Overview

"Before there was Frankenstein, a young Mary Shelley, her stepsister Jane ""Claire"" Clairmont, and poet Percy Bysshe Shelley are drawn into a shocking murder investigation in this deliciously captivating new historical mystery revolving around the real-life trio who would later scandalize 19th century England even as they transformed the literary world. Before there was Frankenstein, a young Mary Shelley, her stepsister Jane ""Claire"" Clairmont, and poet Percy Bysshe Shelley are drawn into a shocking murder investigation in this deliciously captivating new historical mystery revolving around the real-life trio who would later scandalize 19th century England even as they transformed the literary world. London, 1814- Mary Godwin and her stepsister Jane Clairmont, both sixteen, possess quick minds bolstered by an unconventional upbringing, and have little regard for the rules that other young ladies follow. Mary, whose mother famously advocated for women's rights, rejects the two paths that seem open to her-that of an assistant in her father's bookshop, or an ordinary wife. Though quieter and more reserved than the boisterous Jane, Mary's imagination is keen, and she longs for real-world adventures. One evening, an opportunity arrives in the form of a dinner guest, Percy Bysshe Shelley. At twenty-one, Shelley is already a renowned poet and radical. Mary finds their visitor handsome and compelling, but it is later that evening, after the party has broken up, that events take a truly intriguing turn. When Mary comes downstairs in search of a book, she finds instead a man face down on the floor-with a knife in his back. The dead man, it seems, was a former classmate of Shelley's, and had lately become a personal and professional rival. What was he doing in the Godwins' home? Mary, Jane, and Shelley are all drawn to learn the truth behind the tragedy, especially as each discovery seems to hint at a tangled web that includes many in Shelley's closest circle. But as the attraction between Mary and the married poet intensifies, it sparks a rivalry between the sisters, even as it kindles the creative fire within . . ."

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9781496737991

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Praise for Heather Redmond: Watching young Charles sniff out the connection between the two deaths is only part of the fun. Readers can...travel through a historical London that's vivid without being overcrowded with detail. Each character's voice is distinctive and appropriate to the period...Mystery fans and history buffs alike should cheer. -Kirkus Reviews STARRED REVIEW for A Tale of Two Murders One of the most satisfying mysteries you will read this year. -Suspense Magazine on Grave Expectations Redmond's appealing sequel...effectively captures the young Charles's ebullient energy, the warmth of his circle, and the color of a fast-changing era. Readers will look forward to Charles's further adventures. -Publishers Weekly on Grave Expectations Atmospheric, absorbing...a worthy read that provides some armchair time travel and is great for fans of Christopher Fowler's Bryant & May series. -Booklist on Grave Expectations

Praise for Heather Redmond: Grave Expectations is as easy to read as one of Mr. Dickens' actual novels and as entertaining. As the subtitle reveals, it's a Dickens of a tale, and readers should be coming back for more. -The New York Journal of Books on Grave Expectations The life of a promising journalist in 19th-century London is complicated, but Redmond's hero is more than up to the challenge in this topsy-turvy take on a British literary classic. Once again, Redmond mixes history, mystery, and a little bit of whimsy. -Kirkus Reviews on Grave Expectations One of the most satisfying mysteries you will read this year. -Suspense Magazine on Grave Expectations Redmond's appealing sequel...effectively captures the young Charles's ebullient energy, the warmth of his circle, and the color of a fast-changing era. Readers will look forward to Charles's further adventures. -Publishers Weekly on Grave Expectations Atmospheric, absorbing...a worthy read that provides some armchair time travel and is great for fans of Christopher Fowler's Bryant & May series. -Booklist on Grave Expectations

Author Information

Heather Redmond is the author of the Mary Shelley Mysteries, Dickens of a Crime series and the Journaling Mysteries, as well as historical and contemporary romances written under the name Heather Hiestand. Though her last known British ancestor departed London in the 1920s, she is a committed anglophile, Dickens devotee, and lover of all things nineteenth century. She has lived in Illinois, California, and Texas, and now resides in a small town in Washington State with her husband and son. The president of the Columbia River Chapter of Sisters in Crime, she be found online at HeatherRedmond.com.

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