This is the third book in Bella Ellis’ series, and this time we move from Yorkshire to London. Charlotte, Emily, Anne and Branwell Bronte travel south to find the kidnapped husband of a friend. Ellis’ love and knowledge of the Brontës shines through and this is an evocative addition to the mystery series.

This is the third book in a series. This is an enjoyable and well paced book. The characters are well developed and believable. I didn’t enjoy this as much as the previous two books

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

This is the third book in a series that I have really enjoyed. It's set in London in 1852, where Charlotte, Emily and Anne Bronte, together with their brother Branwell, travel to find the kidnapped husband of a friend.
It's an immersive and atmospheric read and I was completely drawn into the sights, sounds, smells and the horror of the poverty in Victorian London. I thought I would miss the Yorkshire setting but I loved The Red Monarch and once again being a part of the Bronte sisters lives.
A recommended read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

Unfortunately I cannot rate higher than a 3 as I struggled to connect with this book and therefore had to put as dnf.

I think what really comes across in this series is the authors extensive knowledge of the Bronte sisters; their lives, their work and a deep, abiding love for them. I think in anyone else's hands this book would be a disappointing mockery of one of the most beloved set of siblings in literature, but not here.

Moving the sisters out of their beloved and restorative Yorkshire Moors and setting them down in the grimy and sordid capital works a treat. This is definitely the most terrifying adventure they have been on so far. The richly atmospheric descriptions of London really sent a shiver down my spine, and I swear I could feel the clammy fog chilling my bones. It really is the perfect setting for this diabolical tale of abuse of power.

Once again the three sisters use their individual skills to solve the mystery of who or what the Red Monarch is. The relationship between the three is a delight to read about as they support and challenge each other. This time Emily takes a more prominent role, and I adored reading about her plucky heroism.

I absolutely love this series and will be adding The Gift of Poison (the 4th installment) to my kindle ASAP

My thanks go to the publishers and NetGalley for the advance copy in return for an honest review.

This is the third book in the series, in which the Brontë sisters investigate various crimes, including theft and murder. In this instalment, they get caught up in a mystery that starts with theft and kidnapping and turns into exposing the nefarious head of the London crime scene, the titular Red Monarch. You don’t really need to have read the first two books in order to read this one, as it stands alone, but you should read them anyway because they’re all pretty good!

I should just add a trigger warning here, that child abuse forms part of the plotline and was absolutely harrowing despite mostly being alluded to, with no graphic details and with great sensitivity.

The focus remains firmly on the main characters – Anne, Emily, Charlotte, and on this occasion, Bramwell – and their emotional bonds with each other, their relationships with others (one falls in love, one takes the lead, one finds a slightly sapphic BFF and one attempts to recover from a disastrous affair), and their different approaches to investigation (cerebral, emotional, adventurous, dramatic).

As with the previous novels, this was an enjoyable mystery read with the added literary element of following the fictional adventures of these real-life characters, and recognising details from history and from their own written works. It is clear that Bella Ellis is very familiar with the lives of the Brontës, has researched well, and has the writing skill to knit fact and fiction together seamlessly.

I did find the climactic reveal a little bit disappointing, as I had been attempting to uncover the identity of the Red Monarch before the characters and failed to do so, but when they got there first I was a little piqued that there hadn’t been enough clues for the play-along readers… but maybe I just missed them in my enjoyment of the character development and my emotional reactions to the darker plot elements.

Despite that minor quibble, this is another great addition to the Brontë mystery series and I will definitely be looking out for the next one!

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this review copy. Another enjoyable novel in the series about the Bronte sisters.

I’ve loved both of the Bella Ellis’s Brönte Mysteries series to date and the latest, ‘The Red Monarch’, is my favourite so far. If I could give it 6*, I would. It ticks so many boxes. Fast action, thoughtful detecting, literary and Brönte references, romance, the dirty violent underworld of London, dastardly baddies to defeat and wrongs to be righted.
When Lydia Roxby runs into trouble in London, she writes to her former governess Anne Brönte appealing for help. Lydia’s actor husband Harry has been imprisoned by a violent gang, accused of stealing a jewel. Heavily pregnant Lydia is given seven days to return the jewel or Harry will be killed. The four Brönte siblings rush to London and find Lydia living in an attic room at the Covent Garden Theatre, run by Harry’s father.
The first problem for the Bröntes is how to find a jewel when no information is available. Lydia knows nothing and either people are ignorant or frightened to speak. The streets around Covent Garden are run by a gangster, Noose, and his network of thugs and spies. So, naturally, the first thing the Bröntes do is seek a face-to-face meeting with Noose.
Operating out of their comfort zone but driven by a clear determination of what is right, backed up by their love for each other, Charlotte, Emily, Anne and Branwell must negotiate the danger
ous streets of the slums, adopting disguises, refusing to be cowed by threats and bluster, taking risks on who to trust. The more they find out, the clearer it is that they must confront the crime boss who terrifies everyone. But the so-called Red Monarch is so feared that no one dare say his name for fear of being overheard by one of his spies and subsequently killed as a traitor. The whole area exists in an atmosphere of fear and exploitation.
This is an original concept and a plot that, like its two predecessors, combines genres effortlessly. With witty asides and foreshadowing of the Bröntes' writings – as this novel starts, the sisters’ first edition of poetry is published – this is both familiar and unfamiliar territory. Like comfort food, but surprisingly different. As the thoughtful, literary siblings pursue criminals, we see the strengths and weaknesses of each. Who would have imagined Emily carrying a sword?
Loved it. Oh, and another beautiful cover.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-reviews-a-z/

