the research was good and while I felt the ending was a bit abrupt found it enjoyable overall ( )

I must admit up front I've never been a Dickens fan (or of any of the mid-Victorians). Consequently, I'm sure there are aspects of Pearl's novel that completely blew past me. However, it was still an enjoyable read/listen. I am intrigued enough about Dickens himself to contemplate reading a biography. (Anyone care to recommend one?) ( )

Did get a little Deja-vu in the early part of this book, around the Bookanneers, which lead me to think I'd read this book (or something very similar) before, which disappointed me a little. [return][return]However, this is a decent thriller, where the American Publisher of "Edwin Drood", travels to investigate whether the remaining 6 instalments actually exist after the death of Charles Dickens. It criss crosses to Dickens' trip to the US 3 years before and (a little lamely I thought) to Dickens junior's work in India supporting the Empire's drug trade (did it really need to be the son, or could it have been anybody?) ( )

Well researched and beautifully narrated ( )

Not that well-written; many clinker sentences and strange scene shifts. Learned quite a bit about Dickens, however.