For Edgar (An Elizabeth Hewitt Mystery) [Mass Market Paperback]

Sheldon Rusch (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 7, 2006 | Series: An Elizabeth Hewitt Mystery (Book 1)

In this ingeniously plotted debut thriller, a female special agent in modern-day Chicago tracks a killer who commits murders inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The titular "Edgar" of Rusch's sharply written debut is Edgar Allan Poe himself: somebody is committing murders in Poe's name and leaving behind garish works of art to mark the connection—such as a woman's skull with a gold ribbon dangling from an eye socket. The little girl who finds the skull in an oak tree in a park near Chicago takes home a vital clue associated with "The Gold Bug." A second woman's bizarre murder has an obvious link to another Poe story. Elizabeth Taylor Hewitt, a special agent of the Illinois state police, enlists her ex-lover, Scott Gregory, who just happens to be a Poe expert, in decoding the clues—and becomes a potential victim of a mad but also resourceful serial killer known as the Raven. Hewitt is literary without being pretentious, and often hilariously outspoken. When a county sheriff describes the way the first victim's skull was attached to the tree, Elizabeth comments, "That's the way Martha Stewart always insisted on hanging a skull." With quality ingredients like these, Hewitt could well be back for another outing—and some day Rusch may be handed an Edgar of his own.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

An appealing heroine...an unexpected conclusion. (Rocky Mountain News) This excellent first novel offers a modern-day rendering of old horrors. (Library Journal) What's new is the ghoulish care in recreating canonical nightmares...prose worthy of Poe. An obvious candidate for its own Edgar. (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 311 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (November 7, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425212629
• ISBN-13: 978-0425212622
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,268,100 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Well written, but too formulaic, April 26, 2006

By 

Miss Nomer "book lover" (Upstate, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: For Edgar (Hardcover)

I bought this book because it centers around one of my favorite authors, Edgar Allan Poe. This book, unfortunately lost track of Poe's personality and talents. Though the book is well written, I was able to figure out who the murderer was mid-way because it follows basic mystery formulas. I also was annoyed that the main character was given a gimmicky love of Swiss Miss hot chocolate to muse over in almost every chapter. Give me a break!

If you're interested in reading two excellent mysteries based on Edgar Allan Poe, definitely read, Randall Silvis' "On Night's Shore" and "Disquiet Heart" in that order.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For Suspense Readers, September 5, 2005

By 

Vicki M. Taylor "author and reader" (Tampa, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: For Edgar (Hardcover)

Illinois State Police Special Agent Elizabeth Taylor Hewitt is a no nonsense, straight talking official who takes it personally when The Raven, dubbed so by the media, enters and starts carving up women in her town. What's a gal to do? She contacts her ex-lover/professor a self-proclaimed Poe specialist and joins forces with him to ferret out this serial killer and bring him to justice.

As the murders get more gruesome, Hewitt gets more desperate in her quest and takes on risks she knows she shouldn't. Will her final quest for the deranged man who kills by the book be an act of heroism, or her final act of vengence?

Sheldon Rusch does a good job with the Poe references in weaving them through the story. He builds tension and creates believable suspense. Rusch brings the story to a satisfying conclusion with the appropriate amount of twisted, gruesome insight that pulls the reader along. Hewitt is a character I'd watch out for.

5.0 out of 5 stars DO IT, January 3, 2012

By 

anon - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: For Edgar (Hardcover)

I actually originally stumbled upon this book at a second hand book store in orlando, Fl. My friend had found it by its title and jokingly said "here's another POE book." I bought it for a whopping $.99 and loved it. I had that copy for about 2 years until the 20th person to borrow it must have loved it too since they stole it from me. There weren't many copies made so if you are a POE fan then buy this book while it still here and be amazed at how this author put a whole new spin on the twisted world of Edgar Allen Poe. Enjoy