Edgar Allan Poe and the London Monster: A Novel

A Poe and Dupin Mystery #1

by Karen Lee Street

Summer, 1840. Edgar Allan Poe sails from Philadelphia to London to meet his friend C. Auguste Dupin, with the hope that the great detective will help him solve a family mystery. For Poe has inherited a mahogany box containing a collection of letters allegedly written by his grandparents, Elizabeth and Henry Arnold.


The Arnolds were actors who struggled to make a living on the London stage, but the mysterious letters suggest that the couple has a more clandestine and nefarious lifestyle, stalking well-to-do young women at night, to slice their clothing and derrieres.


Poe hopes to prove the missives forgeries; Dupin wonders if perhaps they are real, but their content fantasy. Soon Poe is being stalked by someone who knows far more about his grandparents and their crimes than he does. And then he remembers disturbing attacks made upon him as a child in London—could the perpetrators be connected?

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Crime, Historical, Contemporary, Gothic

372 pages, Hardcover

First published March 21, 2016

About the author

Karen Lee Street is a long time Londoner, now living in Australia. She spent her earliest years in an old Pennsylvania farmhouse with far too many things that went bump in the night, memories of which bring a touch of the Gothic to her writing.

Her critically acclaimed historical mysteries follow the adventures of Edgar Allan Poe and C. Auguste Dupin. In Edgar Allan Poe & the London Monster, set in London 1840, the sleuthing duo investigate a true 18th century crime and its aftermath. Edgar Allan Poe & the Jewel of Peru sees the duo reunite in Philadelphia, 1844 to unravel a mystery involving old enemies, lost soul-mates, ornithomancy, and the legendary jewel of Peru. Edgar Allan Poe and the Empire of the Dead takes place in Paris, 1849 and is a tale of alchemy, mesmerism and magic, the shadows of the past and the endurance of love. It will be published in October 2019.

Other books by Karen include Writing and Selling Crime Film Screenplays a 'how to' book based on her experience working in the feature film industry and Tattoos and Motorcycles, a collection of interconnected short stories set in small town America.

Represented by Oliver Munson, A.M. Heath Literary Agents (London).

Reviews

[Raven · Rating 4 out of 5]

With my nom de plume and love of Mr Poe how could I resist this one? Despite my usual hesitation in reading historical crime fiction, I though this was marvellous. Clever, knowing, witty, and wonderfully researched with not only its reimaging of the salient details of Poe’s life, but also the repositioning of Poe’s relationship with his finest creation Dupin, banding together into a pretty damn effective detective team. Their are tricks, hints and allusions to Poe’s literary oeuvre, which add a layer of reader participation as the book progresses- no, I don’t think I spotted them all- and the use of the infamous real life case of the London Monster adds another layer of interest to the book. It’s beautifully constructed, alive with the feel of the period, and all the darkness, violence and treachery one would expect of any case involving Poe. An intelligent literary crime thriller that will keep you guessing throughout. Recommended.

[Kris (My Novelesque Life) · Rating 3 out of 5]

EDGAR ALLAN POE AND THE LONDON MONSTER (Poe & Dupin: #1)
Written by Karen Lee Street
2016; Pegasus Books (384 Pages)
Genre: mystery, suspense, literature, detective, based on true events, historical mystery, fiction, true crime

RATING: 3.5 STARS

Summer, 1840, London - Edgar Allan Poe sails from Philadelphia to meet up with his friend, C. Auguste Dupin. Poe is hoping that his friend can solve a case for him- a personal family mystery. Upon the death of his father, Poe is given some letters that were supposedly written by his grandparents. The letters show that his grandparents, Henry and Elizabeth Arnold, were actors struggling to make a living in London. The letters seem to suggest that two were involved in stalking and assaulting women. Are these letters real and if so were what the couple discussing imagined or real? As Poe and Dupin get deeper into the mystery, they soon find themselves being stalked and maybe in danger.

