Review
The author of
The Dante Club returns with his sophomore novel, set in mid 19th century
Baltimore and Paris. If you're partial to historical mysteries and especially if
you're a fan of Edgar Allan Poe, this is one that might be of interest.
Personally, I found it good but not great. Towards the middle, when the plot
rambled a little, I recollect thinking that I hoped it would be worth it - and
overall it was - but it wasn't a book that kept me up at night! Judge for
yourself by reading an excerpt at BookBrowse.
If you do decide to read
The Poe Shadow in full you'd be wise to first read/re-read Poe's 3 short stories featuring Auguste Dupin (
The Murders in the Rue Morgue,
The Mystery of Marie
Roget and
The Purloined Letter).
Also, Poe fans (indeed fans of high quality historical thrillers per se) will...
Beyond the Book
Edgar Allan Poe was born Edgar Poe in 1809 to Elizabeth and David Poe, both
actors. They died when he was three and he was taken in by John Allan, a tobacco
merchant living in Virginia. He became estranged from his foster father in
the mid to late 1820s and joined the US Army under the name Edgar Perry - he
served for two years before being discharged with the rank of Sergeant in 1829.
During this time he published his first book,
Tamerlane and Other Poems.
His foster-mother's deathbed wish was that he would reconcile with his
foster-father, who arranged for him to attend the military academy at West
Point, but while there he deliberately disobeyed orders and was dismissed - and
was promptly disowned by his foster-father again.
Poe moved to...
