Emily Dickinson's brother and new wife are home from their honeymoon and now they are getting ready to host some very prestigious company. Ralph Waldo Emerson is coming to give lectures at the college so everyone is excited. When Mr. Emerson's secretary is found dead in the garden Willa and Emily are on the case!
This is the second book in the Emily Dickinson Mystery series. I really enjoyed it. I always find myself getting upset when female characters are treated like sub-humans, but that was the times. Women were there to produce heirs and take care of the household. They were to be petted and taken out to show off when the need arose. They were told they were incapable of understanding the workings of the world. They were protected and sheltered. So there were some things that I definitely didn't like about the male characters in the story. The secretary was definitely one of those characters! I actually think he got what he deserved! I loved Emily's spunkiness with her father. I've not read enough about Emily Dickinson's life to know how she really was, but I found her character to be very interesting. A bit headstrong and flighty, yet actually one of the only ones that treated everyone kindly. Her maid Willa is still trying to decide what she feels for officer Matthew. I like how her character developed a little bit more in this book. She knows her place, yet she is brave enough to help Emily in their pursuit of finding the killer before someone innocent is charged. An entertaining read for sure. And definitely one I'd recommend.
Here is my review of the first book in the series:
