A interesting investigation into the death & life of the famous Edgar Allan Poe makes for quite an interesting read. Alternating chapters between Poe's life and his final days Mark does a great job debunking some of the many myths surrounding Poe.
His use of Poe's material through the book along with letters, articles, & reviews are used throughout the book, so even if you're somehow not familiar with Poe's work you leave with an unbiased knowledge of it. Historically it's quite a fascinating read.He even dives into the modern day adaptations of Poe's work.

As always my reviews are my honest opinions and spoiler free!

I received a complimentary copy of this excellent biography from author Mark Dawidziak, Netgalley, and publisher St. Martin's Press. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read A Mystery of Mysteries of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I have added Mark Dawidziak to my authors followed. He writes a good history. I am happy to recommend his work to friends and family.

I have read several Poe biographies over the years, and I must say this one is special. If there are conflicting tales, Dawidiak gives you both viewpoints - you decide which you want to remember. And there are many conflicting viewpoints on this author/editor who died so young. Having this overview of his life and work without prejudice is very interesting. If you have read them all, have no idea of the history of this versatile author, or are only familiar with required high school readings, pick up this biography. Poe was an author of many genres of work, though best known for his horror tales. Please check out his poetry and other novels if you are not familiar with them. His was a fine talent.

Say the name Edgar Allan Poe and dark, gothic tales and poetry come to mind. But he was so much more than that brooding figure we have all come to recognize. From his poor beginnings to time at West Point to creating the detective that birthed Sherlock Holmes, Poe has a much bigger tale to tell. And then there’s his death – strange, mysterious and still unsolved after all the decades since. A Mystery of Mysteries by Mark Dawidziak covers all of this and more, providing a deeper look at the man known for “nevermore”.

I have been a fan of Poe’s stories and poems since I was a pre-teen. I even made sure to pay a visit to his grave when I was in Baltimore a few years back. But I will admit that I have never gone beyond the well-known darker tales that created the image of Poe we all know. This biography has inspired me to look into other works and reread many in closer detail, especially those following his detective C. Auguste Dupin.

And though I knew a little about Poe’s life, it was enlightening to read of just how much hardship he faced almost constantly, from family to health to money. He led an exceedingly stressful life. Of course, like so many artists, he was not universally well-received during his time nor did his work provide a comfortable life. He moved around so often, it’s difficult to keep track of where he was living at various points in his life.

But the biggest mystery of Poe’s life is, of course, his death. The circumstances are well-suited for creating a mythology around any figure, but the fact that there are still merely theories and no definitive answers is amazing. No one knows why he was in Baltimore on that fateful day, nor why he seemed to not even be wearing his own clothes or why he was acting so strangely when he was found. Dawidziak does a good job covering some of the more reasonable theories and does provide a good basis for the most likely explanation. A Mystery of Mysteries is worth a read for Poe fans.

I have always been fascinated by Poe and this investigation of his life and his sad ending engaged me from start to finish. With alternating chapters of his life and the many theories about his death I came away with a new sense of who he was. Full of details about what may have caused his death, this is a book I'll be talking about to my mystery reading friends.
My thanks to the publisher St. Martin's and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Many of the myths about Poe turn out to be false, but many of the facts are just as interesting or mysterious. And Dawidziak’s insights and commentary help humanize Poe and shine new light on his gifts. Like the best author biographies, it makes you want to reread everything Poe ever wrote.

If you are a fan of Edgar Allen Poe and like to learn more about authors' lives, then this book is for you. There is so much research about what happened to EAP the night of his death. I like that this book starts with the death. It makes it the focus and circles back to it. I think this is really clever!

Thank you so much to St. Martins Press for sending me a copy on Net Galley and a finished copy!

A Mystery of Mysteries: The Death and Life of Edgar Allan Poe by Mark Dawidziak
#seventhbookof2023 #arc

CW: death, poverty, tuberculosis

A Mystery of Mysteries is a biography of Edgar Allan Poe and his impact on the horror and gothic genres.

I have been a fan of Poe forever, so I jumped at the opportunity to read this book. It alternates between Poe’s life story and a very detailed account of his last days. It also took a questioning look at the mysterious circumstances of his death. For some reason, I hadn’t realized that he died at 40! All that talent, so much potential for the missing second half of his life. Also, who knew he had so many feuds with other authors and journalists?

