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For Edgar
A series of bizarre and baffling crimes draws Special Agent Elizabeth Taylor Hewitt into a deadly pursuit of a madman calling himself The Raven who is paying homage to the literary works of Edgar Allan Poe with his twisted and violent killings.
310 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
September 6, 2011
Normally, I have great reading intuition, but this one was a doozy. I hate writing bad reviews and haven't had to rate a book this low, ever! This murder mystery held such promise; there's a serial killer on the loose that's a fan of Edgar Allan Poe. All of his victims end up creatively killed like characters in Poe's short stories. Sounds great, right? Until you are introduced to the killer for the first time in the book; about twenty pages after you meet him, you are positive he is the whodunit because we meet no one else in town with the knowledge to commit the crimes. Okay, so I let that one slide. I could handle solving the murders in the first third of the book because I wanted to read about them, but I couldn't overlook the male author's treatment of sex in the novel. I found it totally unrealistic. All the female characters were portrayed as sexual objects and none of the male characters were. Even worse, the females' fantasies/sexual thoughts seemed to be the author's and not their own. This unfortunately held true for every female in the book; I don't mind a little sex in a story, but I feel if your main character is the opposite sex of the author, I shouldn't be able to tell that from their writing. There is a slightly redeeming and very brief plot twist at the end, but overall, this book left a bad taste in my mouth. I don't recommend it.
May 11, 2021
Macabre of course with Poe as inspiration but I liked it. It might be a little gory for some but not really overly excessive and it has a twisty ending.
September 5, 2021
Not a terrible story, but not a great one either. I figured out who the killer was about a third of the way through the book which was a bit disappointing.
April 12, 2023
Extremely predictable plot.
October 3, 2023
As a fan o Edgar Allan Poe, this was a great read. Imagine a serial killer emulating some of the horrific situations in Poe's writing.
August 20, 2025
Fast paced and very well written. I thought I had the killer figured out and then a curve ball was thrown in (but I was right). But to do a serial killer book based on Poe's writings, I loved it!
February 14, 2017
I wouldn't recommend this one. I'd give it two stars, but I really didn't enjoy it.
My biggest complaint is that there are 88 chapters. In my hardback copy, that meant there was a new chapter every three and a half pages. It was tedious and a waste of paper. Most of the time it did shift between characters, but sometimes it was just used to segway to a different time period in the story. However, most chapters in my copy wound up leaving two-thirds of a page blank. And when there are 88 chapters, it really starts to seem like a waster of space. I mean, good grief, put some illustrations in or something. They could have saved about 50 pages in this book if they just smushed a few chapters together. I question the editor on that decision for sure.
My other complaint is that the sex scenes were awkward. Nothing like a paragraph on a murder victim's perineum in the middle of a sex scene to make it feel really realistic. I don't care if you're gonna kill the girl a minute later, the sex scenes were all pretty odd.
The revelation at the end was something I guessed early on.
All in all, not a tremendously satisfying book. If you want a good Edgar Allan Poe inspired serial killer, I suggest Season 1 of The Following. While not direct recreations, much more in the spirit of it.
My biggest complaint is that there are 88 chapters. In my hardback copy, that meant there was a new chapter every three and a half pages. It was tedious and a waste of paper. Most of the time it did shift between characters, but sometimes it was just used to segway to a different time period in the story. However, most chapters in my copy wound up leaving two-thirds of a page blank. And when there are 88 chapters, it really starts to seem like a waster of space. I mean, good grief, put some illustrations in or something. They could have saved about 50 pages in this book if they just smushed a few chapters together. I question the editor on that decision for sure.
My other complaint is that the sex scenes were awkward. Nothing like a paragraph on a murder victim's perineum in the middle of a sex scene to make it feel really realistic. I don't care if you're gonna kill the girl a minute later, the sex scenes were all pretty odd.
The revelation at the end was something I guessed early on.
