Five years after a series of Dante-inspired killings stunned Boston, a politician is found in a London park with his neck crushed by an enormous stone device etched with a verse from the Divine Comedy. When other shocking deaths erupt across the city, all in the style of the penances Dante memorialized in Purgatory, poet Christina Rossetti fears her missing brother, the artist and writer Dante Gabriel Rossetti, will be the next victim.
The unwavering Christina enlists poets Robert Browning, Alfred Tennyson, and Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes to decipher the literary clues, and together these unlikely investigators unravel the secrets of Dante’s verses to find Gabriel and stop the killings. Racing between the shimmering mansions of the elite and the seedy corners of London’s underworld, they descend further into the mystery. But when the true inspiration behind the gruesome murders is finally revealed, Christina must confront a more profound terror than anyone had imagined.
A dazzling tale of intrigue from the writer Library Journal calls “the reigning king of popular literary historical thrillers,” The Dante Chamber is a riveting journey across London and into both the beauty and darkness of Dante. Expertly blending fact and fiction, Pearl gives us a historical mystery like no other that captivates and surprises until the last page.
“The sleuths who figure in Matthew Pearl’s THE DANTE CHAMBER should thrill English literature majors… [A] literary whodunit.” —The New York Times Book Review
“Murder takes a literary turn…You’ll enjoy Pearl’s evocation of these esteemed authors, who prove to be all too human.” —Washington Post
“[A] cunning follow-up to The Dante Club… Pearl twists the plot to the final page.” —BBC.com’s Ten Books to Read in June
“Pearl is a brilliant storyteller, vividly portraying London’s literary arts scene and the city’s fear and fascination with the occult and a serial killer. Pearl’s fans, and fans of historical thrillers, are in for a treat.” —Publishers Weekly
“Pearl demonstrates a scholar’s grasp of Dante in this darkly atmospheric novel.” —Christian Science Monitor
“Pearl’s clue-laden detective stories are also well-researched, atmospheric historical novels that succinctly mix fact and fiction. His novels illustrate the true art of historical mysteries, showing just how relevant the issues of another century are to modern times.” —The Sun-Sentinel
“This engrossing historical mystery populated with the literati of the 19th century is one to choose when you’re inclined to relish a sherry in a conservatory.” —Minneapolis Star Tribune “A clever literary mystery.” —Newsday
“THE DANTE CHAMBER has relocated the action across the pond in London, with a captivating circle of luminary poets…[A] wildly clever novel of suspense.” —The National Book Review
“[A] well-wrought sequel of sorts…Displaying extensive knowledge of the period and the writers, Pearl builds an intricate, well-layered plot…His focus on Christina among several imposing male writers…is also a refreshing choice and produces a complex, appealing character. A thoroughly entertaining excursion to the literary England of the late 19th century with some ink-stained amateur detectives.” — Kirkus, starred review
“Pearl uses his literary knowledge to excellent effect as he crafts a sinister tale of obsession and manipulation.” —Library Journal
"Pearl again does a stunning job of transforming Dante into brilliantly staged crime fiction." — Booklist
Five years after a series of Dante-inspired killings stunned Boston, a politician is found in a London park with his neck crushed by an enormous stone device etched with a verse from the Divine Comedy. When other shocking deaths erupt across the city, all in the style of the penances Dante memorialized in Purgatory, poet Christina Rossetti fears her missing brother, the artist and writer Dante Gabriel Rossetti, will be the next victim.
The unwavering Christina enlists poets Robert Browning, Alfred Tennyson, and Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes to decipher the literary clues, and together these unlikely investigators unravel the secrets of Dante’s verses to find Gabriel and stop the killings. Racing between the shimmering mansions of the elite and the seedy corners of London’s underworld, they descend further into the mystery. But when the true inspiration behind the gruesome murders is finally revealed, Christina must confront a more profound terror than anyone had imagined.
A dazzling tale of intrigue from the writer Library Journal calls “the reigning king of popular literary historical thrillers,” The Dante Chamber is a riveting journey across London and into both the beauty and darkness of Dante. Expertly blending fact and fiction, Pearl gives us a historical mystery like no other that captivates and surprises until the last page.
Praise
“The sleuths who figure in Matthew Pearl’s THE DANTE CHAMBER should thrill English literature majors… [A] literary whodunit.” —The New York Times Book Review
“Murder takes a literary turn…You’ll enjoy Pearl’s evocation of these esteemed authors, who prove to be all too human.” —Washington Post
“[A] cunning follow-up to The Dante Club… Pearl twists the plot to the final page.” —BBC.com’s Ten Books to Read in June
“Pearl is a brilliant storyteller, vividly portraying London’s literary arts scene and the city’s fear and fascination with the occult and a serial killer. Pearl’s fans, and fans of historical thrillers, are in for a treat.” —Publishers Weekly
“Pearl demonstrates a scholar’s grasp of Dante in this darkly atmospheric novel.” —Christian Science Monitor
“Pearl’s clue-laden detective stories are also well-researched, atmospheric historical novels that succinctly mix fact and fiction. His novels illustrate the true art of historical mysteries, showing just how relevant the issues of another century are to modern times.” —The Sun-Sentinel
“This engrossing historical mystery populated with the literati of the 19th century is one to choose when you’re inclined to relish a sherry in a conservatory.” —Minneapolis Star Tribune “A clever literary mystery.” —Newsday
“THE DANTE CHAMBER has relocated the action across the pond in London, with a captivating circle of luminary poets…[A] wildly clever novel of suspense.” —The National Book Review
“[A] well-wrought sequel of sorts…Displaying extensive knowledge of the period and the writers, Pearl builds an intricate, well-layered plot…His focus on Christina among several imposing male writers…is also a refreshing choice and produces a complex, appealing character. A thoroughly entertaining excursion to the literary England of the late 19th century with some ink-stained amateur detectives.” — Kirkus, starred review
“Pearl uses his literary knowledge to excellent effect as he crafts a sinister tale of obsession and manipulation.” —Library Journal
"Pearl again does a stunning job of transforming Dante into brilliantly staged crime fiction." — Booklist