The story about the London Monster is true, but Poe had nothing to do with the case. I have only read a few short stories and poem by Poe, but I do know Dupin is a character that Poe created. I will say that because I am not well-versed in Poe I probably missed many little details or "easter eggs" that Street that would have endeared me more to this novel. I enjoyed the way Street used a real case and re-imagined it with Poe being directly involved. And, having Poe's own character, Dupin as a friend is really interesting. It makes me want to pull out the Dupin stories and see where all the connections are. I respect the amount of research that went into this novel. I did find that at times the novel did lag with too much information. And, Street starts ideas but does not explore them fully so they seem like cluttered threads. There is supposedly a sequel in the works so maybe this will be clearer in the next book...which I will read.

My Novelesque Life

[Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

The mysterious case of the letters from the past!

My thanks to my contacts at Pegasus Books, Iris Blasi, Katie McGuire, and Maia Larson, for my advance reading copy of this book. You ladies rock!

SPOILERS POSSIBLE BUT NOT ON PURPOSE

Historically speaking, the London Monster was an alleged attacker of women in London between 1788 and 1790. Using various sharp weapons, he would slash at women’s derrieres, ruining their clothing and causing wounds that were mostly superficial. He was never apprehended, and some say there was more than one…

It is 1840 and Edgar Allan Poe has traveled to London where he is to meet his friend, C. Auguste Dupin. Poe is somewhat embittered, as his adopted father has died and his second wife has seized all of his property. However, she has sent Poe a mahogany box with an amethyst amulet and a series of letters. She tells Poe that this is his inheritance, and the letters seem to be about the London Monster.

Once safely in his hotel in London and reunited with Dupin, Poe is astonished to receive even more samples of letters. They also are written by the two people who penned the ones sent by his stepmother. Poe fears that he comes from a shameful inheritance…

This book is classic Poe, with many references to Poe’s actual stories like so many hidden Easter eggs hidden within the text! The pace is sometimes slow, sometimes almost frantic, but always underlined with a dread that is somehow felt more than seen. Ms. Street does a wonderful job of channeling the voice of the Master of the Macabre!

Poe is fighting his usual battle with alcohol, but has made major effort to win. The story winds through the streets of London, the halls of time itself, and in and out through Poe’s dreams and nightmares. People, places, and objects from Poe’s stories play major roles in the unfolding story.

Many questions have to be answered before the tension breaks and the mystery stands stark and revealed! Who are the writers of the mysterious letters? What connection does Poe really have with the crimes of the London Monster? Who is sending these letters, and how did they acquire them in the first place? Does Dupin himself have a dark secret he would rather not have revealed?

Read and find out! I give the book five stars…

Quoth the Raven…

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

C. Auguste Dupin, the first modern literary detective, teams up with his creator, Edgar Allan Poe, to solve a mystery with its roots stretching back to Poe's childhood in London, and his doubtful ancestry.

Poe is presented in neurotic detail, while Dupin remains something of a cipher. There is a good degree of back story provided for him, but not as fleshed out as I might have hoped. On the other hand, it does leave him with a certain mysterious allure.

Obviously, being set primarily in London 1840, there is much wandering down foggy cobbled streets, urchins and beggars, lords and ladies, slashings and murders, with walk on parts for contemporary celebrities, Charles Dickens and Madame Tussaud.

It's a decent enough story, which kept me turning the pages, and made the more interesting in that the crimes around which the plot revolves were historical. There are some nice set pieces, and lots of allusions to Poe's writings to satisfy the likely readership of gothic enthusiasts. My main gripe is that loose ends are deliberately left dangling, to encourage purchase of the sequel, no doubt. I'd have appreciated a little more closure after sticking with 398 pages.

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

2 1/2 stars here for me. Book had an interesting concept about Edgar A Poe traveling from Philadelphia to London in 1840 to try and solve a family mystery that may or may not have involved assaults with knifes committed by his Grandparents. I battled to finish this book which ends trying to convince the reader they must get the next novel to see what may happen next. Just couldn't get into this book and the author, in my opinion, could have done so much with this storyline concept but just never did.

