June 9, 1870. Charles Dickens has just died. He was in the process of writing his first mystery novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood. His American publishers, Fields and Osgood are awaiting the latest installment of Drood. Daniel Sand, their office clerk has been sent to retrieve these installments coming from London. But he is killed on the docks and the pages are missing. Even though Osgood is able to get them sent again from London, Fields and Osgood fear that their publishing house could go under without the final installment. James Osgood also suspects foul play in Daniel's death. He leaves for London, with Rebecca, Daniel's sister, to see if he can find the ending to Dicken's last novel.



My review: This book was perfect timing for me as I had just finished Drood by Dan Simmons. The Last Dickens seemed to pick up where that left off. It was very fast paced and engaging. Osgood searches Dicken's home and office for any notes about how the famous author had intended to end the mystery in his novel. Everyone has an opinion as to how it was meant to end. As Dickens based most of his characters on people he knew in real life, Osgood searches for his inspiration.

There is lots of intrigue, mystery, dark characters, and a smidge of romance in this work. Pearl tells a great tale based on historical facts and takes us around London and Boston on this quest. I quite enjoyed this, though I would have to say I liked Drood better. But I would still definitely recommend this.

my rating 4.5/5 ( )

In 1870 American publishing firms raced to obtain copies of new European books. The copyright laws did not stretch to international works, so there was no regulation prohibiting a competing firm from printing any book. There was great competition amongst the big publishing firms to be the first to print popular new works.

When Charles Dickens died suddenly on June 9, 1870 he was only half finished with the book that would be his last: The Mystery of Edwin Drood. His American publishing house, the Boston firm of Fields, Osgood & Co, is anxiously awaiting the first half of the book to be delivered by ship. Young Daniel Sand, the assistant who was sent to the dock to pick up the pages, is killed on his way back to the offices. His death looks like an opium overdose, though his sister Rebecca, who also works at the company, knows that he was no addict.

The pages are replaced fairly easily, but Fields and Osgood both know that rival firm Harper & Brothers is breathing down their necks and will publish the first half of the book themselves as soon as the six installments comprising the first half of the book are published. The author's death means that the final six installments will never be written. Then they are inspired by a fantastic idea. If they go to England perhaps they can learn something about what the ending of the novel would have been. Armed with this information, Fields, Osgood & Co. would be in the enviable position of having exclusive content and would be assured of a bestseller, something their struggling firm badly needs.

Originally, Fields was to have made the trip as senior partner. But he decides to send young James Osgood instead, along with Rebecca Sand as secretary. James is attacked on the ship going to London. The culprit, a swarthy fellow with a deadly walking stick, is captured and held in the ship's hold. Before they dock in England, though, the fellow has inexplicably escaped.

They have not seen the last of him. James and Rebecca take rooms at the inn across from Dickens' home, Gadshill Place. They have permission from the family to execute a search of the author's papers, though no one has any idea what the author's plans were for the last half of the novel. They find a few tiny clues, but not even the Queen of England was told how the book would end (Dickens offered to tell her, but she preferred to wait and read the installments with the rest of the British public).

As their search widens, they encounter more strange and eccentric people while following the twisting trail of Edwin Drood. Their time is running out, the last of the six installments will soon be published and they will have nothing to add to the final published book. Desperate to succeed, James accompanies a lunatic into London's violent opium dens, hoping to find more information...if he survives.

I really loved this fascinating mystery. It has everything, from a eye-opening look at the publishing industry of the period, both in America and England, to an equally hair raising lesson in the opium industry. I had no idea that whole areas of India were commanded by the ruling British government to grow nothing but poppies for the development of opium. Nothing else could be grown, not even food, so whole villages starved as a result.

The characters in the book are equally interesting (many of them were, of course, actual people), vividly drawn and so true to life that I sometimes felt I was reading non-fiction - though real life is seldom as action-packed as this book! Matthew Pearl has all his historical facts right and he blends them artfully into an absorbing, fast-paced thriller of a tale. Go and get The Last Dickens...you won't be disappointed! ( )

Dicken's fans shouldn't miss this one.I enjoyed this novel for giving me a new perspective on Dickens and his life and his works. The mystery surrounding Edwin Drood and the way the author surmises a 'real life' scenario that explains how the story might have ended is fascinating. It is a bit slow to take off--I especially got confused by the bits about Dicken's son in India, not knowing how that figured into the story. When the mystery of the 'real life' Drood began to take shape it became hard to stop listening. It made me want to read more Dickens--and that's a good thing! ( )

In this novel Matthew Pearl speculates on what happened to Dickens' last manuscript and surrounds it with interesting characters and a lively romp through London, on board a ship, and in New York City. ( )

This story about the last writing of Charles Dickens covers three countries and two time periods. Publishers, opium dealers and "bookaneers" are all stalking, lying, killing, and sailing the seas to find the secrets of this book left unfinished when Dickens dies halfway through the writing.

This was my first Matthew Pearl novel but definitely will not be my last. This man knows how to weave a tale with twists and turns and complications that all leave the reader guessing until the very end. ( )