A MYSTERY OF MYSTERIES The Death and Life of Edgar Allan Poe

For many readers of Edgar Allan Poe, the story of his life starts with his famously bizarre and unexplained death at the age of 40. This audio biography alternates sections that focus on his final weeks and snippets about his earlier life, including his childhood as an orphan. He was raised by a foster family who shaped the man he was to become. Grover Gardner's narration is fittingly straightforward and unembellished, though his pace is perhaps a tad too slow. He effectively captures the author's style, which is more journalistic than academic and relies on direct quotes from his sources. The author doesn't definitively solve the mystery of Poe's demise, but what fun would it be if he had? D.B. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2023]