When Charles Dickens died as the result of a stroke on June 9, 1870 at the age of 58, his novel The Mystery of Edwin Drood languished unfinished. Only six of the twelve planned installments had been completed, and Dickens left behind no clear plans for the remaining six and no outline to solve the mystery of title, leaving readers in perpetual suspense. In Immortalised to Death Squire (author of this historical mystery The Last Chapter) re-imagines the death of Dickens (murdered!) and the missing chapters. Drawing from fiction as well Dickens' life and milieu, Squire spins a story that offers both an answer for the murder of this fictional Dickens and an ending for the real Dickens’s Drood. Fans of Dickens, as well as readers who gravitate towards classic mysteries steeped in Victorian fog will greatly enjoy this read.The unlikely hero of this story (and the forthcoming entries in what promises to be a trilogy) is Dunston Burnett, a retired, middle-aged, awkward bookkeeper. He also happens to be Dickens' nephew, who is summoned by the author's devoted sister in-law, Georgina, after the death of their beloved Charles. What seems to be a natural death is soon revealed to be murder and Georgina wants Dickens' name and reputation protected at all costs. Dunston is charged with identifying his uncle's killer and, almost as important, discovering the ending of Drood.
Squire conjures up an enticing lost world as Dunston, like Dickens himself, heads into high society and opium dens and back alleys. Dunston, a bit priggish at the outset, becomes a character to cheer for as he pieces together mysteries that reveal jolting truths about the very real and the very fictional men at the story’s heart. Secret lives, secret loves, and secrets that were intended to be taken to the grave are uncovered. Dunston grows in confidence at every juncture, and the stage is set for the next books.
Takeaway: Marvelous Victorian mystery centered on the death of Charles Dickens.
Comparable Titles: Heather Redmond’s A Tale of Two Murders; Lyndsay Faye.
Production grades
Cover: B-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
