The Last Dickens by Matthew Pearl

You might want to label this book by Matthew Pearl as a novel about a novel. The novel, which lies at the heart of this story, is Charles Dickens' last, but incomplete, novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Dickens died of a stroke at the age of 59, before he could complete the final installments of this novel.

Matthew Pearl weaves a tremendous tale involving the authorized U.S. Publisher of all Dickens' works, Fields, Osgood & company, as they scramble to determine if Dickens left any indication as to how the Mystery of Edwin Drood will be resolved. The first six installments of the novel are stolen from Osgood's trusted clerk, Daniel Sand, who is killed before he can deliver the manuscript to the publishing house, and the manuscript disappears.

Could Osgood's publishing rivals, using bookaneers (book pirates), have stolen it, or is there an even deeper mystery going on? Accompanied by Daniel's sister, Rebecca, Osgood travels to England to search for clues about how Dickens planned on finishing Drood, unaware his enemies are close at hand. Pearl enriches his story through extended flashbacks, the inclusion of actual historical figures, including Osgood himself, and an in-depth knowledge of Dickens' career and literary works. I strongly recommended this one.

Other good reads from Matthew Pearl include: The Dante Club and Poe's Shadow. There is also another book that paints a scenario on Dickens' last novel, entitled: Drood by Dan Simmons. I haven't read it yet, but it is now on my ever growing list of books to read.