Bedlam

The Secret Adventures of Charlotte Brontë #2

by Laura Joh Rowland

On her last escapade, Charlotte unintentionally witnessed a murder and found herself embroiled in a dangerous chain of events. Now, Charlotte returns in a stunning sequel that takes the reader into the most sinister institution in London: Bedlam.


With the death of her siblings and far from home, Charlotte has few people to trust. Struggling with romantic entanglements and her stressful rise to prominence on the literary scene, she is more alone than ever. On a visit to London, Charlotte goes on a tour of London's most famous hospital for the mad, Bedlam. She is sure she recognizes a struggling Mr. Slade, her long-missing ex-lover, strapped to one of the stretchers. Charlotte starts digging, and soon finds herself trying to reveal a secret that high-powered men would (and do) kill to protect. It is up to Charlotte to find the truth and expose a plot of global proportion. But what if the conspirators get to her first?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Historical, Fiction, Victorian, Romance, British Literature

352 pages, Hardcover

First published May 13, 2010

About the author

Granddaughter of Chinese and Korean immigrants, Laura Joh Rowland grew up in Michigan and where she graduated with a B.S. in microbiology and a Master of Public Health at the University of Michigan. She currently lives in New Orleans with her husband. She has worked as a chemist, microbiologist, sanitary inspector and quality engineer.

Reviews

[nursé · Rating 5 out of 5]

i loved it. the first one was amazing too. this one was more adventurous and it reminded me inferno by dan brown and i noticed this one was written 3 years before it.
— i enjoyed reading this book and i think it’s very well written mixed with fictional and historical and real people. i love the reality with fiction. give it a chance definitely.

[Cynthia Lathrop · Rating 4 out of 5]

It started slowly at first, but then picked up with the exciting adventures. All in all, a good read! I was impressed with the author's ability to combine real people, places, and events into a fictional story.

[Lisa Campbell · Rating 1 out of 5]

Regardless of the fact that there were two other books (different titles/authors and subjects) with the same EXACT portrait as the front cover, I thought..well, why not? Historical suspense story using Charlotte Bronte as the heroine it couldn't be that bad. Authors have done the same with Jane Austin, Eleanor Roosevelt and various other well-known women...

I was wrong.
The plot itself wasn't bad but I found the writing choppy and a bit "too modern" for my taste.

The characters were difficult to find endearing. Even poor Charlotte came across as dry and Mr. Slade lacked a certain amount of passion.
I completed the book always hoping that something would change my mind, but sadly I can't say I liked this.

[Dianne]

Poor Charlotte: every time I turned the page on this most horrid book, she turned over in her grave. So sad.

[Siegrist · Rating 4 out of 5]

A romp. For those who wish Charlotte Bronte the love life she deserved.

[Geri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlotte was quite a charactor.
I don't even think Slade can keep
up with her.
You go girl.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plot that carefully incorporates many genuine historical personages and events, crystal palace, steam powered airship, Jack the Ripper, Thackeray. Unfortunately, at least for me, it didn’t work. Felt forced. May be too big a Charlotte fan to accept her as a fictional character in someone else’s world

[Sherri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished a lengthy and insightful review only to have it deleted by cat paws. This was a good, plausible but still fantastic adventure with Charlotte Bronte as a reluctant detective. I finished this in two days, and have a greater appreciation for Charlotte Bronte and her siblings.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Second volume of The Secret adventures of Charlotte Bronte are not quite as exciting as vol. 1. But still well written.

[Amber R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty engaging read overall. The writing style is nice and it is well paced.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed this read

[Rabia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Genel itibariyle kurgu, diyaloglar bana basit geldi. Verdiğim puan üzerinde çevirinin de oldukça büyük bir etkisi var, malesef pek başarılı bulmadım.

[Coralie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a great fan of Historical Romance Novels, especially when they contain real historical characters and real events written into the story.
Laura Joh Rowland does this beautifully.
The story is a mystery set in Victorian times and the main character is Charlotte Bronte, Author of Jane Eyre, just one of the 'real' characters in the book. There are also places of historical significance Newgate Prison, The Bethlem Royal Hospital (known as Bedlam) Butyrka Prison in Russia to name a few.
Unfortunately I have yet to read the first book in the adventures of Charlotte Bronte, but no matter. This second book stands alone, and explains about characters from the first novel.
In this second novel, Charlotte has lost her sisters and brother, and only her Father and she remain.
She has not heard from the love of her life,
John Slade (a British spy she met in the first book,) for quite some time and does not know if he is alive or dead. Then while paying a visit to 'Bedlam' to gain insights for future novels, she sees John strapped to a bed seemingly being tortured...Being the adventurous, brave, inquisitive person that Charlotte is, she sets about finding out what has brought John to this place, and in doing so, runs fowl of the Russian Secret service and places herself and her friends in mortal danger. She has found out a secret that high powered men in the British Government are willing to kill for, to protect.
This is a mystery that takes us through Victorian History and keeps us on the edge of our seats.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bedlam: The Further Secret Adventures of Charlotte Brontë by Laura Joh Rowland
A book that can also stand on its own, this is the sequel to The Secret Adventures of Charlotte Brontë. It takes place three years after the last adventure, which is described in enough detail that one doesn't need to read the first book to enjoy the second. The characters seem to be the same and allusions to the first book when needed help the reader to understand the background of this story.

I had a difficult time at the outset with the character of Charlotte Brontë. Although many of the historical details were accurate, the personality of this character and her involvement in the intrigue were not realistic. To place the author of Jane Eyre into this setting went against everything I have read about her life. The saving grace was that the mystery was still intriguing. In an odd way, though, I felt a connection to the main character because of the prior knowledge I have of her life and her work.