I recommend this book to anyone interested in Poe. Even the most die hard fans are sure to find some tidbit of information they didn’t already know.

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the advance copy. (Pub date 2/14/23)

#edgarallanpoe #amysteryofmysteries #nevermore

I enjoyed the fact that in order to explain Edgar Allan Poe’s life you have to start with his death. While I’m familiar with his work, I wasn’t as familiar with his life. The information was laid out so it was easy to move through and make connections. Overall great job!

I received a digital advance reader’s copy of A Mystery of Mysteries: The Death and Life of Edgar Allan Poe by Mark Dawidziak via NetGalley. A Mystery of Mysteries is scheduled for release on February 14, 2023.

A Mystery of Mysteries centers around Poe’s death and the myths and questions surrounding his final days and ultimate end. Dawidziak has compiled extensive research in an attempt to tell the story of Poe’s death and his life before it. He has organized his findings into chapters that focus on a portion of Poe’s life, while tying those events to his final days. The result is a series of snapshots or vignettes that tie together to paint a sort of picture of Poe. In the end, Dawidziak is unable to solve the mystery, not for lack of trying, but for lack of evidence of what truly occurred.

While each chapter worked for me, I did struggle to tie them all together into one timeline. Each chapter did focus on a segment of Poe’s life, and these segments were presented in chronological order. However, each segment also jumped forward in time, presenting fragments of Poe’s later days. The constant shifting back and forth in time made it difficult for me to link them together into one coherent sequence.

Overall, A Mystery of Mysteries is a deep dive into Poe’s life and death, that explores the mystery and myth of Poe and acknowledges his place in both literature and history.

I didn’t know much about this author, but I was introduced to him through his poem, The Tell Tail Heart. My son had to read it for school. As my son got older he learned more about Edgar Allen Poe that fascinated him and made him say, “He’s had a sad life, and oh, the mysteries behind his death. No one can agree on what happened to him” When the opportunity came available to read and review this book, I couldn’t turn it down. I wanted to find out more about the mysteries behind this man, his work and his death.

The author starts the book with Edgar Allan Poe’s death on October 7, 1849. The author says, …”at just forty, in a painful, utterly bizarre manner that would not have been out of place in one of his own tales of terror. What was the cause of his untimely death, and what happened to him during the three missing days before he was found…is a mystery.”

Oh, my, I had to know more. I read on. I couldn’t believe all the theories people had. One believed a brain tumor, someone else felt he was murdered, some thought it was suicide, others felt he was poisoned, and the list goes on.

The author touches on his childhood, education, and his mother’s and wife’s deaths. I like how this author wrote this book using some of Poe’s writings from the last months of his life and his own research. It’s fascinating that people are still trying to figure out how this man mysteriously died. I also liked how this author spotlighted some of his works, so readers interest would be peaked to read more. Maybe come up with their own theory.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book by the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog https://psalm516.blogspot.com/

I would like to start off by saying I'm not really big on biographies/autobiographies. When I do partake, I like to listen to the audio versions. I was super excited to read this one however. I really love Edgar Allan Poe. That man was wild and petty as fuck. Who can't respect that?

Dawidziak definitely put in the research for this book. When we think of Poe, we see an author, and someone who is sickly and dependant on different substances. But I loved his sassy, dickish reviews. It's a good one for folks who love Poe. It's interesting to see, but what you are able to take from the book depends on you.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

As a lifelong fan of Poe, I knew as soon as I saw this that I had to read it.  I've always loved his stories and poems, but didn't know much about him or his history.  The basics that I'd learned in American lit in middle and high school were the extent of my knowledge.  This was a great chance to learn more about the man and the mysteries surrounding him.

Told in alternating timelines, the author gives a detailed retelling of Poe's life and eventual death.  There was so much I'd never known and learning about the inspiration for some of his most recognizable works was fascinating.  The author's style makes it feel like you're hearing from the people themselves, rather than from a biographer or researcher.  It made for an enjoyable and educational read.

The alternating timelines threw me off a bit at times and I was often confused as to which one I was in.  Is this his youth?  Are we leading up to his death?  This technique works well in fiction, in my opinion, but lends itself to disconnection in a biography.  Occasionally, sentences would have too much information added to them, making them clunky and difficult to parse.  However, the writing itself was generally easy to follow and absorb. 

