The American Boy

About the book

Combining real and fictional elements, The American Boy is an innovative literary historical crime novel following in the footsteps of An Instance of the Fingerpost and Possession. The protagonist, Edgar Allan Poe, is portrayed as a young boy teetering on the edge of enigmatic mysteries.

In the year 1819, two American individuals make their way to London, just as a local bank faces collapse. Soon after, a man is discovered dead and gruesomely mutilated at a construction site. Meanwhile, a wealthy heiress indulges in flirtations with social inferiors, while a struggling schoolteacher grapples to comprehend the unfolding events before they consume him and his loved ones.

However, the ultimate truth, like Poe himself, traces its roots not only to the old world but also to the new. The American Boy presents a modern-day narrative imbued with the voice of the 19th century, blending elements of a complex literary whodunit with a poignant love story that traverses the gritty streets of Regency London and the harsh winter landscapes of Gloucestershire.

At its core lies a protagonist who finds himself adrift, a performer who never fully grasps the significance of his role in the grand scheme of things.