Set during the reign of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert during the Great Exhibition of 1851, the Crystal Palace takes centre stage at the climax of the story. This was an exciting time of great innovations and these are highlighted as the characters race against time to stop a deadly virus from being spread throughout the world.

[Valerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this as soon as I finished the first book in this series, and have to say that I really enjoyed it! The story line was quite a different scene compared to the first one, but it still had those twists & turns to the story that just pulled you in and made you wonder "what's next?". I loved the "love-hate" relationship between Charlotte & John Slade, and also Charlotte's determination to find him even after she was told that he was a dead traitor! The writer made her quite the feisty character and I felt like I could really "see" her as she searched to find the answers, and the man, she was looking for. Great descriptions of the locations Charlotte traveled to... and I'm seriously hoping that the author will continue with more books in this series. Giving this 3.5 stars!!

[Jeanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author of Jane Eyre is back for another adventure, and this entry in the series is even more exciting and spine-tingling than the last.

While in London, Brontë is presented with the opportunity to visit Bedlam, London’s frightening insane asylum. Much to her surprise, Charlotte spots a familiar face: John Slade. As readers may remember, Slade is Charlotte’s mysterious and long-missing ex-lover. Why is he in Bedlam? Why is he ignoring her? And most importantly, why do people keep telling Charlotte that John Slade is dead?

Bedlam, spies, germ warfare, and a perilous hot air balloon ride are only a few elements of the greatest adventure in Charlotte’s otherwise sheltered life.

Well-paced and fun.

[Crystal · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you like your books predictable and poorly written, this is one for you. Characters were inconsistent and unsympathetic. Plot was not terribly interesting and, as I said, predictable enough that I skimmed lightly through the entire book and didn't feel like I missed anything. I'm no historical scholar, but much of the language seemed out of place and too modern. There was also a lot of "Then I did this. Then I explained this." I haven't read the first book of this (let us hope brief) series, and don't plan to.

[Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

To fully enjoy this book, you just need to forget that the main character is Charlotte Bronte and in her place is a plucky girl ready to run off with a man at the drop of the hat and somehow gets entangled in international espionage and biochemical warfare in Victorian England. The story was entertaining but rather implausible (like the Queen would really rely solely on an author to solve a potentially deadly mystery-but, hey, like Barron's Jane Austen mysteries, it was fun!). And you have to feel sorry for Charlotte's polite but persistent stalker/fan.

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really can't explain why I read this one, after really disliking the first one. This one just continues to prove why the author shouldn't have used Charlotte Bronte. The first book had some loose details from Bronte's life. This one literally just has her name. I took to pretending it was an odd coincidence that a famous author had once been named such. But at least Rowland has painted herself into a corner from which no more thriller novels can emerge: history proves that Bronte will be dying soon after the closure of this book. Rest in peace, poor dear.

[Connie D]

Entertaining read, but I definitely needed to suspend disbelief...It was usually easier if I just ignored/forgot that the main character was Charlotte Bronte. (On the other hand, I enjoyed experiencing interactions between her and Wm Thackeray and George Smith, and also imagining how her character--and/or that of Jane Eyre--would react in various situations.) Interesting to get a glimpse of the international relations/espionage of the mid-1850s and the potential of biological warfare.

[Suburbangardener · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author gets the tone right for a first-person account by Charlotte Bronte, but I had a hard time believing that she would write about her first sexual experience. In addition, she would never refer to the Virgin Queen as "Elizabeth I." She had no way of knowing there would be an "Elizabeth II."
Other than these flaws, the book is an enjoyable read.

[Elizabeth Hajek · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the premise, and for the most part it was decently well written. A bit of the structure was a bit clunky and there was one overly descriptive sex scene to make an otherwise fairly appropriate book sour (although it was between a married couple). It is an interesting premise, however, and good enough that I think I might track down the first book in the series.

[Libtechgurugoddess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great sequel! Charlotte Brontë is made of much sterner stuff than anyone credited. I loved all the historical details about Bedlam and the Great Crystal Palace. Even the plot didn't seem too far-fetched, revolving around biological warfare and "animacules". Fun to read, fast-paced, and more satisfying than the first installment in the series.

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable read ... suspense, murder, mayhem, espionage, romance - it had everything and was well-written. I wouldn't be surprised if they make this (& the previous Charlotte Bronte adventure, part 1 to this one) a movie ... Was home sick & nice diversion from how miserable I was - first book I've finished for ages :-)

[Katri · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book bordered on the ridiculous. The only reason I was able to give it even two stars was because it kept me entertained enough to finish it. But it had a ridiculous plot, ridiculous characters, and was completely unbelievable.

[Jenna · Rating 2 out of 5]

i really enjoyed the first one and have been a fan of the Ichiro series, but I was less enthused with this one. Wasn't as captivated. That said, I would still read a third book, just to see what happens...

[Tracy Cufone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some elements of the novel became a bit monotonous; especially the spy scenes. The ending was also a little far fetched and ridiculous; really the queen??? Clearly a far reach or do they call that imagination lol

[Peastatgeria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was just wonderful. It was full of action and all kinds of twists and turns.I could not put this book down. I hope that Mr Rowland writes another one with this character that is as good as this one!

[Meredith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first Secret Adventures of Charlotte Bronte, but this sequel took too much liberalities with my beloved Charlotte!

[Susan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Badly written book. Not what I expected. I think she is attempting to write in the style of Charlotte Bronte, but is not succeeding. Readi the real Charlotte Bronte and skip this one.