Because I Could Not Stop for Death

An Emily Dickinson Mystery #1

by Amanda Flower

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....

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Cozy Mystery, Historical Mystery, Audiobook

336 pages, Paperback

First published September 20, 2022

About the author

Amanda Flower is a USA Today bestselling and Agatha Award-winning author of over thirty-five mystery novels. Her novels have received starred reviews from Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and Romantic Times, and she had been featured in USA Today, First for Women, and Woman’s World. She currently writes for Penguin-Random House (Berkley), Kensington, Hallmark Publishing, Crooked Lane Books, and Sourcebooks. In addition to being a writer, she was a librarian for fifteen years. Today, Flower and her husband own a farm and recording studio, and they live in Northeast Ohio with their two adorable cats.

Reviews

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

More than a cozy!

I'm a fan of Amanda Flower cozy mysteries and The Magic Garden series is my fav! When I saw her new historical fiction cozy I knew I want to try it. This is Emily Dickinson historical mystery which I believe is going to be a series. The story is told by Emily's new twenty-year-old housemaid, Willa Noble.

It's 1855 Amherst, MA, not long after Willa Noble started working for the Dickinsons, her brother, Henry who is a stable boy died in an accident at the village livery. After his death, Willa receives Henry's diary and comes to believe he was murdered. Emily thinks they should start looking into Henry's death.

This was a delightful read, especially the characters. I like the description of Amherst, Main Street, and the townspeople. Emily, her sister Lavinia and Willa also took the train to see Mr. Dickinson, MA House Rep in DC. The Trip to DC and Mount Vernon is a fun little travelogue. The book does touch heavily on slavery and gender roles.

I guessed the whodunit part quite early but still had fun with the book and of course, had to see if I had the right suspect! 3.5⭐

Thank you Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for this DRC.
Published Sep 20, 2022

[PamG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amanda Flower brings great characterization and world-building to Because I Could Not Stop for Death , the first book in the Emily Dickinson historical mystery series. The novel begins in January 1855 with Willa Noble applying for a job at the Dickinson home in Amherst, Massachusetts. Despite being late, drenched, and covered in mud, Willa gets the job as a housemaid with Emily’s help. Tragedy strikes when Willa’s brother Henry is killed in an accident at the town’s stables. Willa tells Emily about it as well as her belief that it wasn’t an accident, but murder. Emily offers to help her investigate.

Mixing real-life individuals like the Dickinson family with fictional characters such as Willa and Henry made this an engaging historical fiction story. Both Willa and Emily are well-developed characters. Willa has a tendency to sacrifice herself for family and duty and is compassionate, hard working, and loyal, but lacks self-confidence. Emily is curious, aloof, writes furiously, and is willing to use her family’s wealth and prestige to get what she wants. While Emily didn’t change much during the course of the novel, Willa was more dynamic and grew more confident as the story unfolded.

This historical mystery brings to life the conflicting sentiments that existed in America at the time. This included how people in different social classes were treated and viewed, the attitudes toward and expectations of women, and the need for some to carry papers everywhere they went to prove they were free. The novel seems to be well-researched including the travel to and experiences in Washington D.C. that felt right for the times.

There are a few plot twists, but I was able to discern the antagonist relatively early with the clues provided. Despite this, I enjoyed the story and felt transported to the mid 1800’s. Based on my limited knowledge of the poet Emily Dickinson, she seemed to be well portrayed in this fictional portrayal of an early period in her life. The story is moving and suspenseful at times, but the pace felt somewhat slow. Additional themes woven into the story include grief, protecting others, bullying, politics, greed, and family relationships.

Overall, this story is engaging, well-written, and well-researched. This book is somewhat darker than most of the cozy mysteries I have read by this author. Those that enjoy historical mysteries, amateur sleuths, or are interested in Emily Dickinson will likely enjoy this novel. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Berkley Publishing Group and Amanda Flower provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for September 20, 2022. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

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My 3.55 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon.

