"Beneath the Poet’s House" by Christa Carmen

 

As a fan of "The Daughters of Block Island", the author's former book, and someone familiar with Poe's work, the premise of "Beneath the Poet’s House" by Christa Carmen immediately piqued my interest. A book inspired by Poe? Count me in! This atmospheric, slow-paced psychological suspense novel nods to Edgar Allan Poe and his former fiancée, Sarah Helen Whitman.

The story follows Saoirse White, a novelist with a traumatic past who is struggling with writer’s block, among other issues. To escape her demons, she relocates to Providence shortly after the death of her husband, unwittingly renting the historic home of Sarah Helen Whitman, the nineteenth-century poet and spiritualist once courted by Edgar Allan Poe. Soon, the turbulent courtship of Poe and Whitman begins to mirror Saoirse’s own life.

Saoirse starts experiencing a series of Poe-themed coincidences: strange noises in her house, a tackle with a trio of eccentric occultists obsessed with Whitman who become her friends, and stumbling upon a Poe display at the local library. A chance meeting with the famous author Emmit Powell, who bears an eerie resemblance to both her late husband and Poe, pulls her deeper into the lives of Poe and Whitman and the mystery surrounding Whitman’s house. As her relationship with Emmit rapidly deepens, she finds herself entangled in a web of mystery, secrets, and lies.

In the tradition of atmospheric gothic novels, this book offers a mystery rich in period detail and sinister intrigue. I enjoyed learning about the history of Sarah Whitman and Edgar Allan Poe and appreciated the parallels the author drew between them and Saoirse. The inclusion of poems and the voice of Saoirse’s late husband in her head added to the eerie atmosphere.

There's a solid cast of supporting characters, and Saoirse is a well-rounded protagonist. However, there were moments when I wanted to shake her. She fell in love too quickly, made poor choices - such as neglecting her health by drinking - and was too easily swayed by others. Despite her flaws, her vulnerability touched me, and I rooted for her throughout. The novel explores several serious themes, including drugs, abuse, toxic relationships, depression, life and death, and, of course, Poe-inspired elements.

While I enjoyed the book, a few things irritated me. A character was given LSD without her knowledge or consent, and this was brushed off with a mere slap on the wrist. Additionally, Saoirse’s neglect of her diabetic cat was troubling, and despite warnings from her friends, she continued to make poor decisions.

The book had all the elements of a great story - ghosts, catacombs, secret passages, séances, chanting voices, residual hauntings, and a forgotten cemetery - but these elements were somewhat muddled by the slow pacing, meandering plot, and excessive introspection. The first two-thirds of the book focuses on character development and setting the stage for the various themes and mystery, and the pace only picks up toward the last third.

The final third was its saving grace. It was intense, keeping me on the edge of my seat and reading into the wee hours. I had to know what would become of our heroine. I decided to rate it 3.5 out of 5 stars. It’s a good book, but it could benefit from some refining. Tightening up the plot would make it a better read. I recommend it to fans of gothic novels and Poe’s work.

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc.  All opinions are my own.

* For more info about the book:  "Beneath the Poet’s House" by Christa Carmen