ARC Review: Because I Could Not Stop for Death by Amanda Flower

Because I Could Not Stop for Death
Author: Amanda Flower
Series: An Emily Dickinson Mystery (Book 1)
Publication: Berkley (September 20, 2022)

Description: 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....

My Thoughts: Soon after young Willa Noble gets a job as a maid for the Dickenson family in Amherst, she learns that her younger brother Henry has died in a stable accident. She is both heartbroken and unconvinced of the accuracy of this verdict. 

When the eldest daughter of the family, Emily, offers to help her investigate Henry's death, Willa begins something that will answer her questions and expand her life. Emily is not yet the famous poet, but scraps of paper all over the house and a unique viewpoint give hints about her future. Willa is dragged along as Emily takes them to the stable where Henry died and as far away as Washington, DC, in their search for answers. 

I thought the setting and time period were particularly well done in this mystery. I loved the descriptions of the train trip and the sites in Washington. Since this story takes place in 1855, it was no surprise that the Underground Railroad and the issue of slavery would be major plot points. I had the villain figured out pretty quickly but still enjoyed the journey to the resolution of the story. 

This was a slow-paced story with some interesting characters. I liked Emily. I had some trouble with picturing Willa as a detective even though she really wanted to know what happened to her younger brother. She seemed to live too narrow and safe a life. 

Fans of historical mysteries will enjoy this one.

Favorite Quote:

"There is always a reason to write," Emily said. "Words fall differently on the page than they do from the lips. There is more control, more thought, and more possibility."

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.