[Elle Wild · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two quills up! I loved this dark and witty descent into the cobbled back alleys of Victorian London with Poe and his sidekick, French detective C. Auguste Dupin, as they hunt the “London Monster” (a real-life criminal who attacked the derrieres of attractive, well-heeled women). Pleasingly macabre, complete with flickering candles, midnight spectral visits, ominous ink-splotched letters, and of course, a cameo from a wicked raven. Hold your candelabre high and watch your backside as you delve into this Poetastic tale.

[Terri Stokes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting novel, taking real life people and characters from fiction and blending them together in a fiction book. It's a mix-matched piece of fiction that takes mystery and horror and churns them together to create a novel that is filled with twists and turns and surprises that you don't see coming. A book that leaves you questioning and guessing what is happening and who is behind everything even half way through the book and towards the end, not to mention the added content at the end of the book where the author has shared a snippet of the second book in the series.

It's certainly a book series that I want to continue with, both for the adventure and the storyline and not to mention the fact that the author has used a well known figure from the past as one of the main characters.

[Marie (UK) · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book Edgar allen Poe becomes a detective trying to unravel the mysteries of his heritage. Aided by Chevalier Auguste Dupin he travels to London to investigate a series of letters that are purportedly from his grandparents. I enjoyed the mix between epistolary and narrative style and the uncovering of Poe's past. It is safe to say that the mystery was not buried deeply and there were points where i felt like I was disappearing into a fantastical point of view but I would read more of this series

[Shauna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this fantastic page-turner over two days and the only disappointment was that there wasn't another book to follow - but there will be soon and I am looking forward to the next installment of the Edgar Allan Poe series. It's the type of book that, for me, covers many genres - literary, thriller, and a touch of horror - as well as some wonderful descriptions and beautiful use of language throughout. Street manages to capture the essence of the era in which she writes as well as providing subtle reminders both of Poe - the man, the myth, and the writer - and his writings. Five stars from me.

[Gordana · Rating 2 out of 5]

too slow for my taste

[Corinne Horner · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book tried to be too many things unfortunately

[D. Norman · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not my kind of book. Too hard to read, too hard to follow, and ultimately didn't care enough to read the last 50 pages. I don't feel like I missed anything except the time spent reading it.

[Sheena · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free proof copy. I like novels set in the Victorian period so was likely to enjoy this. I knew a little of Poe’s work and so also enjoyed spotting obvious future inspiration such as the raven, the pit and the masked ball which appeared later in the real Poe’s stories. However if the reader did not know Poe’s work this would go completely over their heads. I did not know C. Auguste Dupin Poe’s friend in this tale was the name of the detective used in Poe’s early mystery stories. It is quite a challenge to mix parts of Poe’s real life existence with a detective story knowing that Poe is thought to be the inventor of this genre. I think the author succeeds in the main though the plot does drift a little and the story become muddled at times. She manages to imbue the story with doom, death and dread. I think what let it down was the actual slightly kinky slashing of the flanks of women being the crimes committed by both of Poe’s grandparents. I couldn’t really buy into this although I suppose it had to be a serious enough offence for severe punishment if caught, something both males and females could carry out but not so heinous the reader would be unable to forgive. I thought it was a clever ending with Poe knowing his pursuers were tormenting him by waiting in the wings and funnily enough in real life he did eventually die in mysterious circumstances. No closure for Dupin though methinks another novel may be in the offing.

[Roberta Biallas · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's very rare that I find a book so bad that I have trouble finishing it, but this one was it. As a scholar who has studied the works of Edgar Allan Poe, I was very excited to find a work of fiction about the author that unites him with one of his greatest achievements, that of the detective August Dupin.

The Introduction by the Author, Karen Lee Street, whetted my appetite even more when she mentions that there are references to many of Poe's works throughout the book as 'Easter eggs.' What I did not realize what they these 'references' to his works were no mere hints here and there. No, the author took WHOLE SECTIONS of Poe's works and inserted his person into them as the Narrator. When it was done once it was interesting, but after about the fourth or fifth time this plot device was utilized, it became rather tedious.

