On a Raven's Wing: New Tales in Honor of Edgar Allan Poe by Mary Higgins Clark, Thomas H. Cook, James W. Hall, Rupert Holmes, S. J. Rozan, Don Winslow, and Fourteen Others [Paperback]

Stuart Kaminsky (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 6, 2009

Twenty contemporary writers commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Edgar Allan Poe with chilling stories inspired by the master himself.

Nearly two centuries after they were penned, Edgar Allan Poe's macabre tales are still working their eerie magic on readers of every stripe—thrill-seekers, filmmakers, even fellow writers of suspense. Collected here to honor and celebrate Poe's genius are original stories by some of the best mystery writers at work today.

A son attempts to connect with his dying father in Thomas H. Cook's "Nevermore." John Lutz's "Poe, Poe, Poe" combines elements from several of Poe's stories in a twisted tale of madness and mayhem. "Poe, Jo, and I," by Don Winslow, examines the curious bond literature can form between the most unlikely of friends. And in Jon L. Breen's "William Allan Wilson," getting even has never felt so good.

With contributions by Mary Higgins Clark, Jeremiah Healy, Peter Lovesey, P. J. Parrish, Daniel Stashower, and Angela Zeman, among others, On a Raven's Wing is a fitting tribute to the one and only Edgar Allan Poe.

The Mystery Writers of America, founded in 1945, is the foremost organization for mystery writers and other professionals dedicated to the field of crime writing.

Don't miss In the Shadow of the Master, a new collection of Poe's stories, edited by Michael Connelly and featuring essays from Stephen King, Sue Grafton, and others.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The Mystery Writers of America also presents an anthology of 20 new short stories, ranging from the uninterestingly derivative to the truly memorable. Fortunately, the volume boasts more hits than misses, most impressively Dorothy Salisbury Davis's chilling Emily's Time, the tale of an intellectual's descent into isolation and madness with an appropriately ambiguous ending. The always reliable Peter Lovesey easily blends the real-life questions surrounding Poe's early death into The Deadliest Tale of All. Daniel Stashower, who's written the definitive study of the Mary Rogers murder case (The Beautiful Cigar Girl) that inspired one of Poe's detective tales, creatively reinterprets the master in Challenger, a coming-of-age story set in Ohio. Other notable contributors include Thomas H. Cook, S.J. Rozan and the late Edward D. Hoch. (Jan.)
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From Booklist

Think of this Mystery Writers of America–sponsored anthology as the equivalent of the bottle of cognac and roses placed on Poe’s headstone every year on the anniversary of his death. Edgar winner and MWA Grand Master Kaminsky asked 19 other mystery writers to pen original stories, on the condition that the central part of each story had to be about Poe or his work. The resulting collection of 20 short stories (Kaminsky contributed one) includes works by some of today’s leading mystery writers: Jon L. Breen, Dorothy Salisbury Davis, Mary Higgins Clark, and John Lutz. They represent several “unreliable narrator” turns (Breen’s “William Allan Wilson” has a shivery reversal at the very end); revenge plots (see Clark’s “The Tell-Tale Purr” and Brendan DuBois’ retelling of “The Cask of Amontillado,” with two South Boston drug dealers); and Gothic horror (Davis and Kaminsky both enter marvelously creepy examples). Bound to charm the midnight dreary. --Connie Fletcher

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Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks; 1 edition (January 6, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061690422
• ISBN-13: 978-0061690426
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,348,203 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars On a Raven's Wing, February 12, 2009

By 

lochnessa7 "lochnessa7" (Half Hollow Hills, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: On a Raven's Wing: New Tales in Honor of Edgar Allan Poe by Mary Higgins Clark, Thomas H. Cook, James W. Hall, Rupert Holmes, S. J. Rozan, Don Winslow, and Fourteen Others (Paperback)

200 years after his death comes a collection of short stories that demonstrates the indisputable fact that there's no one like the one and only Edgar Allan Poe. The stories in On A Raven's Wing run the gamut from pointless to pretty creepy, but none has the spark of macabre genius of Poe.

The best stories in the book including "William Allan Wilson" "Challenger" "A Nomad of the Night" and "The Cask of Castle Island" reinterpret Poe's originals while preserving most of the original atmosphere. A few, like "The Tell-Tale Purr" and "Development Hell" add a dash of dark humor. Some of the stories fall flat, usually the ones that try to bring Poe himself in as one of the characters.

Overall, On A Raven's Wing has a few entertaining stories, but to really honor and enjoy Poe, you're better off with the master himself.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So like Poe, June 22, 2009

By 

Sugar-free cook - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: On a Raven's Wing: New Tales in Honor of Edgar Allan Poe by Mary Higgins Clark, Thomas H. Cook, James W. Hall, Rupert Holmes, S. J. Rozan, Don Winslow, and Fourteen Others (Paperback)

Every Poe enthuiast will find joy in these what-to-be Poe stories. Some stories even have insight about the sources Poe may have used to create his own memorable stories.