“I believe that there may be at least four novels’ worth of stories in the events of our last detection,” Charlotte said. “Now that we are to be celebrated poets, we should not waste a moment but follow up our literary success with three stories, as exciting and thrilling as we can make them.”

“But will people ever believe that we have drawn our plots from experience?” Anne asked.

“No,” Charlotte said, going to the mantel, where she retrieved four letters from behind the clock, each one containing a new case that required the services of a detector. “And God forbid that they ever should.”

"Music on Christmas Morning"

"Music on Christmas Morning""

by Anne Brontë

Music I love—but never strain

Could kindle raptures so divine,

So grief assuage, so conquer pain,

And rouse this pensive heart of mine—

As that we hear on Christmas morn,

Upon the wintry breezes borne.

Author’s Note

As ever when I am writing a Brontë Sisters Mystery novel, I endeavour to keep biographical facts about the Brontë family accurate. In The Diabolical Bones I’ve included a scene in which the book of poems is accepted for publication by Aylott and Jones; although this did happen, it didn’t actually take place until a month later, in January 1846. Charlotte wrote to Aylott and Jones on January 28, and before the end of January was making arrangements to have the books printed at the sisters’ own expense.

Charlotte always claimed that Branwell didn’t know about his sisters’ secret writing careers; however, we do know that on March 28, 1846, Charlotte wrote to Aylott and Jones asking them to address all correspondence to her real name in the future, as there had been “a little mistake” with proof copies addressed to “Mr C Brontë Esq.” Could it be that Branwell had opened the post by mistake? It is possible.

If you are familiar with famous Brontë locations, you will know that Top Withens is a real place. Top Withens was originally a farmhouse dating from the early sixteenth century. In 1591 it was divided into three farms: Top, Middle and Lower Withens. The farms were occupied until the 1930s, when Lower and Middle Withens were pulled down, and Top Withens blocked up. In creating Top Withens Hall I have followed Emily’s lead in Wuthering Heights, using the beauty spot that is widely believed to be the geographical position of the house in the novel, but replacing the humble farmhouse with a much grander building. There is a great deal of evidence pointing to beautiful Ponden Hall as the model for Wuthering Heights, particularly internally—it is a place where Emily spent a great deal of time—with some of the gothic splendour of High Sunderland Hall thrown in for good measure. I feel sure Emily, like every author, took elements of what she knew to create something unique to her novel.