The Secret Adventures of Charlotte Bronte (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "WITH A TALE SPINNER'S SLEIGHT OF HAND I ADVANCE THE calendarthe date is now Friday, 7 July 1848..." (more)
Key Phrases: Lord Unwin, Isabel White, Gilbert White (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The author of Jane Eyre plays sleuth in this enchanting historical from Rowland, acclaimed for her mystery series set in 17th-century Japan (The Snow Empress, etc.). After the instant success of Jane Eyre and the lesser success of her two sisters' novels, Wuthering Heights and Agnes Grey, Charlotte Brontë receives a letter from her publisher, George Smith, accusing her of breach of contract: Smith believes the same author penned all three novels, as they each appeared under a pseudonym with the surname Bell. On the train from Haworth to London to meet Smith, Charlotte and sister Anne encounter Isabel White, a mysterious girl who, once in London, is murdered. Charlotte becomes ensnared in a case involving a revenge plot orchestrated by an arch villain shaded with old school orientalism. Brontë fans will delight in Rowland's portrait of Charlotte, who closely parallels Jane both in personality and station. The men playing opposite Charlotte often echo the character of Edward Rochester, lending an enticing will-they, won't-they tension to the proceedings. (Mar.)
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Review

"An engaging mystery, author Laura Joh Rowland takes her character from her sheltered life in the village of Haworth to the palaces of London and beyond. . . Reader, she's spunky and adventurous and a die-hard romantic all the way. She's a heroine for our times." -- New Orleans Times-Picayune

"Laura Joh Rowland not only evokes Victorian-era London with a sure hand in this detective novel, she creates a believable Charlotte whose intelligence, stubbornness, and wit recall Jane at every turn. Even more important, the mystery itself is particularly fine. (A-)" -- Entertainment Weekly

"Rowland offers an attractive counterpoint in her portrayal of the Bronte clan and their family dynamics. A very Victorian murder, the evils of British imperialism and a beloved novelist unite in this appealing literary mystery." -- Kirkus Reviews

"Rowland sustains a Gothic tone of peril and suspense and supplies bodice-ripping Victorian detail aplenty in this imagined life of the author from Haworth. . . Rowland's impressive, detailed descriptions of the sites and phenomena of Victorian England, particularly of London, give the narrative depth and compensate, perhaps, for some unlikely plot twists. Never mind plausibility, Rowland simply refuses to let readers lift their eyes from the page." -- Minneapolis Tribune

"This delightful and sophisticated mystery transports readers through an era of Victoran mystery, with Charlotte Bronte leading the way. Rich historical details about the time period and the Bronte family, including Emily, Anne and Branwell, add great depth and authenticity. This is a must read for historical fans." -- Romantic Times

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Overlook Hardcover; 1 edition (March 13, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590200330
• ISBN-13: 978-1590200339
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #100,403 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Charlotte Brontë, Detective, March 27, 2008

By	Tom S. "filmfan3" (New York City) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Here's a marvelous surprise from one of our best mystery writers. I don't usually read "real detective" stories, the ones where some famous actual person, usually a writer (Edgar Allan Poe, Jane Austen, Oscar Wilde, etc.), makes like Sherlock Holmes. The "mystery" is usually pretty dumb, and it's always buried under a long, badly-written avalanche of extraneous information about the writer culled from graduate English courses. Even worse, the writing style is usually a strained imitation of the celebrity in question. But I bought THE SECRET ADVENTURES OF CHARLOTTE BRONTË for two reasons--my lifelong love of the Brontës and my great respect for Laura Joh Rowland.

This novel is exceptional in every way. The Brontë family is depicted in a straightforward, realistic manner, and Charlotte's first-person "voice" is sensible and authentic. But the real pleasure here is the story itself. It's fast-paced, fascinating, and constantly surprising, with all the right elements of coincidence, melodrama, and romantic passion we'd expect from the author of JANE EYRE. We're not assaulted with a laundry list of tedious facts and figures about Brontë--she seems like a living, breathing woman. And the plot is solid--the events in the novel incorporate actual happenings in the world in 1848. I've long admired Rowland's wonderful mysteries set in feudal Japan, and this stand-alone is another real treat for Rowland fans (and Brontë fans). Highly recommended.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a delightfully enthralling read, March 23, 2008

By	tregatt (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Laura Joh Rowland takes a break from her Sano Ichiro series to pen this delightfully intriguing Victorian-era mystery novel featuring the Bronte sisters, and Charlotte Bronte in particular. "The Secret Adventures of Charlotte Bronte" reads like a stand alone novel, but truth to tell, I rather hope that there will be future installments featuring Charlotte in the not too distant future.

