Mrs Poe

A writer and his demons. A woman and her desires. A wife and her revenge . . . Inspired by literatureâÈçs most haunting love triangle, award-winning author Lynn Cullen delivers a pitch-perfect rendering of Edgar Allan Poe, his mistressâÈçs tantalizing confession, and his wifeâÈçs frightening obsession . . . in this âÈêintelligent, sexy, and utterly addictiveâÈë (M. J. Rose) new masterpiece of historical fiction. 1845: New York City is a sprawling warren of gaslit streets and crowded avenues, bustling with new immigrants and old money, optimism and opportunity, poverty and crime. Edgar Allan PoeâÈçs âÈêThe RavenâÈë is all the rageâÈ'the success of which a struggling poet like Frances Osgood can only dream. As a mother trying to support two young children after her husbandâÈçs cruel betrayal, Frances jumps at the chance to meet the illustrious Mr. Poe at a small literary gathering, if only to help her fledgling career. Although not a great fan of PoeâÈçs writing, she is nonetheless overwhelmed by his magnetic presenceâÈ' and the surprising revelation that he admires her work. What follows is a flirtation, then a seduction, then an illicit affair . . . and with each clandestine encounter, Frances finds herself falling slowly and inexorably under the spell of her mysterious, complicated lover. But when EdgarâÈçs frail wife Virginia insists on befriending Frances as well, the relationship becomes as dark and twisted as one of PoeâÈçs tales. And like those gothic heroines whose fates are forever sealed, Frances begins to fear that deceiving Mrs. Poe may be as impossible as cheating death itself. . . .