Mystery of Mysteries is an informative and well-researched novel.  Packed full of quotes, excerpts, and details that were new to me, I found myself even more enamored of Poe than I had been before I started reading.  Now, I need to go back and reread many of his works now that I know the backstories and inspirations behind them.

A Mystery of Mysteries by Mark Dawidziak was received directly from the publisher and I chose to review it. Edgar Allan Poe, most everyone has heard of him and probably read at least one of his stories. I personally had never paid that much attention to his life to be aware of any controversy surrounding his death, or the last few weeks of his life before he died. This book delves into Edgar's life and death. between Richmond, VA, and New York City. Apparently, there are four locations along the East Coast that lays claim to Edgar's life. If you are a fan of Mr. Poe, or are just interested in American history, certainly give this book a read.

4 Stars

The cause of Edgar Allan Poe 's death is the focus of this book. He died in October 1849, after being missing for 3 days. What actually caused his death?

Dawidziak takes a look at the cause(s). He talked to writers, university scholars, and curators of his museums. They all have different reasons and who is to say which one is the correct one. Though, I lean toward one that makes a lot of sense to me. Dawidziak looks at his life from birth to death, but it's not in a chronological order. I didn't care for that. The book seemed to job around on dates a lot.

Poe was an orphan, a ward of a family, and destitute most of his life. He had a problem being able to handle money. He seemed to shot his self in the foot when thinks started going good for him. The one thing I know for sure is that Poe is more popular now than he was in his lifetime.

Publishes February 14, 2023

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and Dawidziak for the Kindle Version of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

🙃 Happy Reading 📚🙃

#netgalley
#stmartinspress
#dawidziak

Edgar Allan Poe has been one of my favorite writers for most of my life. As an English teacher, I have read and written about Poe many, many times. So, reading this book was an absolute must.

The book is well-written and is backed up by evidence, which is nice to see. It was attempting to take us from our gloomy view of Poe and show the truth behind the show. I did think it kind of went in too many directions at once in several places.

Unfortunately, because I have read about, written about, and taught Poe for years, the book didn’t really offer any new insights or information I didn’t know already.

I found myself skimming through section after section because I wasn’t getting anything new or exciting from it.

I think this is a great book for someone who doesn’t already know much about the infamous Poe. For the more informed reader, it’s just a condensed version of what anyone could find spread all over the internet.

Loving Poe and being absolutely drawn to this cover, I raced to request an ARC of A Mystery of Mysteries. However, this book takes a bit of getting used to because it starts incredibly dry. It is also difficult because the author used citations instead of footnotes, which makes the reading cumbersome. This is made even more so as the chapters alternate between a shorter chapter of 20 minutes long, as we’re discussing Poe’s final days, to a longer, biographical chapter that can be upward of an hour.

Poe’s death is riddled with confusion and inconsistencies, so when it’s added in from the author as well, it can be a muddle. For example, Dawidziak states that Poe’s final doctor, Moran, was four years removed from their medical degree, but then goes on to quote an RN who says Moran had graduated two years prior. So it can be tricky parsing out exactly what we’re looking at.

It can be challenging writing about Poe and making it feel like you’re coming at it from a different angle. Perhaps that is why Dawidziak wrote the book with the alternating approaches. But ultimately, it makes the book feel disjointed. I think there is value in this book for readers who don’t know much about Poe’s life or his final days. But the approach, with the endless citations in the text instead of using footnotes, will be challenging for any reader to get through. Thank you, St. Martin’s, for sending this over.

Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Press for this fascinating biography of Edgar Allen Poe. They sent me a digital arc, but I’m absolutely going to purchase a hardback for future reference. I would have marked passages and dog-eared pages. Reading a book like this makes me want to finally go to grad school for my English MA (someday!).
While some chapters weren’t as engaging to me (his early relationships, for example), several moments were absolutely compelling. I even got an idea for a high school English assignment while reading this book.
Poe was undoubtedly a genius, and his work is more persistent than most authors of his time. He was not only a master of the macabre, but the inventor of the detective story as we know it (Arthur Conan Doyle gives credit to Poe for his Sherlock stories). He was a brilliant poet and a pretty normal guy—not alike any of his characters, as we often picture him.
This book aims to deconstruct the mystery of his death, and while the circumstances remain a mystery, the author examines various theories and posits that solving the mystery is not only impossible, it would also be a bummer. His death is so akin to his stories (for example, a runaway train destroyed his headstone before it could be delivered to the cemetery—that tale would fit right in one of Poe’s horror stories). The fact that no one can explain how or why he died with any satisfaction is just one way that Poe remains immortal.
If you’re a fan of his work at all, you’ll definitely enjoy this addition to the archive.