[Mallory · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve enjoyed several cozy mysteries by Amanda Flower, and I am glad to see she has branched into this historical fiction mystery. I love books that are inspired by and include real people, so I am excited to see where this mystery series about Emily Dickinson goes. I liked all the characters and definitely see a lot of potential for future books. Willa finds herself hired to be a maid in the prestigious Dickinson household but just when things are going well she learns that her brother has died and the circumstances seem mysterious. Emily Dickinson tells her they must figure out what happened and much to Willa’s surprise she wasn’t just saying that and the two women begin their amateur sleuthing. The mystery wasn’t as tricky as I would have hoped, but I did like that it included the issue of slavery and the Underground Railroad.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is the first in a new historical mystery series with poet Emily Dickinson and her fictional maid Willa as main characters. Set during the politically turbulent time just prior to the Civil War, this mystery finds Emily and Willa investigating the death of Willa's brother. Police say it was an accident, but Willa believes he was murdered, and Emily's inquisitive nature leads them into an investigation of their own.

The book is well-researched and I enjoyed the historical details, though the mystery itself isn't very strong or complex. I also felt like the characters were dry, and their dialogue was stiff and simplistic. The series has potential with such a haunting and curious character as Emily Dickinson, but this first book fell a bit flat for me.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Anna Lee Huber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Because I Could Not Stop for Death is USA Today bestselling author Amanda Flower’s first foray into historical mystery, and she acquits herself beautifully. She brings beloved American poet Emily Dickinson to life in a nuanced portrayal, giving us glimpses of the brilliant literary mind at work, turning over ideas and phrases, even as she teams up with an able and sympathetic maid to solve a murder. Well-researched, richly textured, and skillfully plotted, readers will fall for Flower’s lyrical mystery—word, verse, and stanza.

[Shirley Chapel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amanda Flower treats her readers to an historical mystery in this first book of her An Emily Dickinson Mystery series. Because I Could Not Stop for Death begins in January 1855. Through careful and thorough research she has penned a different type of cozy mystery than what we are used to from her previous work. Amanda has blended fiction with facts and used an actual poet, Emily Dickinson and a fictional character Willa Noble to be main characters in this new series. The outcome was a story that seemed so real that I felt I was there in the pages of this novel with the characters.

The story starts out with a slow build but then shortly after the first chapter the murder takes place and the rest of the book is about finding out who the killer is. We wait till the very end before we get to find out whodunnit. I enjoy the anticipation of waiting till the end to learn the identity of the killer. I can’t wait for book two to be released.

Readers of Cozy Mystery, Historical Fiction and fans of the Author will love this book. I highly recommend it.

I borrowed a copy of this book from the local library. All thoughts and opinions shared here are my own.

[Nora Currie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m unfortunately not going to continue reading this book for my irl book club because it reminds me of an episode of one of my favorite television series: Candice Renoir. This French crime drama is on Acorn TV which is a streaming channel here in the United States. The entire series is on the channel and I highly recommend it. Unfortunately, the episode that this book reminds me of takes place at an equine therapy program and it involves someone being murdered by a horse. I couldn’t continue watching the episode because it was too traumatic for me to watch. Unfortunately, the same thing occurs in this book.

I was really looking forward to reading this book since it featured Emily Dickinson, one of my all time favorite poets as a detective along with her maid, Willa, and together they solve crimes. I enjoyed what I read up until that point in the book. I unfortunately can’t continue reading this book. Also, this book has an MPG of Cozy Mystery and trust me that there’s nothing remotely cozy about being trampled on by a horse.

[Melody Schwarting · Rating 2 out of 5]

Because I Could Not Stop for Death imagines Emily Dickinson pre-hermitude investigating a murder with her maid Willa. It was serviceable historical fiction, though like many historians, Flower uses Dickinson as a blank slate upon which to sketch her own ideas. The culture of antislavery and proslavery politics is not historically accurate, which was a real drawback for me as an antislavery historian. If the nominally free states were as antislavery as they were in historical fiction, the Civil War would not have occurred. Neither would Congress's fugitive slave laws been so eagerly enforced in the North. You can't have a high-stakes Underground Railroad as Flower presents it here with her concurrent world of populist antislavery. Anyway, this novel was fine, I didn't hate it, but ultimately the characters failed to reach me, and there were enough ahistorical drawbacks to make the story unbelievable.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review coming soon.

