A review by joelkarpowitz
The Poe Shadow by Matthew Pearl

2.0

If I hadn't abandoned the last book I had on here (Houdini biography, you haunt me still!) I probably wouldn't have bothered with this one. Pearl's protagonist is annoying, illogical, and dull. The story drags at every turn, and the conclusion is just not satisfying. Pearl researched Poe's death extensively, and those elements remain intriguing, but ultimately the solution he presents has as many holes as any other theory regarding Poe's final days. After the fun of The Dante Club, this second Pearl book was disappointing.