When Charlotte Bronte receives a letter from her publishers accusing her of breaking her contract with them, she quickly realises that she must go to London to clear things up. Nervous but excited, she sets off for London with her sister Anne reluctantly in tow. While on their way, the sisters make acquaintance of a beautiful but enigmatic governess, Isabel White. Isabel seems to be in distress and moved by her plight, Charlotte impulsively invites her to seek the Bronte sisters out at the inn they'll be staying at. The last thing Charlotte expected was that she and Anne would witness Isabel's brutal murder, or that the apparent non-interest of the police would inspire in her a need to discover why Isabel was murdered and bring her murderer to justice. Aided by sisters Anne and Emily, and by Isabel's disturbingly attractive brother, Gilbert White, Charlotte begins her investigation, and finds herself totally unprepared for the web of revenge and intrigue she finds herself in the middle of, or the threat that this investigations poses to her family...

The first thing that impressed me about "The Secret Adventures of Charlotte Bronte" was the narrative voice -- to me it seemed authentic and I felt as if the author really had captured Charlotte Bronte's "voice." Obviously, Rowland spent a great many happy hours rereading all of Charlotte's novels and letters. Because this novel really hinged on Charlotte -- her experiences, feelings, setbacks, etc -- getting the narrative voice right was really vital. Rowland, brought Charlotte Bronte, to life, for me, and this allowed me to fully enter into everything our stalwart heroine was experiencing and made the intrigues Charlotte found herself in quite probable and believeable. The pacing was swift and even, and the plot a compelling and intriguing one, that was full of interesting plot twists and turns. All in all, this is one Victorian-era mystery novel not to be missed.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Valiant Victorian, October 30, 2008

By	BeatleBangs1964 (United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This is a masterfully crafted historical fiction set in Victorian England in 1848. Charlotte Bronte (1816-1855) and her sisters Anne (1919-1848), Emily (1820-1849) and brother Branwell (1818-1848) are featured in this story. Readers who are not familiar with the works of the illustrious Bronte family (sort of the English counterpart to the Alcotts of New England) are provided with a short list of their works.

As much as I enjoyed the Sano Ichiro series, I was really reeled in by this masterpiece. Charlotte Bronte's adventures start the summer of 1848 when she receives a letter from an attorney demanding to know if the pen names Currer, Acton and Ellis Bell are the works of the same person and if so, do the Bells even exist? The attorney accuses the authors of breaking a literary contract. Charlotte and Anne take a trip to London, whereupon they meet a young woman named Isabel White on the train. She spins out a harrowing, yet disjointed account of having to escape "her master." Charlotte later encounters her in London and witnesses her murder by stabbing.

Enter John Slade, a detective. He and Charlotte meet; their sleuthing takes them to the small mining mill town of Skipton where the young woman was from; their travels take them to Belgium and Scotland when Charlotte secures a post as governess to Queen Victoria's three older children.

More mysteries ensue and are interlocked with the deft grace of a brilliant author. Just who IS John Slade? And who is Isabel's master? Who were Isabel's master's contacts in Scotland? And did Isabel's master have anything to do with the death of Joseph Lock, a local gun merchant in England? And does the Charity School, an institutional wasteland of poverty and extreme classist abuse have any part in the spate of mysteries? (A note: The Charity School sounds like it was loosely based upon the school the two older Bronte sisters, Maria and Elizabeth attended. They died of TB and endured malnutrition and starvation. Their school experiences appear to be reflected in Charlotte's book, "Jane Eyre.")

This story is not a cliche romance, but it combines the elements of several literary genres with brilliance and apolomb. There is a romantic angle, but it never becomes trite, tawdry or cliched. Charlotte, who is the protagonist of the story is caught up into a maelestrom of intrigue and danger.

Laura Joh Rowland has not only captured the feel and flavor of Victorian speech and values of the time frame, she has also portrayed England during that period. Her characters are rich and developed; the history intense and vivid. The story opens with the Opium Wars between China and England and it is this knowledge of history that keeps the story moving along. The Sino-English Opium Wars are part of the story and every historical reference segues into a full story. It was common knowledge among people of the Brontes' immediate community that Branwell, their only brother was an alcoholic and opium addict. He was also a gifted author and artist.