I read Poe in high school, and I think I’ve seen every big screen adaptation of his works, but I’ve never revisited Poe or knew much about his life or death. It seems no one really knows much about his mysterious death at the age of 40, but Mark Dawidziak tries to get some answers in this book. I received an Advanced Reader’s Copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Told in dual timelines, the reader alternates between the last few months of Edgar Allan Poe’s life, and what led him there, starting with his birth. I can’t say I liked the format much, as used to dual timelines as I am. For this subject, it didn’t seem to work. What would have been better is a straight biography, and then a closer examination into Poe’s last days. Instead we have a disjointed account of his final days, which does no service to the story.

However, what is presented is compelling enough. The author tries to cover every myth about Poe and clear up any misconceptions people may have had. You see, most people think of Poe as a gloomy type of broken character based upon his most famous works and the last few daguerreotypes taken of him. But for 20 years, Poe was always an optimist, never letting lack of work get him down. Along the way, he became a well-regarded literary critic as well as an author in his own right.

Poe’s problem seems to be that he had a very low tolerance for alcohol and during his adult life was known to have benders. That’s not saying he was an alcoholic, he just had trouble handling even one glass, and could go years without a drink. However, you would think that someone who is self-aware of how alcohol affects them and all the trouble he got into when he drank would avoid it, so maybe he was an alcoholic. The author doesn’t think so, but I’m less inclined to agree.

Poe’s success as a writer came late in life, yet wasn’t thought seriously enough in America to bring him riches. Nowadays Poe is considered a writing genius, the father of the detective story, and a master of the horror genre, but not so during his lifetime. His mysterious death just added to the mystique.

The book is peppered with interviews from Poe scholars, museum curators, authors like Stephen King who were influenced by him, and medical detectives. Currently, therqe are more than 20 theories of how Poe died, and the author explores some of the most popular ones to disprove them or make them seem plausible. Some of the theories are “hypoglycemia, rabies, diabetes, tuberculosis, alcoholism, encephalitis, heart disease, influenza, epilepsy, liver disease, or meningeal inflammation due to viral or bacterial infection.” The author’s conclusion, based on his conversations with all his interviewees is that Poe died of tuberculosis or tubercular meningitis.

The book was very interesting if you’re like me and hadn’t done any research on his life or death. Recommended for fans of Poe, true crime mysteries, and biographies.

Quite disappointed with this one.

I'm not a huge Edgar Allan Poe fan (and maybe this would have worked better for me if I was), but this felt a bit lackluster to me. My main issue was the writing style. This read a lot like a textbook, which isn't a style I enjoy reading.

A Mystery of Mysteries is told in 3 ways: quotes, insertions of Poe's writing (or quotes taken from his writing), and facts. The quotes are what really bothered me and made me almost DNF this. There are quotes from so many people, and they take up the majority of this book. Poe experts, Poe fans, and anyone who could possibly have something to say about Poe, all of these quotes were included, and a lot of the time they didn't really add anything. They just bogged the book down. Same with the quoting of Poe's poems or short stories. If the book was discussing someone Poe was in love with, the author would insert the entire poem that Poe wrote about that person. And at first, this was fine but it got to be too much and became repetitive and unnecessary.

Overall, this one really didn't work for me. I kept zoning out and reading this ended up feeling like a chore instead of an interesting learning experience. Maybe it'll work for other people, but it's not one that I'd recommend.

Rating: 1.5/5 stars

An impressive, emotional look at the life and numerous myths that circle Edgar Allen Poe. Known to be gloomy, addicted and dark, Mr. Dawidziak strips away the varnish and reveals a more color portrait.
Poe’s life was steeped in tragedy and yet we learn of a more athletic man enjoying frequent walks and one of humor that easily laughed at himself.
Shared in dual time lines the author engages the reader in part biography and part mystery unraveling the days leading to his untimely death and providing detail that is never boring but intensely interesting.
Highly recommended and a ‘must read’.
With thanks to NetGalley, the author and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest book review.