Probably my favourite of the series so far with the details of London and the theatrical elements. I felt the pacing was a bit off at times but I enjoyed the references to real people.

The Red Monarch is the third book in this historical mystery series in which the Bronte sisters are detectives. I really enjoyed the first two books in the series but for some reason this didn't appeal to me quite as much. The banter between the siblings annoyed me in this instalment and the constant bickering between them grated on me. I also found the storyline for this book to be quite sinister and just too dark for me...

I also found my attention wandering towards the end despite the action and the constant twists and turns which I why it took me so long to read. Overall it was OK but not as good as the other books in my opinion though I liked the cameo by Charles Dickens!

ARC received from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest reviews

The third Brontë mystery takes them away from their beloved Yorkshire and into the murky depths of Victorian London. Annes former student and daughter of Bramwells unrequited and forbidden love Lydia has reached out in desperation. After eloping with Harry Roxby, an actor and getting pregnant they have fallen foul of some of the cities nastiest characters. Harry is taken and Lydia has been warned. Find the jewel Harry has taken...or they both die.

This is a little darker than the previous books. Unsurprisingly when it involves crimes many seem to think are a modern scourge. For me it lost a little of the charm of the other books due to this and it been based in London which at the time this was set was no place to be poor (actually some things never change!) But it's so deliciously gothic and fast paced it still rates very highly for me. The author has given voice to three writers which maybe fiction but to me is authentic and respectful. A wonderful addition to the series.

The story:
The Brontës of Haworth have received a desperate plea for help. Lydia Roxby, formerly Anne’s pupil, now estranged from her family following her elopement with an actor, is in terrible trouble. Her husband has been accused of cheating some very dangerous men, and if Lydia can’t produce what they ask for in seven days, both her husband’s life and her own will be forfeit. Ever willing to try and help their fellows, and following their success as detectors in their past adventures, the Brontës set out for London to aid Lydia. But will the dangers they meet in the slums of the capital and the theatres of Drury Lane be too much even for the intrepid siblings?

My thoughts:
“The Red Monarch” by Bella Ellis (the very appropriate pen name of author Rowan Coleman), is the third book in the Brontë Sisters Mysteries. It is the first I have read in the series, but it works well as a standalone.

I think this is such a wonderful idea for a mystery series, and the author reimagines each Brontë sibling with what is clearly great affection. Branwell, with his disastrous romances and weaknesses of character, who is none the less loved and protected by his sisters (despite thinking it is he who is protecting them). Charlotte, with her desire to be proper in all things and take care of her sisters, but also with a shyness and longing for passion in her life. Emily, defiantly independent and her own person, who nonetheless cares deeply about her world in Yorkshire and those in it. And Anne — youngest sister, but in many ways the most sensible, clever and determined of them all.

The siblings are out of their element in the seedy underbelly of London, but are uncowed by it, and even when they are afraid, their sense of responsibility to those around them (friends or strangers), especially those who are weaker, drives them to do what’s right.

I particularly enjoyed the subtle references to the Brontës’ works throughout this book, and it’s fun to think that the events that take place and the people they meet go on to inspire some of the greatest books in English literature.

Overall this is a thoroughly enjoyable read — exciting, funny and with a great mystery at its heart. I thoroughly recommend this book to all historical mystery fans and Brontë devotees!

My first book, that I have read by this author, absolutely brilliant! Highly recommended, and I will definitely read others written by this author!

The Red Monarch is the third Brontë Mystery book in which the main characters are the three Brontë sisters, Charlotte, Emily and Anne and their brother Branwell. I’ve read the first two and enjoyed them. But when I came across the first book I wasn’t at all sure I wanted to read it, as I’m never very keen on books that use real people as fictional characters. So, I was delighted to find that I thoroughly enjoyed the books even though, of course, the stories about the Brontës being ‘detectors’, or amateur sleuths, are pure imagination. The setting in the Yorkshire Moors is superb, the characters came across as ‘real’ and the books are well plotted.

