I Died for Beauty is the third episode in the historical mystery series featuring real-life poet Emily Dickinson and her maid, Willa Noble. Whenever something untoward happens in Amherst, Massachusetts, Emily is curious and eager to figure out who is responsible. She always grabs Willa to accompany her in her informal investigations, along with Emily's big dog, Carlo.

The winter of 1857 is a snowy and bitter cold one in western Massachusetts. Even the railroads have stopped running, and people are burning a lot of wood inside their homes to keep warm. Unfortunately, some structures have also caught fire and have burned down. This is exactly what happens to the Dooley family. Husband and wife, Hugh and Eve, are tragic victims when their house is lost to the flames. Their daughter, Norah Rose, is the lone survivor. Now an orphan, Norah Rose is reluctantly taken in by Austin and Susan Dickinson, Emily's brother and sister-in-law, who are also her next-door neighbors. This arrangement is only temporary, however, until some Dooley relative can be found to take care of the little girl.

Soon it seems likely that the Dooley fire was not an accident. Why would this small Irish family be targeted by anybody? Emily wants to solve the mystery. As usual, Willa has to hustle to keep up with her. Together they explore Kelley Square, the Irish neighborhood of Amherst, as well as the nearby campus of Amherst College itself, all in the snow. Emily is sure that a connection with the college will be discovered. The pair also keeps running into Officer Matthew Thomas, who happens to like Willa a whole lot. Willa keeps putting off his quiet advances, since they interfere with her job at the Dickinson home. Will these two ever be able to find time for one another?

At the same time, noted suffragist and abolitionist Lucy Stone is stranded in town because of the snow. Some of her ideas serve to startle the polite women of Amherst. Her lectures, both in the parlor and in the lecture hall, help to remind us of the assumed gender roles and lifestyle limitations of the 1850s.

Author Amanda Flower ties up an important thread at the end of this book. Is this an indication that the series is ending? Maybe. I think she could find a way to keep the stories coming, if she wants to. She does a good job at being as historically accurate as possible, whenever she adds the fictional mystery to the solid background. This task is not a quick or an easy one. Still, I'm sure readers will want to keep following Emily Dickinson's curious and creative mind, if her handler will allow it and will encourage it.

Nevertheless, I highly recommend all three books in this series: Because I Could Not Stop for Death, I Heard a Fly Buzz as I Died and I Died for Beauty. Fans of historical fiction and fans of Emily Dickinson should all be pleased with these storylines. And if more books appear in the future? So much the better.