[Carrie Schmidt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a big fan of Emily Dickinson’s poetry, and my favorite poem by her is the one used in the title of this new cozy mystery from Amanda Flower:

Because I could not stop for Death—
He kindly stopped for me—
The Carriage held but just Ourselves—
And Immortality…

So of course the title grabbed my attention right away … and then I saw the cover and was completely in love. When I found out that this new series features Emily Dickinson and her maid Willa Noble as amateur sleuths, well, I absolutely had to read this book!

We begin our story from Willa’s point of view, as she is dodging a torrential downpour on her way to interview for a new position at the Dickinson home in Amherst, Massachusetts. She’s just as surprised to be hired as the housekeeper is to hire her, but Emily’s decisive intervention on behalf of Willa during that interview sets the tone for their relationship forthwith. As Willa quickly becomes an important part of the Dickinsons’ small staff, she suffers a great tragedy – the loss of her brother – and Emily intervenes once again. While Emily and Willa at first may seem an unlikely investigative team, you will soon find yourself unable to imagine them as anything else. I found their relationship dynamic to be fascinating – a young woman and her maid…. a pair of amateur sleuths … and a form of friendship that straddles both incarnations.

Along with the clever mystery – perhaps because of it – we are also treated to intriguing historical details into Massachusetts & US politics of the day, including both the courageous personalities of the Underground Railroad and the cowardly & evil people who made such bravery necessary. We also get unique insight into Emily Dickinson as a woman, as a daughter, as a sister, and I very much enjoyed these glimpses into the real person, even as many of the scenarios we encounter are of course fictional. For as much as I love her poems, I’ve never really taken the time to read much about her as a historical figure but after meeting her on the pages of Because I Could Not Stop for Death I want to learn more.

Bottom Line: Because I Could Not Stop for Death is the kind of book you want to curl up with on a rainy day. Or a snowy day. Or a completely sunny day…because you shouldn’t let the weather stop you from reading this delightful cozy (though the former two options fit the mood of the book better). The combination of actual historical individuals with fictional ones, the juxtaposition of classes & gender roles, the tension of life for freedmen and escaped slaves alike… it all results in a captivating story that will keep you absorbed and engaged throughout. Add a dash of romance for Willa (if she’ll only open her heart to the man who loves her), and I’m looking forward to more books in this series!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

first reviewed at Reading Is My SuperPower

[Stormi (StormReads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not the fluffy, cutesy cozy books you might be use to from this author. This is a historical mystery so it has some darker themes. It's set in 1855 so it's before the civil war, there is a lot of slavery talk, those for and against. The MC's are Emily Dickenson and her new maid Willa Noble. When Willa's family member is killed and she doesn't think that it was an accident like everyone else thinks, Emily decides they should investigate. 

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was terrific. The author's use of poet Emily Dickinson as one of the main characters in this historical murder mystery was inspired. Makes you want to read more about such an iconic American poet.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the most poorly crafted mystery novel I've ever read. The protagonist (who is not Emily Dickinson, by the way) is given a diary which has most of the answers to the mystery she's trying to solve, except she refuses to read the diary for 90% of the book. Yeah, yeah, yeah, she's emotional and it's a last link to her dead brother, but COME ON. Then, when she finally decides it just might be a good idea to read the book full of clues to her brother's murder, it very conveniently gets stolen.

Ugh. I just wanted to punch her. So infuriating. Then, in the last 5% of the book, she simply wanders around town asking all sorts of people very loud, public questions about her brother's murder, making herself an obvious target. But does that occur to her? Of course not.

Finally, rather than uncovering any clues or solving the murder, she gets a mysterious note, late at night, telling her to come to a secluded location, and she does it! When she arrives -- gasp -- it was all a trick! Who coulda guessed?!? The murderer beans her over the head and tells her the solution to the mystery. Luckily, Emily Dickinson is there to save the day. Also, her kinda-sorta policeman boyfriend arrives in the nick of time.

Honestly, this was just so boring and contrived and excruciatingly slow. And of course the bad guy is very, very obvious early on in the book. By the 50% mark I had switched from reading-for-enjoyment to hate-reading. It was that bad. Also, the protagonist just wandered around having interactions with townspeople, which showed period detail, which I'm certain the author found really interesting, but which slowed the plot to an absolutely glacial pace.