All in all, not a tremendously satisfying book. If you want a good Edgar Allan Poe inspired serial killer, I suggest Season 1 of The Following. While not direct recreations, much more in the spirit of it.
November 22, 2017
From Publishers Weekly
The titular "Edgar" of Rusch's sharply written debut is Edgar Allan Poe himself: somebody is committing murders in Poe's name and leaving behind garish works of art to mark the connection—such as a woman's skull with a gold ribbon dangling from an eye socket. The little girl who finds the skull in an oak tree in a park near Chicago takes home a vital clue associated with "The Gold Bug." A second woman's bizarre murder has an obvious link to another Poe story. Elizabeth Taylor Hewitt, a special agent of the Illinois state police, enlists her ex-lover, Scott Gregory, who just happens to be a Poe expert, in decoding the clues—and becomes a potential victim of a mad but also resourceful serial killer known as the Raven. Hewitt is literary without being pretentious, and often hilariously outspoken. When a county sheriff describes the way the first victim's skull was attached to the tree, Elizabeth comments, "That's the way Martha Stewart always insisted on hanging a skull." With quality ingredients like these, Hewitt could well be back for another outing—and some day Rusch may be handed an Edgar of his own.
I thought this was a pretty good page-turner with lots of gore and mystery. However, to me the identity of the killer was pretty obvious. Overall though, I did enjoy the book.
The titular "Edgar" of Rusch's sharply written debut is Edgar Allan Poe himself: somebody is committing murders in Poe's name and leaving behind garish works of art to mark the connection—such as a woman's skull with a gold ribbon dangling from an eye socket. The little girl who finds the skull in an oak tree in a park near Chicago takes home a vital clue associated with "The Gold Bug." A second woman's bizarre murder has an obvious link to another Poe story. Elizabeth Taylor Hewitt, a special agent of the Illinois state police, enlists her ex-lover, Scott Gregory, who just happens to be a Poe expert, in decoding the clues—and becomes a potential victim of a mad but also resourceful serial killer known as the Raven. Hewitt is literary without being pretentious, and often hilariously outspoken. When a county sheriff describes the way the first victim's skull was attached to the tree, Elizabeth comments, "That's the way Martha Stewart always insisted on hanging a skull." With quality ingredients like these, Hewitt could well be back for another outing—and some day Rusch may be handed an Edgar of his own.
I thought this was a pretty good page-turner with lots of gore and mystery. However, to me the identity of the killer was pretty obvious. Overall though, I did enjoy the book.
Want to read
November 4, 2015 Now I know why this book was a buck at the Dollar General. The Poe theme caught my attention so I picked it up. Why, oh why, do so many men try to write from the female perspective? I have found very few male authors who can get it right. The women are either too girly or so anti-girly they resemble men. Very rare is the man who writes a happy medium.
That being said that was my main problem with the book (that and knowing who the killer was in about two pages). The female character is so anti-female that she might as well be a man. She is inordinately crass and anti-feminine. It is always so in-your-face that the author may as well written, "Look, I'm a woman who takes no shit and operates in a man's world. I hate being a woman and the only way I can do my job is if I act like a man."
I'm not Miss Feminism '09 but it really bugged me. The other women in the novel are just as poorly written. All of the victims are divorcees and the main thing they have in common is that they're divorced and are out hitting the town (and the sheets). You get the feeling that these women aren't so much characters or even victims but fodder so the author will have someone suitably loose to kill off in horrible ways.
That being said that was my main problem with the book (that and knowing who the killer was in about two pages). The female character is so anti-female that she might as well be a man. She is inordinately crass and anti-feminine. It is always so in-your-face that the author may as well written, "Look, I'm a woman who takes no shit and operates in a man's world. I hate being a woman and the only way I can do my job is if I act like a man."
I'm not Miss Feminism '09 but it really bugged me. The other women in the novel are just as poorly written. All of the victims are divorcees and the main thing they have in common is that they're divorced and are out hitting the town (and the sheets). You get the feeling that these women aren't so much characters or even victims but fodder so the author will have someone suitably loose to kill off in horrible ways.
