Type of bind: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
Format: Bargain Price
Label: HarperCollins
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 432
Printing Date: June 01, 2006
Publishing house: HarperCollins
Release Date: May 23, 2006
Sale Popularity Level: 748904
Studio: HarperCollins
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Product Description:
At West Point Academy in 1830, the calm of an October evening is shattered by the discovery of a young cadet's body swinging from a rope. The subsequent morning, an even greater horror comes to light. Someone has removed the dead man's heart. Augustus Landor—who acquired some renown in his years as a New York City police detective—is called in to discreetly investigate. It's a baffling case Landor must pursue in secret, for the scandal could do irreparable damage to the fledgling institution. But he finds help from an unexpected ally—a moody, young cadet with a penchant for drink, two volumes of poetry to his name, and a murky past that changes from telling to telling. The strange and haunted Southern poet for whom Landor develops a fatherly affection, is named Edgar Allan Poe.
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers -
Just finished reading The Pale Blue Eye by Louis Bayard... it's a novel set in the early 1800s at West Point. It's a whodunnit with a narrator that is similar to a retired Sherlock Holmes. But, to assist him with the mysterious murder at West Point, he enlists the help of a cadet, Edgar Allen Poe.
I have to say that my love of Poe's literature drew me to the book, and in that respect, I found some great joy in finding little snippets and allusions to Poe's various works. Bayard definitely took the time to create Poe and the time period with an immense care for details and vocabulary. At a few times, I was wary of the use of Poe as a character and of Bayard's book being stilted by forcing allusions to Poe's literature. However, Poe actually became a very realistic character in the pages; I grew to love how Poe would quote literature, compose poetry, and tell outlandish lies.
One allusion did irk me; it used a major plot point to pay homage to a part of "The Fall of the House of Usher," and it did not feel cohesive to the plot of Bayard's story. Along those lines, a few points of the plot were questionable... the author kept a few secrets too long, which was a strength and weakness to the book. Some reviewers were so thrown that they ended up hating the story, and some ended up loving it. I think I fall in between--not loving the book, but genuinely enjoying many parts of it.
Overall, I have to say that I enjoyed reading this. It would probably not be my very first book to recommend, except of course to a few select people... some mystery readers or Poe afficianados. I'll probably read his most recent book, The Black Tower, at some point in the near future. For now, I am still lingering over parts of the book and enjoying that glimpse into gothic 1800s.
Rated by buyers 
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It's not often you find an author who can write so well. Not only does Baynard keep all the balls in the air in this one--he keeps you guessing to the end, and his characters are wonderful--but he goes even beyond that.
One of the characters is Edgar Poe, and he manages to make Poe sound just as if you imagine he might, whereas the other characters actually speak in a manner quite different from Poe and perfectly in tune with their individual background and natures.
And who would have thought anyone could make West Point seem so spooky?
In fact, from the very first page to the last, this is one you will enjoy.
Rated by buyers -
Very well written and terribly clever. Certainly cleverer than me: the ending took me totally by surprise. Yet it felt exactly right.
On the whole, a very satisfying read.
Rated by buyers 
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If this book becomes a movie, Tom Wilkinson would be great as the semi-retired investigator who is assisted by Edgar Allan Poe in solving a series of murders at West Point. Those more knowledgeable about Poe and his tales will probably find many allusions that escaped me, and I'm not really sure I followed all of the plot's twists and turns, but I was entertained.
Rated by buyers -
I just finished M. Bayard's "The Black Tower" recently and loved it. I mean, I really LOVED it. So I picked this up from the library this week. And up until the second-last chapter, I did love it! But the last chapter ruined it for me. I won't put any spoilers but there was a completely unnecessary plot twist. Bah. Unfortunately it distressed me to the point where I must take off two stars for it. I read it straight through, staying up much later than usual to finish it, but, I feel very disappointed.
I daresay you could stop reading before that second-last chapter and be quite happy with it.
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