London 1814

When I read the blurb on this book I was instantly intrigued. I am very immersed in historical fiction and could not wait to read.

Setting is when Mary is young and meets her future husband. Her stepsister Jane are both attracted to Shelley when they meet him at a dinner party. But a murder occurs and the story begins.

Looking forward to more in this series and hope there is an audible version soon!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Heather Redmond for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Death and the Sisters coming out September 26, 2023. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

London, 1814: Mary Godwin and her stepsister Jane Clairmont, both sixteen, possess quick-witted minds stemming from their unique upbringing, and pay little attention to the rules that other young ladies follow. Mary, whose mother famously advocated for women’s rights, refuses the two paths that are open to her—that of an assistant in her father’s bookshop, or a wife. Though more reserved than the boisterous Jane, Mary’s imagination is keen, and she yearns for worldly adventures. 

One evening, a chance encounter 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 most recently become rival. What was he doing in the Godwins’ home? Mary, Jane, and Shelley are all eager to the truth behind the tragedy, especially as each new discovery seems to unravel a tangled web that includes many in Shelley’s inner circle. But as the chemistry between Mary and the married poet intensifies, it sparks a rivalry between the sisters, even as it kindles the creative fire within.

I’ve read another book by this author. I love how she uses classic authors in her stories. So I was excited to check this out. Mary Shelley is fascinating as an authoress. I loved the first half of the book. I thought it was really interesting idea to explain Mary’s fascination with horror. The middle got a little muddled for me. I think it was a little much with the romance and sisters’ rivalry and murder investigation. And Shelley didn’t seem as strong a character as I thought he’d be. I definitely thought the sisters had strong personalities and I loved that. I loved how they were eager to solve the mystery. I definitely want to check out other books that might be in the series. I think more will be revealed and fleshed out later in the series.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys literary authors and murder mysteries!

This is an excellent historical murder mystery set in early 19th century London, England. The sisters of the title are stepsisters Mary (Wollstonecraft) Godwin and Jane Clairmont Godwin. William Godwin owns a bookshop, though he once was the foremost radical philosopher of the time. Married to Mary Wollstonecraft, the author of A Vindication Of The Rights Of Women, he married Mary Jane Clairmont after Wollstonecraft died.
Once you get all this down, you’re good to go 😊.
One of the things I loved about the novel are the bookish moments. Mary’s desire to write fiction lets us inside her head as she creates long picaresque paragraphs inspired by her daily conflicts with the family and the book store. The bookstore is failing, however, and this brings trouble to their door in the guise of Percy Bysshe Shelley and the discovery of a dead body by stepsister Jane.
Jane and Mary share the narrative, Jane in the first person and Mary in the third, which I much appreciated as it saved me from getting confused during chapter shifts. Two teenage girls with much the same upbringing would have been too difficult to differentiate and would get in the way of the story if they’d both been first or third person, so this was a good choice by the author. The sisterly conflicts include their mutual attraction to Shelley and this plays out as a nice counterpoint to the story without overwhelming it.
London and Skinner Street have a character all their own and are vividly alive as a backdrop to the culture and story.
A thoroughly complicated and enjoyable mystery with a satisfying ending. Also, with the promise of more mysteries for the sisters to solve to come.
Highly recommended for lovers of historical mysteries.

In London, 1814, There were three sisters; Mary, Jane and Fanny. While they take care of their father’s bookshop, their mother refuse to become assistant in her father’s bookshop or an ordinary wife. The book has 19th century London backdrop. The book is compelling and gripping. The characters are intriguing and some are mysterious. I love that the mystery slowly unveils. The author has given clues to solve the mystery and I love the vibe of this book. It’s a mix of classic and mystery.

The unexpected happens when Percy Shelley, a poet, comes for dinner at their house. That seems to be the opportunity for them to meet the renowned poet but the dinner party turns into a night of tragedy when a man is found dead in the bookshop.

Thank you Publisher. Author, and Netgalley

An intriguing premise for a historical mystery that didn't quite work for me I found myself researching the facts about the various characters and this took me out of the story. Points to Redmond for exploring the early lives of those who made significant contributions to literature. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC.

As an educator who teaches nineteenth-century literature, I previewed this book to see if my college freshman students might enjoy it in tandem with reading Mary Shelley's FRANKENSTEIN. After reading it, I think it would make an excellent extra-credit reading for them to learn more about how Mary Shelley and Claire Clairmont were raised in the unconventional Godwin household. Framing their early experiences, essentially as teenagers, within the context of a mystery will also provide my students with those fascinating details that made them both into writers--leading into our readings of Mary's fiction and Claire's letters.