Much of the action was contrived and predictable. Even, the ending (no spoilers) was not really an ending and was quite disappointing. It is written in such a way as to require the reader to buy the second book in the series. I, however, will not be doing so since one can only take so much poor writing.

[Kate Mayfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Karen Lee Street summons Edgar Allan Poe and his fictional character C. Auguste Dupin to London in this imaginative, clever and atmospheric tale. Brilliantly realized, the author sets the two sleuths on a dangerous path to unravel Poe’s family mystery. The narrative is convincingly balanced between the Georgian era when the London Monster was terrorizing the city and the early Victorian period wherein Poe and Dupin engage in their detective work. In beautifully written and entirely believable scenes that I relished reading, Poe and Dupin face their demons, which are brought to the fore and to their ultimate, deliciously twisty conclusion. Poe fans will love the finely layered references to his most famous works. A highly enjoyable debut.

[Stella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not sure I've ever read a book quite like this. I am aware of Edgar Allan Poe, some of his work and some of his life but this fiction-based-in-fact is not only lovingly crafted and well written it is also simply unputdownable. I really enjoyed the way that Poe with Dupin set out to solve the mystery of the London Monster, the letters carring the narrative and suspense through the book, the descriptions of not only London but Margate (both places I know well) and the tone of the novel allowed me to be utterly submerged in the world of Poe. Since reading I have endeavoured to find out more about his life, his novels and even Grip the raven, Charles Dicken's pet. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[4cats · Rating 3 out of 5]

A complicated, literary crime novel featuring Edgar Allan Poe and C. Auguste Dupin(Poe's fictional creation, Murders in the Rue Morgue). Poe has come to London to investigate whether his grandparents were involved in a scandalous crime from late 18th century London. The London Monster terrorised women attacking them with a knife, he was captured but there has always been questions as to whether they caught the wrong man. Full of vivid historical description, Poe and Dupin encounter the likes of Madame Tussaud in their quest for the villain who haunts Poe.

[Dmitry Starkov · Rating 5 out of 5]

I translated this book to Russian recently. It was a task full of pleasure. Yes, it is historical detective novel, but how it was made! Karen Lee Street made a great job connecting Edgar Allan Poe with The London Monster story and building astounding live image of old London populated with astounding live characters. Yes, it is fictional, but still completely real, from top to bottom, from Mr Charles Dickens's raven Grip to the condoms advertising from 18th century.

[Oismiffy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I bought this on a whim while waiting for a train, and I’m really glad I did. I’d advise potential readers to look up Edgar Allan Poe beforehand, as it will add to your enjoyment.

Beautifully and cleverly written, incorporating good historical fiction along with EAP’s character and works into the fabric of the story.

The mystery itself was a bit weak, with what I thought was a very obvious clue early on in the book, but still engaging.

Looking forward to the next instalment.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty solid 4 star book. There were a few tidbits I found annoying, like the author's constant use of the word perambulation, and how often Poe was being hit over the head or passing out.
But overall, I was entertained and would recommend the book.

[Christopher Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Little to no payoff after slogging through nearly 400 pages of Victorian English!

[Scout Langley · Rating 2 out of 5]

“The fiend flew at her, dagger held aloft. Once, twice! He slashed across her flank and back again. The knife slit through the green silk like a thorn tearing through flower petals, and the flesh underneath gave way like a peach. Her attacker was gripped with fascination as crimson stained the verdant fabric until his victims’ yelps of fear broke the spell, and the young man took to his heels.”

The book had moments like this which beautifully describe the darkness within humanity with such vivid imagery. This quote at the beginning of the book is how I thought the whole book was going to be. Instead, the book is letters written back and forth between Poe and his wife with intermissions of 5 minute activities taking up a whole chapter. The imagery is beautiful, but I think the author needed to spend more time on what each scene is meant to do (especially the dialogue scenes).