My biggest question is why the author made the decision to bill this as an Emily Dickinson mystery, but not make Dickinson the protagonist. I get that it would have been harder to get the voice of Dickinson right, to really inhabit her, but this really felt like a bait-and-switch. It didn't help that I found Dickinson to be condescending and oblivious to what life might possibly be like for her maid. And she kept putting the maid into awkward situations, which were very likely to get her fired and thrown into penury and destitution and homeless. So no big deal. Let's do exactly what Emily suggests! It was uncomfortable to read and by the end of it, I hated Emily Dickinson. (And I love Emily Dickinson.) The good news was that I hated all the other characters, too. Lavinia was absolutely vile. The protagonist was a drip. Everyone was horrible.

And now let's talk about race. This book's plot (what little exists of it) hinges on the underground railroad. As such, the book is filled with white people with good intentions and anachronistic views, helping out the poor Black people. (I do realize that there were a lot of white people who helped runaway slaves and who were abolitionists, but all the white people in this book seem to have stellar 21st century mindsets. There was only a single character who was pro-slavery until we find out he was trying to throw people off his trail because he's actually a conductor on the underground railroad. If so many people actually agreed that slavery should be abolished, it would've happened a lot sooner. Sadly, that was not the case, and the author's choice to whitewash history is gross.) The only Black people -- there were two -- in the story seemed to be there to appreciate the kind-hearted white people. And felt icky to read what was essentially white savior narrative.

This book is BAD. Save yourself some time and choose something else to read. The phone book, for instance. It would be more interesting.

[Abby · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC!

Content Warning: death, murder, violence, animal cruelty, racism, misogyny.


Willa Noble is over the moon when she's employed as a housemaid by the Dickinsons. It isn't by chance that she is hired, however: it's Emily Dickinson herself who instructs the head maid to take Willa on. Not much time has passed when tragedy strikes, and Willa's brother, Henry, is killed in what the police are calling an accident. Emily and Willa suspect that something else is afoot, however, and with the help of her eccentric employer, Willa is determined to find out who killed her brother -- at any cost.

What is it about Emily Dickinson that still fascinates us to this day? Her rich, private inner life? The way she still remains somewhat shrouded in mystery, even after all this time? We are always looking for a glimpse into her world, however small. When I picked up Because I Could Not Stop for Death, that's what I was hoping for, in spite of the fact that it takes place from the point of view of her maid -- an insight into Emily's secretive world. Disappointingly enough, though, we never quite get that chance.

To start with, all of the characters in this book are, sadly, strangely shallow. Many of them feel like caricatures, and despite the fact that Flower attempts to add depth to them through stories of their backgrounds, it does little to enrich them or add to their personalities. Willa, our main character, suffers from this same problem too -- although we're seeing everything happening through her eyes, all of her thoughts and observations feel rudimentary. Even now, I'm not exactly sure what I'd list as her character traits. Emily, Willa's brother, the rest of the Dickinson family, and, essentially, every character in these pages has a dearth of charisma.

The plot and mystery itself are basic, never able to rise above the average, everyday mystery you might pick up. The historical setting is certainly well-researched, but the stilted dialogue doesn't transport you to the era, but instead makes it feel as if everyone is clunky and awkward. Emily's dialogue suffers the most from this, probably because there are attempts at capturing her unique way of writing through her voice, but it just doesn't work. Willa and Emily claim to be investigating the death of Willa's brother, but the steps they take to do this are basic, never really fleshed-out. The "investigation" doesn't really yield any interesting clues or hints that help the reader to make their own assumptions.

Ultimately, this book just doesn't succeed in what it sets out to do. The questions raised here, about class and race, are good, but as with the rest, underdeveloped and overstated. The writing is so blunt, so set on making sure you're understanding what's going on, that it seems to imply the reader is too stupid to figure it out.

Not for me, but I'm sure there are many people out there who will enjoy the historical setting and time period, which Flower pulls off pretty well!

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this not knowing what to expect exactly but I love the author and will read anything she writes. I know nothing about Emily Dickinson beyond that she’s a poet so this was a fun way to learn about her. This story was done so well and was so easy to read that I flew through it. I am happy to say that I fell for some of the red herrings and was completely wrong. Willa was a great character and I’m looking forward to reading her next adventure with Emily.

