Matthew Pearl Books

Memories, fears, the fog of nightmares... 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.

Set against the backdrop of the founding of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, this historical mystery weaves a captivating tale reminiscent of Arthur Conan Doyle's style. Readers will encounter thrilling cliffhangers, unexpected escapes, and charming romantic subplots, all contributing to a richly engaging narrative. The blend of intrigue and personal relationships ensures a compelling read that keeps the audience guessing until the end.

In his most enthralling novel yet, the critically acclaimed author Matthew Pearl reopens one of literary history’s greatest mysteries. The Last Dickens is a tale filled with the dazzling twists and turns, the unerring period details, and the meticulous research that thrilled readers of the bestsellers The Dante Club and The Poe Shadow.

In his first narrative nonfiction work, Matthew Pearl delves into the little-known true story of the kidnapping of Daniel Boone's daughter and its dramatic aftermath. On a midsummer day in 1776, thirteen-year-old Jemima Boone and her friends Betsy and Fanny Callaway vanish near Boonesboro, their screams echoing in the air. A Cherokee-Shawnee raiding party has taken the girls as part of the ongoing conflict between American Indians and colonial settlers. The raiders' leader, Hanging Maw, recognizes Jemima as the daughter of a prominent pioneer and sees her as a valuable pawn in the struggle to drive colonists from Kentucky. As Daniel Boone and his posse pursue them, Hanging Maw devises a plan that could lead to greater peace between the tribes and settlers. Meanwhile, the girls cleverly leave clues for their rescuers. The ensuing ambush by Boone and his men results in a battle with unpredictable consequences. Pearl's riveting account of Jemima Boone's kidnapping highlights the early days of America's westward expansion and the violent cultural clashes that occurred. This captivating narrative uncovers a forgotten chapter from the Revolutionary War, revealing the moral complexities and unexpected alliances that shaped America's transition from colony to nation.

In 1865 Boston, an elite group of American Dante scholars, including Oliver Wendell Holmes and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, is called upon to solve a series of murders inspired by scenes in Dante's "Inferno."

"'An ingenious thriller' (Sunday Times) from the author of The Dante Club A reclusive writeraA stolen manuscriptaAn adventure at the ends of the earth On the island of Samoa, a dying Robert Louis Stevenson labours over a new novel. It is rumoured that this may be the author of Treasure Island's greatest masterpiece. On the other side of the world this news fires the imaginations of the bookaneers, literary pirates who steal the latest manuscripts by famous writers. Two adversaries set out for the South Pacific: Pen Davenport, a tortured criminal genius haunted by his past and Belial, his nemesis. Both dream of fortune and immortality with what may be their last and most incredible heist. The Last Bookaneer thrillingly depicts the lost world of these doomed outlaws, a tropical island with a violent destiny, a brewing colonial war and a reclusive genius directing events from high in his mountain compound."

Baltimore, 1849. The body of Edgar Allan Poe has been buried in an unmarked grave. Quentin Clark is a young lawyer and ardent admirer who puts his own career and reputation at risk in a crusade to find out the truth behind Poe's death. After discovering that the writer's last days are riddled with unanswered questions the police are ignoring, Quentin finds himself enmeshed in a sinister machinations involving international political agents, a female assassin, the corrupt Baltimore slave trade, and the lost secrets of Poe's final hours. In order to unchain his now imperiled fate from Poe's, Quentin must himself turn master investigator.

The narrative unfolds as a remarkable true tale of survival, featuring a family akin to the Swiss Family Robinson, alongside their loyal dog. They confront perilous challenges including sharks, a shipwreck, and the threat of betrayal. This gripping account highlights their resilience and the extraordinary circumstances they endure, offering readers a captivating glimpse into their adventure and the bonds that hold them together in the face of adversity.

In 1867, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow completed the first American translation of Inferno and thus introduced Dante’s literary genius to the New World. In the Inferno, the spirit of the classical poet Virgil leads Dante through the nine circles of Hell on the initial stage of his journey toward Heaven. Along the way Dante encounters and describes in vivid detail the various types of sinners in the throes of their eternal torment.