Sunday, May 24, 2020

I Have Bella Ellis Covered!




It's been a while since I've had a Cover-Off, so I thought I'd better do something about that!

Today I'm comparing the US and UK covers of Bella Ellis's upcoming Brontë Sisters mystery, The Diabolical Bones. (If you want to know what I thought of the first book in the series, The Vanished Bride, you're welcome to take a look.) According to Amazon, The Diabolical Bones will be available in the UK on November 5 and in the US on November 10, but with the publishing industry thrown into a tizzy by the pandemic, I know I'll be doublechecking the dates.

Let's get down to it and see these covers!





My thoughts on the US cover...

I like the colors, but the fonts they use seem a bit wimpy-- and the author's name almost completely disappears in the fog. I like that it proclaims that this is a Brontë Sisters mystery because there have to be plenty of fans (like me) who will see that and have to pick up the book. Holding up a lantern in the fog does give the cover some spooky appeal, but-- is it just me?-- I look at this and am reminded of a Nancy Drew cover. Nancy Drew in hoopskirts? Maybe it's just me! All in all, it's a nice cover, but not particularly striking or memorable. I even find the blurb inoffensive and I normally hate blurbs.

My thoughts on the UK cover...

The color choices are much more classic, and all the print shows up well against the background. I'm fairly certain the building is the Brontë Parsonage in Haworth, and there is a woman standing in front of it with the pages of a book skittering around in the wind.

Perhaps it's the way those tree branches are highlighted, but I find this cover more atmospheric than the US one with its fog. There are no leaves, so it's cold. The wind is blowing. If you have to run through these woods, those branches are going to grab at you, scratch you, lash out at your face, hold you back. As you can see the UK cover gets my imagination going, while the US cover could just be three women looking for a lost dog at night.

Final Verdict...

From what I've already said, it will come as no surprise that I prefer the UK cover. Understated, classic, yet still packs a visual and imaginative punch.

What about you? Which cover do you prefer? US? UK? Too close to call? Don't care for either one? Inquiring minds would love to know!


10 comments:

  1. I'm with you, Cathy. I find the UK cover more atmospheric and even evocative than I do the US cover. It's classy, too.

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  2. Definitely the UK cover. The US cover does nothing for me, but boy, the UK cover catches my eye and my interest.

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  3. I agree with your thoughts on the US vs. UK cover. Nancy Drew in a hoop skirt! Ha!

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    1. I wondered if anyone would like that phrase! LOL

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  4. The British cover, no contest. The font pulled me in and then the colors and vines or branches.

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  5. Definitely the UK cover. It indicates the Gothic feeling on the moors that I associate with the Brontes.

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