And so, I was looking forward to reading The Red Monarch and it began well in Haworth in August 1852 as Charlotte is trying to write Villette. She is in despair after the deaths of her siblings – Emily and Branwell in 1848, and Anne in 1849. Instead of writing she reads a little notebook containing Emily’s poems and one particular poem brought back to her the dreadful events that had taken place and the terrors and cruelties they had seen, on their excursion to London. It had all taken place just after the Brontë sisters’ first poetry collection had been published – in 1846.

It was at this point, right at the beginning of the story about their time in London, that I thought I was reading a completely different type of mystery from the earlier books – not only is in not set in Yorkshire this book is a gothic melodrama. In a terrifying attack on Lydia and her husband Harry, a gang of thieves and murderers, led by Noose, had burst into Harry and Lydia’s bedroom. They had seized Harry and threatened to kill him unless Lydia brought them the jewel that Harry had been ordered to collect. Lydia, who was pregnant, had seven days to save their lives. But it is the Red Monarch, who was in control of the gang, and who held them all under his control – a most villainous and fearsome gangster. In desperation Lydia wrote to Anne for help.

The story is melodramatic, sensational and fast-paced. It is told through each of the sisters’ eyes, each one clearly distinctive, whilst Emily (once more) is the standout character. They are all independent women, strong-willed and determined and as Victorian women, vastly underestimated by the men. But, I had a hard time accepting the Brontë sisters in this story. Whereas in the two previous books I could believe that the Brontë family were just as Bella Ellis has described them, in this book I couldn’t.

The descriptions of mid 19th century London are vivid, clearly depicting the filthy living conditions of the poor, the sights and foul smells. The details of the Brontës’ search for Harry and the missing jewel test their strength, courage and skill in detection.

There are a few other real people who play a minor role, notably Charles Dickens, who is dismissive when Charlotte, somewhat in awe of him, asks for his advice as a writer, telling her to abandon any ideas of being a novelist and to marry, or teach. His companion, Mrs Catherine Crowe, another real author who wrote supernatural tales, was much more approachable and friendly, contacting her spirit friends to help with Charlotte’s search as well as giving her useful advice as a writer. Another character, with a larger role, is Louis Parensell, who develops a passion for Emily. He was not a real person, but Virginia Moore, a Brontë biographer, misread the handwritten title of Emily’s poem ‘Love’s Farewell’ as ‘Louis Parensell’, and developed the theory that Louis was Emily’s secret lover.

As the novel reached its dramatic climax, Emily in particular is in danger of losing her life as she dared to challenge the Red Monarch. I was most interested in the identity of The Red Monarch – was he in fact a real person, or totally fictitious? There various references to him throughout the novel, what was the origin of his name, and what was the meaning of his insignia? It seemed to be two capital Rs back to back topped with a crown and contained within a five-pointed star of pentagram. Anne had first discovered them and she felt sure they carried a secret meaning to those in know. When the identity of the Red Monarch is finally revealed I was surprised – but it is appropriate in that the real person has been described as a maniacal, controlling man.

I enjoyed this book, but I think the two previous books are much better and seem more authentic, aided by being set in the Brontës’ Yorkshire. They were out of place in London. It all seems to me to be over dramatic and unbelievable. The fictional element far outweighs the historical.

My thanks to Hodder Stoughton for a review copy via NetGalley

Cliches abt female behaviour and sisterly devotion abound In this mystery tale of the Bronte sisters .. it all even begins with threatened rape of a disowned pregnant woman .. there are young vulnerable females needing guidance to stay away from predatory men,,, and good elderly widows who save them... etc etc ... good fun but resting on tropes of historical female fiction. I'd expected more but in any case quite entertaining.

The Red Monarch is third book in the series by Bella Ellis, based on the Brontë sisters and their investigative skills.

They travel down to London on a mission to find the husband of an old friend of theirs who appears to have been wrapped up in some shady activities in London’s underworld.

Each of the Brontë sisters has their own very individual characters which are explored in this story. I enjoyed this book as much as the first story in the series.

My first foray into this genre. Although I found it a little slow to start it wasn't long before I was completely taken in by the story of the Bronte sisters and their brother as detectorists.. The details of the dreadful circumstances people lived in in London and the treatment of young girls was harrowing. It was very well written and the story flowed beautifully. Tough reading at times but happy endings for some - especially the young girls after their dreadful experiences. I will definitely read the previous books and look forward to another new adventure,

Third in the series and the best one to date.
I love this series and for me this was the my favourite. Bringing the sisters to London was ‘ tour de force’ to show their characters out of the usual setting of the moors. A chilling storyline with a despicable villain. Highly recommended.

The Brontes have come to London to solve a mystery. Can they find the missing jewel and help their friend? Is the jewel what they are really looking for or will they only find the truth when they reveal the identity of the Red Monarch. A brilliant read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.