Because I Could Not Stop for Death
Book Summary
Emily Dickinson and her housemaid, Willa Noble, realize there is nothing poetic about murder in this first book in an all-new series from USA Today bestselling and Agatha Award–winning author Amanda Flower.
January 1855 Willa Noble knew it was bad luck when it was pouring rain on the day of her ever-important job interview at the Dickinson home in Amherst, Massachusetts. When she arrived late, disheveled with her skirts sodden and filthy, she'd lost all hope of being hired for the position. As the housekeeper politely told her they'd be in touch, Willa started toward the door of the stately home only to be called back by the soft but strong voice of Emily Dickinson. What begins as tenuous employment turns to friendship as the reclusive poet takes Willa under her wing.
Tragedy soon strikes and Willa's beloved brother, Henry, is killed in a tragic accident at the town stables. With no other family and nowhere else to turn, Willa tells Emily about her brother’s death and why she believes it was no accident. Willa is convinced it was murder. Henry had been very secretive of late, only hinting to Willa that he'd found a way to earn money to take care of them both. Viewing it first as a puzzle to piece together, Emily offers to help, only to realize that she and Willa are caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse that reveals corruption in Amherst that is generations deep. Some very high-powered people will stop at nothing to keep their profitable secrets even if that means forever silencing Willa and her new mistress....
About the Author
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| Photo taken by David M. Seymour 2022 |
Amanda Flower is the USA Today bestselling and Agatha Award-winning mystery author of over forty novels, including the nationally bestselling Amish Candy Shop Mystery Series, Magical Bookshop Mysteries, and, written under the name Isabella Alan, the Amish Quilt Shop Mysteries. Flower is a former librarian, and she and her husband, a recording engineer, own a habitat farm and recording studio in Northeast Ohio. Learn more online at www.amandaflower.com. My Thoughts
Because I Could Not Stop for Death by Amanda Flower is the debut of An Emily Dickinson Mystery series. The author takes us back to 1855 in Amherst,
Massachusetts where Willa Noble gets a position as a maid in the Dickinson
household. Not long after she begins her
new position, Willa learns that her younger brother, Henry is dead. The police are calling it an accident, but
Willa does not believe it. Willa
receives Henry’s diary from his friend at the livery. When she reads it, Willa knows that Henry was
murdered. Emily Dickinson believes they
should look into Henry’s death. The pair
team up to learn the truth. The author’s
vivid descriptions bring Amherst to life as well as Washington, D.C. I
especially enjoyed the depictions of the Washington Monument and Mount
Vernon. The Dickinson family travels to Washington
to visit their father and Emily brings Willa along.
I thought the story was well-written with
developed characters. I did find it to
be a slow-moving story. I can tell the
author did her research for this story. The
story does include the subjects of slavery, differences between social classes,
and gender roles. The mystery was nicely
laid out. There are a couple of suspects,
misdirection, and good clues. I
appreciated the epilogue that nicely wrapped up the whodunit. I was able to solve the mystery early on. However, it was interesting following Willa
and Emily’s investigation to see what information they would uncover. I did find this book to be very different
from the author’s other novels. It is
missing the lighthearted humor that is normally present in Amanda Flower’s stories. Because I Could Not Stop for Death is a dark tale
with a departed brother, a revealing diary, a threatening note, a helpful
employer, tasty strawberry ice cream, a trip by train, and a revealing arrest.
Kris
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