The novel does such an excellent job of portraying early nineteenth-century London, and the roles young women were expected to play at the time. I think both Mary and Claire are appealing and mostly historically accurate characters, though Shelley seems a little less historically correct (still, nicely developed). All of the characterisations work for me, as does the mystery.

I also think the novel illustrates how fiction can re-create the history behind writers who seem a bit remote to students and readers today. My only slight (very slight) criticism is the shift in POV from first person with Claire to third person with Mary; that aspects seems a bit awkward at times but doesn't detract from the novel.

Thank you to Net Gallery!

I really enjoyed Heather Redmond's previous books, the Dickens series being one of my favourites. This I thought would be right up my street when I applied for the arc. Strangely enough, I was not that keen on this book, I just could not connect with the characters, truth be told I did not really like them. The story was decent but sorry this one was not for me.

Thank you NetGalley for the eArc copy of this book.

It was a unique read. I wasn't sure what to expect going in. I knew that this was based on elements of reality and that the author had done a lot of research. I also loved the cover, it was definitely a vibe!

I wouldn't say it was my most favourite read of the year. But definitely a unique one.

The pacing of this book was too slow for me. The narration kept switching between first and third person and was a bit confusing. It was also confusing to remember which chapters were Mary and which were Jane because their voices weren't distinct enough. I loved the concept and the cover art, but the story wasn't for me.

3 Stars for Death and the Sisters which was a decent historical fiction mystery about some of England's poets and authors. Mary Godwin and her stepsister Jane Clairmont both want a more adventurous life then what their parents are giving them. What happens when a young poet turns up dead and murdered in their parent's bookshop? Who was guilty of this crime? This book was well written, easy to follow and the plot was moving at a decent pace. I would recommend this to other readers because it was an adventurous mystery with great characters to follow along with. This historical mystery was a decent book. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this ARC read.

What even was this book? I’m sorry but I didn’t enjoy it and even the description of the book I couldn’t follow.

Thank you, NetGalley and Kensington Books, for my free copy in exchange for review.

Death and the Sisters presents an intriguing murder mystery featuring prominent literary figures as its central characters. As readers delve into the story, they embark on a journey of solving the enigma surrounding the killer's identity and underlying motivations. However, upon closer examination, this book offers more than just a thrilling investigation; it delves into the intricacies of life within the Godwin household.

The family dynamics portrayed in this narrative are captivating, particularly when two families unite through marriage. Jane and Mary, who are of similar age, maintain a harmonious relationship on the surface but possess an underlying competitive nature that adds humor to their interactions. Mary's strained relationship with her stepmother adds further complexity to her character. Jane, although driven to surpass her sister, experiences profound loneliness. This vulnerability is evident in her desire to form connections and make friends, which adds a touching dimension to her character.

One aspect I find slightly dissatisfying is when certain characters withhold crucial information until near the end of the story. While subtle hints may suggest their knowledge throughout the novel, nothing substantial unveils itself until later.

In conclusion, Death and The Sisters provides an engaging adventure revolving around Mary and Jane's sibling rivalry intertwined with their amateur detective work. This endeavor serves as only a precursor to what lies ahead in subsequent installments of this series. I eagerly anticipate witnessing how these characters evolve in future books.

I found this mystery very well written and the author does a superb job of creating a sense of historical London. The oscillating chapters between Mary and her sister kept me from fully immersing myself in the story. While the chapter headings informed you of the switch I didn't find a change in tone or voice to switch me to that character's POV, so I was often left confused. I found it a bit tough to get going with this read as there are many characters with varying relationships so the character list in the beginning was a necessity. Knowing nothing of Mary Shelley's life, I found the backstory created by this novel to be fascinating and definitely worth the read.

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read Death and the Sisters by Heather Redmond. It is a tale of Mary Shelley before she was Mary Shelley and her sisters. I found that I didn’t enjoy it as much as I do Redmond’s other stories, particularly her dickens stories.

