The American Boy

I had never run across this author before, until I was reading an online review of thriller novels and found that Andrew Taylor was suggested. My local library had only one of his novels, not the one I really wanted ("The Four Last Things") but I checked this out and was very pleased. This is the only novel I've read since "The Quincunx", that catches the feeling of Charles Dickens, yet without the sentimentality of that author, and adds a modern eye to the early Victorian period as well as a gift for intricate plotting without the coincidences that sometimes strain the edges of Dickens' plots. As has been pointed out elsewhere, this book is not so much about Edgar Allen Poe, but has him (as a young child) in a subsidiary but important role. To anyone who shares my fondness for sharp, literate mysteries and 19th Century England will love this.(Also published under the title "An Unpardonable Crime".)

I thoroughly enjoyed this period piece, elegantly written & truly engrossing. Judging from the Epilogue, the author based it upon Edgar Allan Poe's biographies. While Poe himself (as a child) has a supporting role in this novel, he plays significantly, though subtly, in the plot. It must be noted that a person is not an independent entity, but is to a large degree a product of both heredity & environment (esp. early family years). Thus, Poe's significance in this novel is far more than a surface reading would reveal--despite what some editorial ( & other) reviewers may state. Per Knowledge Management, it takes context to convert information (useless in itself) into knowledge (which is actionable). Psychology IMHO agrees--e.g. see Alice Miller's famous "The Drama of the Gifted Child." The plot is intricate & dependent upon 19th century values to a very large extent. But, the moralities of the characters continue into the present. People tend to be people. The Appendix is actually an epilogue so, do NOT read it first (I frequently read Appendices of non-fiction works first). But do read the biographical pages at the very end, but at the very end (of your reading). The book is very smooth & easy to read--much more than Dickens. Not all of the mystery is exposed but there's enough to satisfy IMHO. Also, while one might guess some of it, it is not a game of find the culprit a la Agatha Christie. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it so much I will give it 5 stars (a rarity for me, esp. for fiction) & will be reading Taylor's Roth trilogy starting today--this was my 1st Andrew Taylor book--I got his name from the "Mystery Lovers' Book of Quotations."

This is the first book I have read by this particular author and it prompted me immediately to order several more on completion. A highly intelligent, literate and adult piece of historical fiction with a pleasingly sophisticated plot that is very difficult to put down - also featuring Edgar Allan Poe as the eponymous boy (though crucial to the plot he is not one of the major characters as his father is). Fully deserves the excellent reviews it received in the UK press, an enaging evocation of time and place and a wonderfully paced thriller.

Noted Shakespearean actor Sir Derek Jacobi certainly needs no introduction to audiences. He is one of the most acclaimed actors of our time and deservedly so. Born in Britain and knighted by the Queen, he received a Tony Award for his performance in Much Ado About Nothing; his most recent film appearance was with Russell Crowe in The Gladiator. It is rare when an actor and a story seem so perfectly matched that it is nigh on to impossible to imagine anyone else presenting the reading. Such is the case with Sir Derek Jacobi and "An Unpardonable Crime," a mystery set in 19th century London. Early in the century a bank collapses, and a man is found dead at the site. One more man seems to have disappeared in the dangerous Seven Dials area of the city. At this same time Edgar Allan Poe was ten-years-old, and a student in a small village, Stoke Newington. It would seem that all would be sanguine and safe in this protected enclave, but that is not the case. London's grisly doings have a far reaching effect, stretching to a schoolmaster, Thomas Shield, who is at first confused then understandably frightened by this puzzling chain of events. Listening to this story as read by Sir Derek Jacobi is pure pleasure. - Gail Cooke

In Andrew Taylor's atmospheric feast, AN UNPARDONABLE CRIME, a man is found brutally murdered on a building site; another goes missing in the teeming stew of the city's notorious Seven Dials district. A deathbed vigil ends in theft, & a beautiful heiress flirts with the wrong class of people.What connects these events? A school master & an American boy, Edgar Allen (Poe), brought to England by his foster father & sent to a boarding school in the sleepy village of Stoke Newington.It is 1819 - Britain & America have at last quit fighting. The Regency Period is in high swing & the traffic of people & money between the countries is flowing fast. Into this new world where social classes are re-forming, a young teacher & the boys in his care, boys who could almost be twins, are drawn into a maelstrom of intrigue, murder & love. Rebeccasreads highly recommends AN UNPARDONABLE CRIME for those who relish historical fiction, based on journals & research. It will be right up your cobblestoned alley.