The Pale Blue Eye: A Novel (P.S.) - Softcover

Bayard, Louis

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0060733985 ISBN 13: 9780060733988

Publisher: William Morrow & Company, 2007

Synopsis

"Shockingly clever and devoutly unsentimental...reads like a lost classic. Bayard reinvigorates historical fiction."- New York Times Book Review

An ingenious tale of murder and revenge at West Point, featuring a retired detective and a young cadet named Edgar Allan Poe--from the author of Courting Mr. Lincoln.

At West Point Academy in 1830, the calm of an October evening is shattered by the discovery of a young cadet's body swinging from a rope. The next morning, an even greater horror comes to light. Someone has removed the dead man's heart. Augustus Landor--who acquired some renown in his years as a New York City police detective--is called in to discreetly investigate. It's a baffling case Landor must pursue in secret, for the scandal could do irreparable damage to the fledgling institution. But he finds help from an unexpected ally--a moody, young cadet with a penchant for drink, two volumes of poetry to his name, and a murky past that changes from telling to telling. The strange and haunted Southern poet for whom Landor develops a fatherly affection, is named Edgar Allan Poe.

About this title

Review:

"Worthy of...high praise."--Bookreporter.com

"Full of delightfully unexpected twists that continue to the very last pages of the novel."--Denver Post

"Finely executed prose...An exquisitely rendered character study, imaginatively gothic, compelling."--Memphis Commercial Appeal

"Poe, an exacting critic...would have been impressed by Bayard's intelligence and fluidity as a writer."--Oregonian

"Seemlessly blends Poe into an engrossing whodunit worthy of its inspiration. "--USA Today

"A rich and finely wrought psychological study that is a fitting tribute to Poe himself."--The Straits Times (Singapore)

"What makes this more than a well-crafted thriller...is Bayard's gift for language. He paints incredibly vivid pictures."--Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"An uncanny and original portrait. Captures the imagination with exquisite details and a compelling, disquieting story."--Denver Rocky Mountain News

"Ingenious...with a rich knowledge of Poe's life and work."--Entertainment Weekly

"Recommended. This novel is moody and rich in historic detail."--Tucson Citizen

Book Description:

Another dazzling historical mystery by the author of MR TIMOTHY

About this edition

• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0060733985
• ISBN 13: 9780060733988
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 448