A Quiet Madness
John Isaac Jones2020

John Isaac Jones’s new biographical novel on Edgar Allan Poe brings the turbulent life of America’s most famous poet to life in vivid, captivating detail.

His time - 1810-40s America; Lewis and Clark have returned from their great adventure; the Monroe doctrine takes effect, the War of 1812; Andrew Jackson's tempestuous presidency; the train, the steamship and the graphite pencil were still being improved; the Mexican-American War, the trail of tears, the California gold rush.

His loves - His frail, devoted stepmother who tried to protect him against his cruel foster father; Jane Stanard, his stepmother’s best friend who initiated him first into poetry, then into manhood; the violet-eyed, mysterious Lenore whose death inspired The Raven; Virginia Clemm, his first cousin and great love of his life whom he married one day after her 13th birthday.

His genius - Edgar Allan Poe, poet and short story writer who penned the classics The Raven and Annabel Lee; single-handedly created the detective mystery genre; wrote some of the most enduring horror stories in all literature including The Fall of The House of Usher, The Cask of Amontillado, The Tell-Tale Heart and the Pit and The Pendulum.

Poe lives again in the tempestuous, powerful pages of John Isaac Jones’ towering work. These pages deliver a compelling portrait of one of the greatest men of letters the world has ever known.