The Madwoman Upstairs

'A funny, smart read with a kick-ass heroine' Sun on Sunday. A witty, light-hearted comedy about love and fiction, and the all-important difference between the two.

Think you know Charlotte, Emily & Anne? Think again. Samantha Whipple is the last remaining descendent of the illustrious Bronte family, of Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre fame. After losing her father, a brilliant author in his own right, it is up to Samantha to piece together the mysterious family inheritance lurking somewhere in her past - yet the only clues she has at her disposal are the Bronte's own novels. With the aid of her handsome but inscrutable Oxford tutor, Samantha must repurpose the tools of literature to unearth an untold family legacy, and in the process, finds herself face to face with what may be literature's greatest secret.

“A funny, smart read with a kick-ass heroine”

A perfectly paced and plotted literary mystery with a wonderful heroine at its heart - Elle magazine

An absolutely brilliant, fun debut - Open Book, BBC Radio 4

My pick is this fast-paced, very funny mystery about the (fictional) last-remaining descendant of the Brontes trying to unravel clues that will reveal long hidden secrets about the famous sisters - Elle Magazine, Best New Books for 2016

- Sun on Sunday

Catherine Lowell's debut is a smart and funny literary mystery set among the dreaming spires of Oxford University. Lowell's deft handling of her quirky characters and unpredictable plot twists make The Madwoman Upstairs a charming and memorable read - Deborah Harkness, No.1 internationally bestselling author of A Discovery of Witches

Filled with gothic twists and leading [the protagonist] - and the reader - down pathways strewn with Bronte arcana - New York Times Book Review

Blending a detective story with a Jane/Mr Rochester-style romance, it has something for everyone - Stylist

If you liked the page-turning historical mystery of The Discovery of Witches trilogy, are just a little bit obsessed by the Brontes and have a small crush on Mr Rochester, this entertaining literary romp has got your name all over it - The Pool

Catherine Lowell received her BA in Creative Writing from Stanford University and currently lives in New York City.The Madwoman Upstairs is her first novel.

' A funny, smart read with a kick-ass heroine' Sun on Sunday. A witty, light-hearted comedy about love and fiction, and the all-important difference between the two. Think you know Charlotte, Emily & Anne? Think again. Samantha Whipple is the last remaining descendent of the illustrious Bront family, of Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre fame. After losing her father, a brilliant author in his own right, it is up to Samantha to piece together the mysterious family inheritance lurking somewhere in her past - yet the only clues she has at her disposal are the Bront's own novels. With the aid of her handsome but inscrutable Oxford tutor, Samantha must repurpose the tools of literature to unearth an untold family legacy, and in the process, finds herself face to face with what may be literature's greatest secret.

' A funny, smart read with a kick-ass heroine' Sun on Sunday. A witty, light-hearted comedy about love and fiction, and the all-important difference between the two. Think you know Charlotte, Emily & Anne? Think again. Samantha Whipple is the last remaining descendent of the illustrious Bronte family, of Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre fame. After losing her father, a brilliant author in his own right, it is up to Samantha to piece together the mysterious family inheritance lurking somewhere in her past - yet the only clues she has at her disposal are the Bronte's own novels. With the aid of her handsome but inscrutable Oxford tutor, Samantha must repurpose the tools of literature to unearth an untold family legacy, and in the process, finds herself face to face with what may be literature's greatest secret.

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