I HEARD A FLY BUZZ WHEN I DIED

Maybe all writer Emily Dickinson needed to become a crime-solver was the help of her household maid.

Emily’s not a big fan of change. She’s only just recently been adjusting to her brother Austin’s marriage, even though his wife, Susan, is her closest friend. Now that the couple have returned from their honeymoon, they’re already preparing to welcome their first guest to their home, the Evergreens: famed author Ralph Waldo Emerson, who could either lift up local writers or dash their hopes when he speaks at the Amherst Literary Society. Willa Noble, Emily’s household maid and secret friend despite their class differences, can’t help but worry that Mr. Emerson’s presence will put undue stress on Emily, whose admiration for him runs deep. It turns out that Emily’s been more stressed by the presence of Mr. Emerson’s secretary, Luther Howard, who’s been devoting the week to securing the affections of either Emily or her sister, Lavinia, whomever’s head he can turn first. The sudden death of Mr. Howard is something Emily neither welcomes nor mourns, though she’s sad for Lavinia’s sake. When it appears that Mr. Howard has been deliberately poisoned, Emily and Willa work together to solve the case, each exploiting her social position as an asset in her investigation. Along the way, they rub shoulders with several other writing luminaries, especially scene-stealing Miss Alcott, whose candor about writing’s bottom line is notably refreshing.

Aside from a few zingers, Dickinson’s a better poet than cozy detective.