I unfortunately had to leave this book part way through as I felt that I wasn’t enjoying it enough to keep reading. However, there were aspects to this book which I did enjoy, alongside those which I felt were disadvantages. As I don’t want to discourage others from reading this book (I think it may well be it just is not the book for me, and others may enjoy it far more), I do want to give useful/constructive feedback. I thought I would give three things I liked and three things which lead to me not continuing to read this book.
3 things I liked about Death and The Sisters:
- The premise of the book! I loved the idea of giving more time to Mary Shelley (née Godwin) before her marriage and subsequent overshadowing by Percy Bysshe Shelley
- The cover art, which I thought was fantastic. Gothic, mysterious, and I thought the skull was a clever nod to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.
- Some of the writing and descriptions, particularly the parts talking about Mary Shelley’s mother, Mary Wollenstonecraft
3 things which I enjoyed less (but which will definitely not be disadvantages in everyone else’s opinions, so don’t let them dissuade you from reading this book!):
- The dialogue, which felt like a mixture of modern (for example “You are so right”) and period accurate (“Faith!”) phrases and I would have preferred it to have stuck to one or the other style
- The narration felt like it was almost switching between first and third person without meaning to, so at times it was hard to tell whose point of view was being described, and I found that this made the writing and descriptions less clear/readable
- The way that Mary’s relationship with her stepmother and sisters was portrayed felt a bit Cinderella-esque, which for me spoilt the book a bit as it felt rather clichéd, however I do understand that this is personal preference of mine to not read that style of writing and therefore I wouldn’t not recommend it because of this, it just wasn’t the right book for me
I really hope this review comes across in the way I mean it to - it’s not a negative criticism of the book or the author, just my personal opinions and a few things which I lead to me not continuing reading it! However, I’m really great full nonetheless for the opportunity to read and review this - many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley!

I’m a bit suspicious when authors choose to turn historical figures into fictional detectives. Whether it’s Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, or even mystery novelists such as Josephine Tey or Agatha Christie, the historian in me resists. Shouldn’t they be left in peace, respected for what they actually did, and be included in fiction, if necessary, as themselves?

Obviously, many readers feel differently, because these books sell. In that context, it is appealing to see some attention being paid to the long-neglected Mary Godwin Shelley, best known as the author of “Frankenstein.” In the opening to Heather Redmond’s new mystery series, Mary Godwin (not yet Shelley) and her half-sister and close lifetime companion Jane Clairmont are living in a rather run-down house in a disreputable London neighborhood, where they spend their time watching their parents’ bookshop. Their father, an illustrious political thinker and writer, has fallen on hard times.

The poet Percy Bysshe Shelley has offered to act as Godwin’s patron, although Shelley’s own fortunes are somewhat tangled. That brings the poet into contact with the two girls, still teenagers. When Mary stumbles over a dead body in the bookshop who turns out to be an acquaintance of Shelley’s, it seems natural for the three of them to pool their intellectual resources to figure out not only who killed the victim but whether the killer intended to murder someone else. Yes, Bow Street is on the case, and in fact the officer in charge makes an arrest, but Mary and Jane are convinced the police have the wrong man. And if you’ve ever read a mystery story featuring an amateur detective, you know that the girls must be right.

What makes it all work is the bright intelligence and strong relationship between Mary and Jane, raised as unconventional women in a very conventional time, as well as the author’s rich attention to details of society, everyday life, and even weather. It’s a fun read and an intriguing case, even if it’s not something Mary Shelley ever did in real life.

I hope to interview this author on my blog (link below) in September 2023.

I wanted to love this book, Mary Shelley and other historical characters, a murder mystery, a re-telling of Frankenstein, everything called to me... but sadly Mary and her step-sister were soooo very unpleasant that they just alienated me. I kept putting the book down and it got harder and harder to pick it up.
I'm very much the type of person that needs to like the characters to enjoy a book, and have trouble hanging on even if the plot is good. The book is well written and wonderfully researched and who doesn't love a historical murder? But this one just wasn't for me.

The premise of this is great, and the title and cover drew me in, it didn't deliver for me. I liked the idea of a retelling of Mary Shelley's life but there were too many Mary's and I couldn't work out who was who and the characters felt one dimensional. The pace was really slow and I ended up putting it down and not picking it back up.

In this exquisite retelling of Frankenstein and the authors life was completely unique. I could have not thought of a more wild and yet wonder way to blend this mystery! Completely wonderful!

There's a lot of potential in this series but there's also a lot of possible pitfall as the historical characters were quite strong
Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin is the mother of sci-fi and an intellectual, Shelley was a radical and a great poet. They are well researched but they're also a bit "light" comparing to the historical characters.
I liked the mystery as it's solid and kept me guessing.
I want to read other novels in this series.
3.5 upped to 4
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine