Drood

OnJune9,1865,whiletravelingbytraintoLondonwithhissecretmistress,53-year-oldCharlesDickens--attheheightofhispowersandpopularity,themostfamousandsuccessfulnovelistintheworldandperhapsinthehistoryoftheworld--hurtledintoadisasterthatchangedhislifeforever.DidDickensbeginlivingadarkdoublelifeaftertheaccident?WerehisnightlyforaysintotheworstslumsofLondonandhisdeepeningobsessionwithcorpses,crypts,murder,opiumdens,theuseoflimepitstodissolvebodies,andahiddensubterraneanLondonmereresearch...orsomethingmoreterrifying?JustashedidinTheTerror,DanSimmonsdrawsimpeccablyfromhistorytocreateagloriouslyengagingandterrifyingnarrative.BasedonthehistoricaldetailsofCharlesDickens'slifeandnarratedbyWilkieCollins(Dickens'sfriend,frequentcollaborator,andSalieri-stylesecretrival),DROODexploresthestill-unsolvedmysteriesofthefamousauthor'slastyearsandmayprovidethekeytoDickens'sfinal,unfinishedwork:TheMysteryofEdwinDrood.Chilling,haunting,andutterlyoriginal,DROODisDanSimmonsathispowerfulbest.