[Jeannine]

The dialogue is forced and stilted. The narration is juvenile and the main character isn’t a child. I’m out.

This line might have done it for me:
“You can’t speak to me like that. I’m the minister’s son and superior to you in all ways.”

[Carlymor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Willa Noble has just started working as a servant in Dickenson home when she learns that her brother Henry has been killed in an accident. But Willa and the daughter of her employer Emily Dickenson suspect that Henry has actually been murdered. With Emily's help and encouragement, Willa learns the truth and that her brother was involved in a very noble cause. This was entertaining and interesting. I enjoyed the assertive personality of Emily. She helped Willa be able to stand up for herself. I'm looking forward to reading the next book of this new series.

[Cari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: Amanda is my friend and so I'm going to rate all her books five stars. :-)

This book is a departure from Amanda's usual work. I do believe her cozy readers will enjoy this one, but they will need to expect that it's not nearly as humorous. This is a serious historical mystery. Willa, the main character, is still growing into her personality, and she's stunned by her grief. The book begins when Willa accepts a job with the Dickinson family in Amherst. Shortly thereafter, her brother Henry dies in an accident with a horse. At first it seems like a tragic mishap. But then Willa gets close to her mistress, the poet Emily Dickinson, and the two realize Henry's death was purposeful. This story is utterly engrossing and impeccably researched (I expect no less from Amanda, who's a former librarian). It is written with sensitivity and grace. Dickinson herself is portrayed in her younger years, before she became a recluse. I loved that this book broke Emily out of her stereotype and rounded her out as a person. I'm looking forward to more in this series.

[Caroline · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 50%. Poorly written. So disappointing because the cover is beautiful!! I had such high hopes :/

[Kori Potenzone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are you looking for an intense book that will keep you completely consumed and at the edge of your seat the entire time? Because I Could Not Stop for Death, is the book you need to read!

WHOA! What did I just read? Amanda Flower, you are a powerhouse and a force to be reckoned with.

Now, we have all heard of Amanda Flower, correct? Flower has over 35 mystery novels out and is a USA Today best-selling author and also the recipient of the Agatha Award.

I have read quite a few of Flowers previous books and have always enjoyed them! I would describe her previous work as cozy mysteries but Because I Could Not Stop for Death has broken the mold. I have never read a book quite like this and I can tell you I absolutely loved it!

Because I Could Not Stop for Death is book one in An Emily Dickinson Mystery Series and even though I have just finished, I am already anxiously awaiting book two!

I will tell you this is NOT a cozy mystery and has some pretty dark content but if you love a great murder mystery (and historical at that!) than you will enjoy this storyline as I did !

Five Stars!

Thank you Berkley, Amanda Flower and Netgalley for trusting me to read and review this incredible book prior to the big release, in exchange for an honest review!

Many well wishes to Flower, I was always a fan but this one just set the bar for what is to come !

[Andria Potter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rather enjoyed this, though it dragged a bit in the middle, I still found this a well written mystery. Some of the writing felt stilted and off, and a few characters annoyed me (Mrs. O'Brien for example) and I found the ending nicely wrapped up with potential but unsure of a sequel. I'm new to reading Amanda Flowers work, and while the religious themes within irritated me (forcing a young woman to church after she lost her brother is just all kinds of wrong especially if she has no interest in church) and the sexism was on point for the time period, this was otherwise a really decent mystery with a hint of suspense flung in. I'm giving this a strong 4.5 ⭐.

[Debbie Wentworth Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Covered in rain and mud, Willa Noble did not expect to get the job of maid for the Dickinson family. She would not have if the reclusive Emily Dickinson had not intervened in her behalf. Despite her hiring Willa, the maid did not expect a friendship with the reclusive poet and her monstrous dog Carlo, but when Willa's younger brother, Henry, dies at his work in the stables, Emily insists on helping her find out what really happened.

The police tell Willa that Henry was trampled to death in a horrible accident. However, Emily and Willa learn that Terror, the valuable racehorse that killed Henry, had been fond of the young man. Now he refuses to eat and seems to be mourning his death.