November 8, 2013
I had to read this after glancing at the author blurb; he's from near where I used to live in Wisconsin. I flipped through the book and discovered that part of the action takes place very near my house now. So it seemed sort of fated that I read this.
It's not a bad mystery. The action centers around an Illinois State Police investigator in charge of a serial murder case. The perpetrator has a Edgar Allan Poe thing, and all his murders follow Poe stories: The Gold Bug, The Pit and the Pendulum, The Murder in the Rue Morgue....
If you are a Poe aficionado, this is a fun read. It's a little on the gory/creepy side, of course, but trying to sort out which story will be acted out next is a good puzzle. The investigator is a very interesting character, as are most of the others.
My only quibble is that from the moment the person who ends up being the "bad guy" appeared, I knew. I've reread that paragraph a couple of times and I can't figure out why I know, but I did. Maybe I read too many mysteries?? But this turns out to be relatively minor, because trying to figure out the puzzle is what kept me reading until the end.
It's not a bad mystery. The action centers around an Illinois State Police investigator in charge of a serial murder case. The perpetrator has a Edgar Allan Poe thing, and all his murders follow Poe stories: The Gold Bug, The Pit and the Pendulum, The Murder in the Rue Morgue....
If you are a Poe aficionado, this is a fun read. It's a little on the gory/creepy side, of course, but trying to sort out which story will be acted out next is a good puzzle. The investigator is a very interesting character, as are most of the others.
My only quibble is that from the moment the person who ends up being the "bad guy" appeared, I knew. I've reread that paragraph a couple of times and I can't figure out why I know, but I did. Maybe I read too many mysteries?? But this turns out to be relatively minor, because trying to figure out the puzzle is what kept me reading until the end.
February 11, 2013
found this book awhile ago at a library book sale for a quarter. The title caught my eye, “For Edgar”. I immediately thought has to be about Edgar Allan Poe. And I LOVE Edgar Allan Poe. Sure enough, it was! A thriller based on Poe stories. The killer commits murders as in Poe’s stories. Great idea! Right? WRONG! This was a waste of my quarter. Hell, it was a waste of a penny! OMG what a crappy book! The premise is great. You can’t go wrong with Poe. But the writing is horrendous. Or is it the editing? Both maybe?! The author is all over the place. The writing is choppy, the thoughts incomplete. It moves way too fast, hurried. Not the story but the writing. It is as if the writer decided to publish his notes instead of his complete work. Save your money! Save your time! Save your eyes! Save your lights! My advice to the author, rewrite the book. Or get a new editor!
November 9, 2009
When I first began reading this book, I instantly enjoyed the main character, Detective Hewitt. However, as the book progressed, and new characters were added, I was able to instantly identify The Raven, which was a huge disappointment. I was also very disappointed that only Poe's more well known pieces were used, when there is such a wealth of material. Towards the end of the book, the entire premise for The Raven's mental disturbance comes to light, but in a very beat around the bush sort of way, as though the author didn't wish to offend any one.
This book had wonderful potential. I hope that the author continues to develop Detective Hewitt and creates much more challenging plots.
This book had wonderful potential. I hope that the author continues to develop Detective Hewitt and creates much more challenging plots.
November 10, 2011
My boyfriend picked up this book due to its connection to Edgar Allen Poe so I thought I would give it a go. Special Agent Elizabeth Hewitt follows a stream of murders in Illinois that are a tribute to Poe using his different written works. It wasn’t a bad read, but is sure wasn’t challenging either. The main character Elizabeth is a great character, but as more characters were introduced it was very easy to pinpoint who the murderer was. The writing was also a bit messy as it was often confusing and just plain choppy. The story itself was a great idea, but could have been more detailed and just executed better.
November 12, 2013
Elizabeth Taylor Hewitt is a special agent with the New York State Police. She is called to the site of a grusome murder in which the victim's skull is nailed to a tree. This begins a serial murder spree that leads to one fact: the murderer is using the stories of Edgar Allan Poe to stage his murders. Elizabeth calls on her past to help solve the murders and to find answers to questions that have haunted her since college. The murderer is rather obvious but it is still an excellent, fast moving, suspenseful read.
August 7, 2015
It may be unfair for me to rate this book so low, as I skipped a section in the middle, but I had no desire to finish it. I did not like or relate to the main character at all and the story lacked interest and suspense. It was filled with random bits of story that seemed unimportant and unnecessary to the story line and lead to nothing but confusion as to why they would even be written. I tried to make this a quick read so I could move on to something better but the book couldn't even keep my attention long enough to read more than a few chapters a day.
April 15, 2009
I don't like it when I can call who is going to be the villain from the first time they show up, which is exactly what happens in this book. Maybe I've read too many mystery novels, but I picked out the murderer from the very beginning and therefore every twist and turn seemed rather contrived to me since I had already pretty convincingly picked who it was. None of the actual twists did anything to convince me otherwise and the story itself sort of fell flat for me. Rather disappointing.
March 19, 2010
Rusch's writing mimics a budding sexual relationship. Calm, getting-to-know-you in the beginning becomes more familiar and more intimate as the plot progresses and builds to climax. The crimes are creepy. I enjoyed trying to guess which Poe plot would be used next. I pegged the killer almost as soon as he enters the story, but there were several times when I began to doubt if I was right. I highly recommend this book.
June 8, 2011
Basically, I guessed who the murderer is the very second he showed up ... and I'm usually not that good at this game. Good writers usually manage to mislead me. Anyway, at that point I had like 200 more pages to read and since the main character was boring, I just browsed through them to catch the Poe references and to get to the last chapters that confirmed the murderer.
Interesting idea .... but nothing more.
Interesting idea .... but nothing more.
March 27, 2008
This book was written by a yoga instructor. This book also burned me out on reading for a while. 'Nough said. Redundant, terribly written (except for the sex and murder...says something about the kind of yoga instructor he is) with absolutely no redeeming qualities. Waste of time.
The only interesting thing about this book is that it's set in and around the North Shore. Go figure.
The only interesting thing about this book is that it's set in and around the North Shore. Go figure.
March 6, 2008
A very predictable mystery. Easy to figure out the twist ending about halfway through the story. The references to Edgar Allen Poe were the most engaging part of the story. I found it difficult to become invested in the characters.
April 1, 2008
WOW, of all the books that have been sent to me from perryfran, this has got to be the BEST. I really enjoyed the book and wish the author would do a serial on the main character. The book was simply amazing.
November 18, 2010
I picked this book up when I read the killer used scenes from the works Edgar Allan Poe in his crimes. The actual story fell flat compared to my expectations. While reading it felt like a lot of jumbled scenes pieced together.
January 15, 2017
I loved this book, I'm a bit of a sucker for anything Poe related and yes the book was fairly predictable. BUT aside from that I enjoyed it, it was a fun read and I liked the way various Poe works were worked into the cases.
February 11, 2008
Not really a fan of mystery and murder, but I was caught by the Poe theme. I read it in a day, but just so that I could finish it and begin something more interesting.
January 12, 2010
Even though I could tell what would come ahead the writting was well done and I read past when I was tired until I could no longer hold up the book.
February 18, 2011
Good but could have been better.
December 16, 2011
An intelligent, witty, scary thriller! I don't read thrillers very often anymore but this was hard to put down.
July 27, 2012
This was his first book . It needed to be edited better. Not very enjoyable. The murders in the story were similar to Poe's stories.
October 23, 2012
I enjoy the works of Poe, and thought that since this book is sort of an homage to him I might enjoy it. I just couldn't get into it though. I found it boring and the ending predictable.
October 3, 2013
Solid murder mystery in which each horrific murder is based on a story by Edgar Allen Poe, which gives it an unusual spin.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews