Amy B. (BaileysBooks) reviewed on 8/14/2008 + 491 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 11

I've heard several people complain about this book, saying that it was too slow, boring, and mostly uneventful. I happen to disagree. I really enjoy historical fiction from this era and I was not disappointed with Pearl's efforts. While I believe that The Dante Club is more likely to appeal to a larger audience, I still found this book well worth reading.

I feel like Matthew Pearl did a very good job in attempting to piece together the clues surrounding the mysterious death of Poe. He did so with a seamless transition of fact and fiction, bringing in quite a colorful cast of investigators (with no less than two C. Auguste Dupins, to be exact) and a plot that, while not exceptionally fast-paced, did move forward. Perhaps 'steady' would be the best choice of words.

Before reading this book I would recommend checking out Poe's original short stories featuring C. Auguste Dupin, the prototype that Doyle eventually molded into Sherlock Holmes. 'Murder in the Rue Morgue' is considered to be the first true detective fiction story. It was followed by 'The Mystery of Marie Roget' and 'The Purloined Letter.' I read them prior to reading The Poe Shadow and found that it helped me to appreciate and enjoy Pearl's work that much more.

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