Once Upon a Crime: A Brothers Grimm Mystery

by P. J. Brackston

Overview

From New York Times bestselling author P. J. Brackston comes the prequel to Gretel and the Case of the Missing Frog Prints, the new novel in the rollicking series featuring Gretel, all grown up and working as a private investigator in 18th century Bavaria.

Gretel (yes, that Gretel) is now 35, very large, still living with her brother Hans, and working as a private investigator.

The small, sleepy town of Gesternstadt is shaken to its pretty foundations when the workshop of the local cart maker is burnt to the ground, and a body is discovered in the ashes. It is Gretel who notices that the cadaver is missing a finger. At first she does not see this as significant, as her mind is fully focused on a new case. Not that she wouldn’t far rather be investigating an intriguing murder, but her client is willing to pay over the odds, so she must content herself with trying to trace three missing cats. It is not until she is further into her investigations that she realizes the two events are inextricably and dangerously connected, and that the mystery of the missing cats will lead her into perilous situations and frightening company.

Very soon Gretel finds herself accused of kidnapping Princess Charlotte, twice locked up in the cells at the Summer Schloss, repelling the advances of an amorous troll, strapped to a rack in Herr Schmerz’s torture chamber, and fleeing a murder charge. With dubious help from her brother (whose scant wits are habitually addled by drink), she must prove her innocence, solve the puzzle of the unidentified corpse, and find the stolen cats before they meet a grisly end.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781605988139
Publisher:	Pegasus Books
Publication date:	07/15/2015
Series:	Brothers Grimm Mysteries , #2
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	NOOK Book
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	519,011
File size:	489 KB

About the Author

P.J. Brackston is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Witch's Daughter; The Winter Witch; and Nutters. She has an MA in Creative Writing from Lancaster University and is a Visiting Lecturer for the University of Wales, Newport. Brackston lives in Wales with her partner, Simon, and their two children.

Editorial Reviews

05/11/2015
In Brackston’s whimsical second Brothers Grimm–inspired novel (after Gretel and the Case of the Missing Frog Prints), a grown-up Gretel, of Hansel and Gretel fame, has set up shop as a PI in 1776 Bavaria and is eager for paying clients so that she can indulge her tastes for fine clothing. When Frau Hapsburg asks Gretel to trace her missing cats, the investigator takes advantage of her desperation to jack up her fees. But things go less than smoothly for Gretel, especially after a dead man is found in her rooms with her hunting knife sticking out of his chest. Some readers will be amused by the author’s assigning characters names straight out of fairy tales (Kingsman Kapitan Strudel, Herr Hund, etc.) and by such deliberate anachronisms as fashion-obsessed Gretel lusting for some “Timmy Chew shoes.” Others, especially those who value plot and character development, may be less charmed. Agent: Kate Hordern, Kate Hordern Literary Agency. (July)

Publishers Weekly

P. J.
Brackston has taken fairytale characters, fleshed them out with real life experiences and human frailties and foibles, dropped them into storybook-perfect towns, added a whole lot of humour and created a rollicking and entertaining novel. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Historical Novel Society

Clever and cute. Delightfully witty vignettes matched with a solid plot. A real charmer. A wonderful mystery series, something truly different and enjoyable to read.

Bookgasm

Brackston sets her fairy-tale sequels in the Bavaria of 1776, blending fantasy and whimsy with a touch of satire. Another entertaining outing for those readers who like the idea of mixing fractured fairy tales with a little mystery.

Booklist

Thoroughly delightful—I’m interested in what case Gretel will work on next.

KidsReads.com

Brackston sets her fairy-tale sequels in the Bavaria of 1776, blending fantasy and whimsy with a touch of satire. Another entertaining outing for those readers who like the idea of mixing fractured fairy tales with a little mystery.

Booklist

A sensitive, beautifully written account. If the Brontë sisters had penned magical realism, this would have been the result.

The Guardian

With her first novel, author Paula Brackston conjures up a riveting tale of sorcery and time travel. By mixing feminine heroism with masculine might, Brackston successfully captivates readers with characters Bess, an immortal witch, and sinister dark lord, Gideon... the skill with which Brackston weaves her characters through time makes this a fascinating take on global history.

Marie Claire

07/01/2015
And now we know how fairy tales really end: with slovenly heroes and heroines trying to make a living. Gretel, of Hansel and Gretel fame, is now a 35-year-old overweight private investigator in the quaint Bavarian town of Gesternstadt. After rescuing her brother and returning safely from the witch's cottage, the siblings were able to attend prestigious schools, courtesy of the king, but now life has become a grinding, monotonous trial. Hired by Fran Hapsburg to find her missing cats, Gretel stumbles across a clue in the burned-out remains of Herr Hund's carriage shop. The trail leads her to trolls, giants, and the alleged kidnapping of Princess Charlotte. VERDICT A prequel to Gretel and the Case of the Frog Prints, this spoof of Brothers Grimm fairy tales will have readers laughing out loud.

Library Journal