Even with the book moving at a horribly slow pace, I didn’t really get what was happening. Maybe because I was too busy trying to find the Poe connection. I was repeatedly asking “what are we doing here?” The beginning is such a randomn series of events that I think were meant to build suspense, but they felt like several different books instead of one unified identity. To me if the characters were named anything else I don’t think you would see the coloration to Poe. DNF

Reading the reviews- I saw someone explain that the Poe emphasis is where the author repeatedly takes parts from Poes work and tweaks it into her work by having her Poe character go through what happens in the several Poe’s stories. Personally, that just feels like toeing on the line of plagiarism especially if you are not adding a lot of your own ideas. Maybe this would have worked better if the author just chose one work and really worked on tastefully altering it to her own imagination.

[Duncan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Karen Lee Street's novel takes the basic conceit that Edgar Allen Poe was the unnamed companion in the C August Dupin crime stories and creates a new adventure for the tormented Author and the original gentlemen detective and precursor to Sherlock Holmes. The story unfolds at a steady pace and is written very much in the style of classic detective stories. I felt that this helped evoke the right atmosphere for a story set in the mid nineteenth century as the speech did not feel anachronistic as it would if written in too contemporary a style. There are plenty of references to classic E A Poe stories although i felt that naming a protagonist Valdemar was a step too far. there was also a jarring bit where neither character considered that someone naming themselves Victor Delemar might not be the same person (maybe I've just seen to much Doctor Who where the character of The Master 'disguised' himself by calling himself the the same name in different languages or a bad anagram). I liked the inclusion of the letters and their progression. However, the resolution was OK but neither surprising or altogether rewarding. Hopefully this open ended conclusion will be a strand that pops up (and at least partially concluded) in the next book.
I would also like to have seen a map of London from 1840's with all the locations noted. it would have been a nice addition and helpful to keep a sense of time and place.
Not perfect but certainly very entertianing

[Gintautas Ivanickas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jau anaiptol ne pirmi metai, kai nekuriuos rašytojus apėmęs toks nevaldomas šišas – bais jiems knieti sukalt kokį trilerį istoriniame fone su realiai gyvenusia įžymia persona pagrindiniame vaidmenyje. Nusikaltimus tiria, kas netingi – seras Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, Makiavelis, dar nesudegęs Džordano Bruno, pafilosofuojantis Kantas, opiomanas Tomas de Kvinsis, „Hiavatos“ autorius Longfellow, pasakėčias užmetęs Ivanas Krylovas – ir daugelis, daugelis kitų. Tai nieko keista, kad atėjo ir Poe eilė.
Tiesa, Edgaras Allanas čia veikia ne vienas – jam padeda jo apsakymų personažas, pirmasis pasaulyje privatus detektyvas – Ogiustas Diupenas. Bandyta stilizuoti Poe tekstus, bandyta perteikti tą jam būdingą niūrumo ir beviltiškumo jausmą. Bandyta. Bet. Devyni iš dešimties bauginančių epizodų baigiasi fraze „Ir tada jis nubudo išpiltas šalto prakaito“. Ne, ir pats Poe ne be nuodėmės, bet kaitas triukas kartojasi, kartojasi, kartojasi... Detektyvinė dedamoji irgi ne be priekaištų. O galiausiai – juk niekas taip ir neišsisprendžia.
Žiauriai skysti trys, arba tvirti du iš penkių. Tęsinių, matyt, nesidairysiu.

[Steve Goble · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this on an impulse after seeing it on the mystery shelf. Poe solving mysteries alongside his own fictional detective? I was intrigued.

The author did a fine job in this tale that reads at times like a mystery, and at other times like a horror story. Part epistolary, part first-person narrative from Poe, this book defied genre expectations. Poe, highly imaginative and often in his cups, makes a wonderful unreliable narrator, and the author managed the neat trick of sounding enough like Poe to satisfy me without going to the extremes of diving headfirst into his often dense style.