When the police tell Willa that it looks as if Henry had tortured Terror because of burn marks on his back, she knows something is terribly wrong because Henry adamantly opposed cruelty of any kind. Willa and Emily determine to discover the truth. Then Willa receives Henry's diary with mysterious words about the Reader who was selling escaped slaves to slavecatchers. They realize that Henry's death points to something bigger, and they will find out what it is or die trying.

I enjoyed Because I Could Not Stop for Death and look forward to the other books in the series. Flower's does a good job with the social strata of the day and showing Emily's independent personality. She seems more of a social rebel than a recluse here, but this was set when she was still quite young. Though a cozy, the story contains plenty of suspense. It was a fun read.

[Deborah Almada · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting read. I love the whole idea of Emily Dickinson as a sleuth although Willa, her maid is the real central character, and it is her brother that is murdered, and starts the ladies on an unusual friendship and partnership. It was a little easier to buy into as anyone who has ever read anything about Emily Dickinson would know that she was definitely considered unconventional. It is obvious that meticulous research about the Dickinsons, the time period and the Underground Railroad was conducted and they make a wonderful backdrop for our mystery. I really enjoyed this book. It struck me while reading that the events leading up to the Civil War seems way too similar in feeling to events in the United States today. In that regard also, the book was very thorough provoking.

[Scott Rezer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding! And not at all what I expected! Anyone who has read my reviews knows I am not a fan of first-person narration. Usually, I won’t even read them, unless they are well done. And by well done I mean where the character’s voice is hardly noticeable and doesn’t take over the story. And in this case, Because I Could Not Stop For Death is certainly well done. I immediately fell in love with the main character Willa Noble, a newly-hired housekeeper for the yet to be beloved and famed American poet Emily Dickinson. And Ms. Dickinson herself is a fun character, a woman who is not the wilting wallflower most men, including her father, might wish her to be.

The title, which comes from one of Ms. Dickinson’s poems, is a dead-on description of the plot.

When Willa’s brother Henry is unexpected killed, a death ruled quickly by the local constabulary, Willa has her doubts, and when Emily, who insists on befriending the young maid, insists on investigating his death, the accident story quickly unfolds into something much larger and more sinister, especially when a young stablehand insinuates something more is at play and then immediately regrets his comment. But Ms. Dickinson is not so easily put off and is determined to discover the truth for Willa, even if it puts their own lives in danger. Moving from Amherst, Massachusetts, to Washington D.C. in 1855, the action slowly builds and grows ever more twisted until the identity of the murderer is finally solved.

Filled with delightful historical research and character-building, this was a pure delight to read. And, that this story takes an unexpected twist makes it even better than I had anticipated. A great start to is sure to become a great series!

[Adrienne Danke · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was completely unbelievable. Dialogue of characters from vocabulary to tone was very unreasonable and never changed according to station in life. Social issue diatribes did nothing to advance the plot and only lengthened the book unnecessarily. In the end, the person who “did it” was so very poorly set up that I was groaning inwardly when revealed. I was hoping to learn more about Emily Dickinson and all this book did was make me cringe from start to finish. Where is the editor in this?

[Bon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly DNFing at 25%. The research and historical accuracy are there, but everything else sucks like others have noticed. A boring and insipid protagonist who reads like she's a naive 12 year-old, awful dialogue and inner monologues. Emily wasn't enough to save this. Extremely disappointed.

[Staci · Rating 4 out of 5]

1855 Amherst, Massachusetts

This historical mystery series is off to a good start!

Initially, I had a difficult time seeing a more outgoing view of poet Emily Dickinson. Love that the author explained in the afterward that the typical visions of a hermit like Emily are from her later days.

Fictional maid Willa Noble is new to the Dickinson household when tragedy strikes. Emily quickly sees an adventure and a chance to solve a mystery. Emily and Willa are an unlikely pair, but a strong one, as they work together to learn the identity of a murderer.

Look forward to continuing the series.

My gratitude to publisher Berkley for a complimentary NetGalley copy of the novel. I was not required to post a review and all opinions expressed are my own.

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A slow-moving homage to Emily Dickinson, the greatest of American poets, surely the greatest of the 19th century. Ms Flower creates an Emily fey and strange, but her dialogue is so stilted that it's hard to believe that spare, harsh, idiosyncratic poet is this character. I adored Ms Flower's earliest mysteries, the Amish-set ones, but her later attempts haven't been working for me. I had hoped this intriguing premise and historical setting might bring out the same qualities I admired and enjoyed in the earlier mysteries, but I was disappointed.

[No Apology Book Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slow, weak lead, but well researched

Thank you to Amanda Flower, Berkley, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review, and thank you as well to Yasmine Hassan for inviting me on the tour and being the messenger. Apologies for reviewing late!

Slight spoilers

This was my first exposure to Amanda Flower, though I've seen her work around; she seems to be a favorite of my friend Elise Cooper, who interviews Flower regularly. Because I Could Not Stop for Death (ugh, that title's too long, it's bugged me since I first read it) was definitely a solid piece of work, but not entirely to my taste. It's pace was a bit plodding, the prose a bit stilted and lacking in energy, which is partly why it took me so long to finish reading it--it kept putting me to sleep. There were quite a few typos, too, which I only mention because it became distracting. But they're a natural consequence of ARCs; hopefully most of them were corrected in the final copy.

Willa didn't seem to have much personality, and I'm not sure she and Emily make for good sleuths. Not only do they seem to lack the finesse necessary for some aspects of detective work, but Willa's heart really didn't seem to be in it. For all that she professed to want to catch her brother's killer, she sat on his diary for how many days? Yeah it grieved her to read it, but someone eagerly searching for clues would have read it cover to cover asap. I don't think she had anything motivating her aside from her personal relationship with the victim, no general insatiable curiosity, no passion for crime solving or puzzles. Without those traits or the like, it's going to be hard for her to propel a mystery series---and also likely why this one lacked energy. Emily was eager, she kept urging Willa on and propelling this novel, but her unconventional opinions/standoffish personality and her role in society might put limits on who she can interact with as well. Yeah I honestly don't see this series succeeding, but I'd love to be pleasantly surprised.

Another thing about Willa was her awful romance thread with Officer Matthew Thomas. There was zero chemistry between those two. Zero development. Felt more as if he was there for plot convenience than anything to do with Willa's character, except he didn't have much to do with the plot, so he was essentially unnecessary. An interesting idea that wasn't well executed. There was supposedly a bunch of backstory to their relationship, but without witnessing it, it's hard for it to mean anything to me.

Flower's author's note gave me confidence that she researched the setting and Dickinson's life as well as she could, but I rather wonder if the fictional aspects were so weak because she was too busy being concerned with accuracy and respect to historical fact. It's surely a hard balance to strike, I don't envy her the task.

I'm not sure if I'll check out book two when it comes along.

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel was a disappointment in way too many ways. The writing was overly dramatic at times, sometimes even repeating what had just been stated so that the author could put an exclamation point at the end. The dialogue was at most times very stilted, dry and awkward, making everyone seem clunky and silly. The characters are not fleshed out at all, and everyone is shallow and more like caricatures, including Emily Dickinson. In fact, the portrayal of Emily Dickinson was so badly done, she has no depth or charisma at all. The author does little to enrich these very important characters (Emily and her family), or add to their personalities. As of other readers/reviewers have noted on gr, the facts about anti slavery and pro slavery were not at all historically accurate, which was a real drawback for me as well as them. The mystery itself is pretty basic, and the two characters who were supposed to be investigating it, didn’t really reveal any interesting clues or hints to help the reader make their own assumptions in this ‘case’. Nothing in this novel was really interesting, leading me to be as bored as possible throughout it, and I kept wondering why I even bothered to finish it at all… and I’m still not sure why. I certainly didn’t enjoy this novel much.

Barrie Kreinik is the narrator for the audiobook version of this novel, and she was very good. I hope to hear more of her work in the future.

Here is another review from my friend Melody, which details why this novel’s slavery facts were wrong:
Http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

All in all, I feel this novel was underdeveloped and overstated, and just not my kind of mystery novel. I’m sure others on here will enjoy this novel more than I did. But I won’t be continuing this series.

3 stars, and not recommended by me.