Edgar Allan Poe and the Jewel of Peru

Philadelphia, 1844.   As violent tensions escalate between nativists and recent Irish immigrants, Edgar Allan Poe’s fears for the safety of his wife, Virginia, and mother-in-law, Muddy, are compounded when he receives a parcel of mummified bird parts. Has his nemesis returned to settle an old score? Just as odd is the arrival of Helena Loddiges, a young heiress who demands Poe’s help to discover why her lover died at the city’s docks on his return from an expedition to Peru.  Poe is skeptical of her claims of having received messages from birds—and visitations from her lover’s ghost—but when Miss Loddiges is kidnapped, he and his friend C. Auguste Dupin must unravel a mystery involving old enemies, lost soul-mates, ornithomancy, and the legendary jewel of Peru.

Praise for Edgar Allan Poe and the London Monster:

“Karen Lee Street’s impressive first novel cleverly pairs Poe with his fictional creation, the Chevalier C. Auguste Dupin. Street maintains atmospheric suspense throughout.”—Publishers Weekly

"Deliciously morbid. The prose has a lush, sumptuous rhythm to it. This is a dark, highly satisfying mystery combining beautiful writing with suspense and unease.”—Ripperologist

“Poe’s devoted readers will rejoice in this debut literary novel, a skillful melding of historical detail and fiction that is also rife with Poe-like style, imagery, and plot elements. Mavens of the macabre will relish this and hunger for a sequel.”—Library Journal (starred)

“A dose of drama, a dash of darkness, and a little bit of humor liven up the journey.”—Kirkus Reviews