"An Unpardonable Crime" by Andrew Taylor

This is a long and interesting mystery set in late Regency London and Gloucester. Our schoolmaster protaganist stumbles into a labyrinth of murder, embezzlement, bankruptcy, and deathbed treachery. He uses his considerable wits to solve the various mysteries and help a beautiful and charismatic widow in need.

All this occurs with a large and diverting cast of characters. We have old Carswall, the story's chief villain; there's the lovely and bereft Sophie Frant, desired by both Carswall and our hero, Tom Shield. And at the eye of this storm is young Edgar Allan Poe, visiting in England (in Shield's care for much of the story) and oblivious as to who his father is and also to the role his father plays in the events of the tale.

The book moves slowly and is somewhat overlong. We never lose focus on the real issues, but sometimes we revolve around them at a considerable distance.

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"The Pale Blue Eye" by Louis Bayard

I was very much looking forward to this book: a murder mystery featuring Edgar Allan Poe as a character, set in the early years of the 19th century at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point - what's not to love?

Well, this book is pretty much not to love. I don't usually let a pervasive emotion put me off a book, but this hits me as a very sad book indeed. I don't want to spoil anyone's enjoyment of this novel, but there is NO ONE in the book who should be above suspicion. Some of the descriptions of the area are quite effective, and the protrayal of Poe rises above the pedestrian - I liked it - but overall, you might want to spend your valuable time elsewhere.

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