, the book still ties in well with the known facts about the Brontë's lives and personalities, and is written with obvious love for the sisters and their work.  Even for readers unfamiliar with the Brontë's work, it's still a hugely enjoyable period mystery.