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Pale Blue Eye
Pale Blue Eye | Louis Bayard
5 posts | 12 read | 15 to read
"Shockingly clever and devoutly unsentimental...reads like a lost classic. Bayard reinvigorates historical fiction."- New York Times Book ReviewAn ingenious tale of murder and revenge at West Point, featuring a retired detective and a young cadet named Edgar Allan Poe--from the author of Courting Mr. Lincoln.At West Point Academy in 1830, the calm of an October evening is shattered by the discovery of a young cadet's body swinging from a rope. The next morning, an even greater horror comes to light. Someone has removed the dead man's heart. Augustus Landor--who acquired some renown in his years as a New York City police detective--is called in to discreetly investigate. It's a baffling case Landor must pursue in secret, for the scandal could do irreparable damage to the fledgling institution. But he finds help from an unexpected ally--a moody, young cadet with a penchant for drink, two volumes of poetry to his name, and a murky past that changes from telling to telling. The strange and haunted Southern poet for whom Landor develops a fatherly affection, is named Edgar Allan Poe.
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LadyCait84
The Pale Blue Eye | Louis Bayard
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Read this early in September as part of my “dark academia” theme for the month and highly recommend it for folks who like historical fiction AND thrillers. The final reveal truly caught me off guard, which is actually pretty rare anymore.

(The fact that one of the main characters happens to be an imagined version of Edgar Allan Poe during his West Point years is a very cool bonus.)

#HauntedShelf
Team #DeadSerious

BookwormAHN I loved this book 🤎 3mo
OriginalCyn620 This one was not on my radar but it sounds good! 3mo
cant_i'm_booked This looks like a great read! Im definitely adding to TBR pile - it sounds familiar, was there a Christian Bale movie made off this? 3mo
LadyCait84 @cant_i'm_booked Yes! It‘s on Netflix and I did enjoy it, but definitely recommend reading first…the way the final act unfolds in the book is really well done but I feel like the movie rushed it, losing some of the punch. (edited) 3mo
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Honeybeebooks
The Pale Blue Eye | Louis Bayard
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Pickpick

Dark, classic and sophisticated mystery featuring Edgar A. Poe. After a gruesome murder at West Point Academy, retired investigator Augustus Landor is tasked with finding the killer. His “inside man” is none other than Cadet Edgar A. Poe. The two bond over drinks and late night philosophical discussions. Will their bond help them solve the murders? By turns smart and emotional to earn 4 of 5 ⭐️.

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LadyCait84
The Pale Blue Eye | Louis Bayard
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Pickpick

I‘ve started this book on 4 separate occasions, but this week it finally took…& I devoured it.

Similar to Caleb Carr‘s The Alienist, it mixes real persons of the past (Edgar Allan Poe & several West Point officers) with created characters to solve (and/or be suspected of) mercifully fictional crimes.

The result was a dark & twisty mystery with enough historical nuggets to keep me bouncing between the story & a research rabbit hole.

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BookBelle84
The Pale Blue Eye | Louis Bayard
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Pickpick

I really enjoyed this one, I'm not sure why its rating is so low. The author does a great job of putting the reader into the story, and the sense of time is perfect. It reminded me of a cross between Sherlock Holmes and The Gods of Gotham. Now to watch the movie!
#pop23 #aroundtheworld

mabell I was just in the bookstore tonight and heard the owner having to explain to a customer that they sold the last copy of this! How funny! 2y
BooksNBowls How was the movie? I‘ve been debating giving it a watch! 2y
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Ericalambbrown
Pale Blue Eye | Louis Bayard
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Pickpick

I bumped this up my TBR list so I could get it read before the movie comes out. I really liked it over all. It slogged along a bit in the middle, but it ended up as a pick for me overall. None of the characters are terribly likable so I can see where this may not be everyone‘s cup of tea. Solid, gritty historical crime novel.

AmyG Sounds good! 2y
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