There are multiple mysteries at play in this book, and my one quibble is that they are not all resolved by the last page. I am not accustomed to mysteries that are written as trilogies, but that seems to be what is happening here. I can honestly say, though, that I enjoyed this book thoroughly and intend to buy the next. I do wish the cover had hinted that this was part one of a longer tale, though; trilogies are best left to fantasy and science fiction, not mysteries.

[JJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novelist and literary critic Edgar Allen Poe sails from a Philadelphia to London to get to the root of a family mystery. If he doesn’t he feels his reputation may be ruined.
He is meeting up with an old friend C Auguste Dupin (Poe’s own creation from The Murders of the Rue Morgue) who is something of a detective and has promised to help as he is in a London on his own business.
And so the convoluted hunt begins.
I found Poe a bit of a woose, always finding himself in bother, charging in heedless of any danger and always needing rescued by Dupin. Dupin himself, is searching for the man responsible for his own families woes so is not always on hand. He is a colder more detached and analytic figure.
However, in the end it is Poe who joins up the dots.
It was an interesting story as you wait to see who’s doing what and why as slowly more and more clues are found. The setting in Victorian London was enlightening too. And Poe grew on me.
There are oblique references to some of his novels throughout. I haven’t read any (oops) but I know them through films.

[Laurel Jackson · Rating 2 out of 5]

The real historical mystery framed by the fictional story is genuinely interesting. I also like Poe’s work even though I need to be in the mood for it. The fictional story is less so.

If the author had made this a mostly epistolary novel interrupted by an occasional chapter in third person and a generic narrator instead of Edgar Allen Poe, it would have appealed to me more. Attempting to link Poe’s family to the dress slashings were tenuous at best, Poe’s brooding depressing and the overall combination makes me want to read to source material mentioned instead.

To provide context, the Foundling suffers from the same issue. The history is genuinely interesting but shoehorning a fictional or fictionalised historical figure into lessens the impact the history should probably have on the reader. Not that I’m saying everyone will find the presented history interesting but if you are, the London Monster was a real problem between 1788 - 1790 and being introduced to that case alone is a positive.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love EAP so I had to read this one. Pairing Poe with Auguste Dupin, his own creation brought to life, the pair try to root out the truth behind mysterious letters delivered to Poe. The letters, allegedly by his grandparents who, if the letters are to be believed, were behind a string of disfiguring attacks on ladies in London that were ultimately blamed on someone else.

I found the writing style quite engaging and, while no one can truly match EAP, Karen Street managed to evoke the Victorian, atmospheric feel one associates with Poe. The story itself impelled me to keep reading as much as my life would allow me to and I finished it more quickly than I had finished a book in a very long time. I honestly tried to savor it but could not as unravelling the mystery became more and more important to me. I highly recommend this book to mystery readers and any fans of the great E. A. Poe.

[Taylor Haven Holt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This title has been on my shelf for a nice long time, and I had never gotten to it. But because my tour is in Baltimore, and Poe is everywhere, I decided to crack into it. While Baltimore isn't a locale in the book, I'm glad it spurred me into picking it up.
Karen Lee Street has created an entire world in the pages of this book, and I am delighted that there are more in the series. Poe is a dynamic character, haunted by his family at home, including his ill wife, but drawn into a mystery with Dupin - the first of his kind.
I was enthralled by the historical basis of this book, and the attention to detail within this period piece. Looking forward to more outings of Poe and Dupin; hopefully closer here to Baltimore's streets.
thelithaven.com

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my typical read, but it called to me from Staff Recommendations and hooked me as I scanned a page. Street has a way of weaving a story that won't let you go. You sit with Poe as he reads the letters of his grandparents. You walk the streets with him. You are there when he lights the lamp in his hotel room. You rely on Dupin, as he does, for help in solving the mystery. And when you finish this book, if you are like me, you will want to read the books written by Poe where he creates Dupin's character, and perhaps other details that Street has plucked and intricately woven into her story. I'm looking forward to jumping into the next novel with Poe and Dupin.