Critical Praise
“When struggling poet and betrayed wife Frances Osgood meets Edgar Allen Poe, she is hoping only for a boost in her literary career --- certainly not what came next. Swept into an illicit love affair with the complicated, magnetic, and married Poe, Osgood and Poe must together face the consequences, which are no less horrific or revenge-filled than his best loved horror stories --- and quite possibly as deadly. MRS. POE had my heart racing...Don't miss it!”
—Sara Gruen, New York Times bestselling author of WATER FOR ELEPHANTS and APE HOUSE
“MRS. POE is a compelling tale of ill-fated love, passion, and the writing life in antebellum New York, rich with period detail and suspense.”
—Jennifer Chiaverini, New York Times bestselling author of MRS. LINCOLN’S DRESSMAKER
“Layered with the atmosphere and intensity of Poe's prose, Cullen's MRS. POE infuses a tale of tragedy and loss with a spirit of passion and vitality. Fans of historical fiction and Poe will devour this novel.”
—Erika Robuck, bestselling author of CALL ME ZELDA
“Readers can expect a page-turning tale exposing the transgressions, antics, and heroics behind a literary icon. Literary fiction fans and readers who loved Paula McLain’s THE PARIS WIFE will relish another novel based on historical scandal and romance.”
—Library Journal, starred review
“Is it true that Edgar Allen Poe cheated on his tubercular, insipid young wife with a lady poet he’d met at a literary salon? Cullen makes you hope so.”
—New York Times
“Lynn Cullen seems to have transported herself to Old New York --- MRS. POE feels that authentic. Without a doubt, this is one of the best historical fiction novels I've read in a long time. Evocative, compassionate, intelligent, sexy and utterly addictive. The passion between Frances Osgood and Edgar Allen Poe burns up the pages while at the same time her relationship with MRS. POE makes your heart ache. Truly a book to savor!”
—M.J. Rose, international bestselling author
“Part romance, part mystery, part biography, this fictional reenactment of the mistress of Edgar Allan Poe escorts you into the glittering world of New York in the 1840s, when poets were celebrities and the admission of emotions--like silk gowns and glossy beaver hats --- were a luxury...A bewitching, vivid trip into the heyday of American literary society.”
—Oprah.com
“In MRS. POE, Lynn Cullen conjures a darkly atmospheric 19th century New York with a masterful hand. Rich with period detail and compelling characters, MRS. POE weaves a thread of creeping menace into the true story of Edgar Allan Poe’s obsessive liaison with Frances Osgood for a thoroughly unforgettable and chilling read. Enthralling.”
—Deanna Raybourn, author of A SPEAR OF SUMMER GRASS
“The fierce ambitions and dangerous rivalries of literary New York in the 1840s come vividly alive in Lynn Cullen's riveting novel MRS. POE. With masterful skill, Cullen tells the story of the real-life fatal attraction between the toast-of-the-town Gothic storyteller Edgar Allan Poe and vulnerable poet Frances Sargent Osgood. Full of longing, this is a story both poignant and shocking --- and not easily forgotten.”
—Nancy Bilyeau, author of THE CHALICE
“Clearly composed and carefully researched the book’s vivid prose accentuates the passion, jealousy and hatred that evolve from a tangled three-way relationship that could easily have come straight from the pages of Poe’s stories. A must-read for those intrigued by Poe, poetry and the latter half of 19th-century America.”
—RT Book Reviews, four stars
“Taking advantage of letters and published poems, imaginative historical novelist Cullen cleverly spins a mysterious, dark tale told by Mrs. Osgood about the long-ago intrigue, with just enough facts to make it believable.”
—Booklist
“Lynn Cullen weaves a dark, sensuous love triangle between three real people, and in the midst of many real historical details, she creates something truly and wonderfully surprising...Devotees of dark historical fiction will devour MRS. POE, but so too will fans of Gothic romance and forbidden love stories. This is an invigoratingly creepy historical novel propelled by brilliant pacing. If you like books that send a little shiver up your spine, don’t miss it.”
—Book Page
“MRS. POE is an entertaining tale with interesting characters, a vibrant locale, a good dose of romance, and even some intrigue, which is what an historical novel should be.”
—The Copperfield Review
“MRS. POE is a captivating novel. Cullen’s attention to historical detail, lush prose and enlightening evocation of an interesting moment in American literary history make this story a fascinating read.”
—Arts ATL
“Brilliant…a wonderful and fascinating novel…Poe absolutely comes to life in Cullen's novel…MRS. POE is truly one of the best historical fiction novels of 2013 and possibly ever.”
—Examiner.com
“Cullen creates a delicious sense of suspense and impending doom; antebellum Manhattan and the ruling literati cast an irresistible spell.”
—Atlanta Magazine
“MRS. POE is such a compelling novel, bringing history to vivid life. Danger, sensuality, mystery and passion fill the pages of this bewitching story set in the crowded cobbled streets, alleyways, cheap boardinghouses and literary gatherings of mid-nineteenth century New York City.”
—Stephanie Cowell, author of CLAUDE AND CAMILLE
“At once beautiful and heartbreaking, Lynn Cullen has woven together a tapestry of fact and rumor to give us an intimate view into the forbidden love between two complicated, creative lives. Historical fictions fans, you’re in for a treat.”
—Susan Crandall, bestselling author of WHISTLING PAST THE GRAVEYARD
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