Most Popular Books by Louis Bayard

“Riveting . . . Enticing.” —The Washington Post “Exquisite.” —People “A triumph of a novel.” —Bookreporter.com “Rich, fascinating, and romantic.” —Newsday A Washington Post Bestseller * A Indie Next Pick * An Apple Books Best of the Month for April * A People Magazine Best Book of the Week When Mary Todd meets Abraham Lincoln in Springfield in the winter of 1840, he is on no one’s short list to be president. Mary, a quick, self-possessed debutante with an interest in debates and elections, at first finds this awkward country lawyer an enigma. “I can only hope,” she tells his roommate, the handsome, charming Joshua Speed, “that his waters being so very still, they also run deep.” It’s not long, though, before she sees the Lincoln that Speed knows: an amiable, profound man with a gentle wit to match his genius, who respects her keen political mind. But as her relationship with Lincoln deepens, she must confront his inseparable friendship with Speed, who has taught his roommate how to dance, dress, and navigate polite society. Told in the alternating voices of Mary Todd and Joshua Speed, and inspired by historical events, Courting Mr. Lincoln creates a sympathetic and complex portrait of Mary unlike any that has come before; a moving portrayal of the deep and very real connection between the two men; and most of all, an evocation of the unformed man who would grow into one of the nation’s most beloved presidents.

Bestselling author Louis Bayard is back with a brilliantly wrought, witty, and sensitive novel about the young Jacqueline Bouvier before she became that Jackie - and about a marriage that almost never happened. In the spring of 1951, debutante Jacqueline Bouvier, working as the Inquiring Photographer for the Washington Times-Herald, meets Jack Kennedy, a charming Congressman from a notorious and powerful family, at a party in Washington, DC. Young, rebellious, eager to break free from her mother, Jackie is drawn to the elusive young politician, and soon she and Jack are bantering over secret dinner dates and short work phone calls. Jack, busy with House duties during the week and Senate campaigning on the weekend (as well as his other now-well-known extracurricular activities) convinces his best friend and fixer, Lem Billings, to court Jackie on his behalf. Only gradually does Jackie begin to realise that she is being groomed to be the perfect political wife, whether Jack is interested in settling down or not. Taking place mostly during the spring and summer before Jack and Jackie''s wedding, and narrated by an older Lem as he looks back at his own relationship with the Kennedys and his role in this complicated marriage, Jackie & Me is a searching story about a young woman of a certain class with narrow options, two people who loved each other, and two people who realised too late that they devoted their lives to Jack at their own expense. Sharply written, steeped in the era and with witty appearances by members of the extended Kennedy clan, this is Jackie as never before seen, in a story about love, sacrifice, friendship, and betrayal.

The acclaimed author of "Mr. Timothy" and "The Pale Blue Eye" has constructed another spellbinding historical mystery about a real-life convict who transformed himself into the world''s first modern detective.

An ancient mystery, a lost letter, and a timeless love unleash a long-buried web of intrigue that spans four centuries In the late sixteenth century, five brilliant scholars gather under the cloak of darkness to discuss God, politics, astronomy, and the black arts. Known as the School of Night, they meet in secret to avoid the wrath of Queen Elizabeth. But one of the men, Thomas Harriot, has secrets of his own, secrets he shares with one person only: the servant woman he loves. In modern-day Washington, D.C., disgraced Elizabethan scholar Henry Cavendish has been hired by the ruthless antiquities collector Bernard Styles to find a missing letter. The letter dates from the 1600s and was stolen by Henry''s close friend, Alonzo Wax. Now Wax is dead and Styles wants the letter back. But the letter is an object of interest to others, too. It may be the clue to a hidden treasure; it may contain the long-sought formula for alchemy; it most certainly will prove the existence of the group of men whom Shakespeare dubbed the School of Night but about whom little is known. Joining Henry in his search for the letter is Clarissa Dale, a mysterious woman who suffers from visions that only Henry can understand. In short order, Henry finds himself stumbling through a secretive world of ancient perils, caught up in a deadly plot, and ensnared in the tragic legacy of a forgotten genius.

"Set in Depression Era Virginia, this is the story of orphaned Amelia and her struggle to keep her siblings together"--

A grown-up Tiny Tim navigates the grimy underbelly of 1860s London in this "dazzling blend of literary fiction and white-knuckle thriller" ( People). A New York Times Notable Book From the author of Courting Mr. Lincoln comes an audacious take on the beloved Dickens character as an ambitious young man. It''s the Christmas season, and Mr. Timothy Cratchit, not the pious child the world thought he was, has just buried his father. He''s also struggling to bury his past as a cripple and shed his financial ties to his benevolent "Uncle" Ebenezer by losing himself in the thick of London''s underbelly. He boards at a brothel in exchange for teaching the mistress how to read and spends his nights dredging the Thames for dead bodies—and the treasures in their pockets. Timothy''s life takes a sharp turn when he discovers the bodies of two dead girls, each seared with the same cruel brand on the upper arm. The sight of their horror-struck faces compels Timothy to become the protector of another young girl, Philomela, from the fate the others suffered at the hands of a dangerous and powerful man. "Bayard is daring to elaborate on a work that has become deeply embedded in our culture [and] he is confident enough to turn this story on its head." — The New York Times

Thriller.

1914. Brazil''s Rio da Dúvida, the River of Doubt. Theodore Roosevelt, his son Kermit, and the other members of the now-ravaged Roosevelt-Rondon scientific expedition are traveling deeper and deeper into the jungle to chart an unexplored river in the heart of the wild Amazon. Fighting off malaria and running short of food, Kermit and Teddy break with the group to hunt a long-overdue meal and are kidnapped by a tribe of cannibals: the Cinta Larga. In exchange for their freedom, father and son must find and kill a never-before-seen beast that plagues the tribe. A beast so ferocious it leaves only a shell of its prey behind. But what are the origins of this beast, and how do they escape its brutal wrath? Roosevelt''s Beast is a story of the impossible things that become possible when civilization is miles away, when the mind plays tricks on itself, and when old family secrets refuse to stay buried.

In this singularly powerful novel, bestselling author Louis Bayard brings Oscar Wilde’s wife Constance and two sons out from the shadows of history and creates a vivid and poignant story of secrets, loss, and love. "Wonderfully researched, beautifully crafted, movingly told, The Wildes is a treasure to read." —Andrew Sean Greer, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Less and Less Is Lost "The Wildes is a marvel of tenderness, irony, heartbreak, and reclamation that demonstrates why Bayard is among the most essential—and most entertaining—interrogators of the past.” —Anthony Marra, author of Mercury Pictures Presents and A Constellation of Vital Phenomena In September of 1892, Oscar Wilde and his family have retreated to the idyllic Norfolk countryside for a holiday. His wife, Constance, has every reason to be happy: two beautiful sons, her own work as an advocate for feminist causes, and a delightfully charming and affectionate husband and father to her children, who also happens to be the most sought-after author in England. But with the arrival of an unexpected houseguest, the aristocratic young poet Lord Alfred Douglas, Constance gradually—and then all at once—comes to see that her husband’s heart is elsewhere and that the growing intensity between the two men threatens the whole foundation of their lives. The Wildes: A Novel in Five Acts takes readers on the emotional journey of this family, moving from the Italian countryside, where Constance Wilde flees from the aftermath of Oscar’s imprisonment for homosexuality, to the trenches of World War I and an underground bar in London’s Soho, where Oscar’s sons Cyril and Vyvyan must both grapple with their father’s legacy. And in a brilliant feat of the imagination, act 5 reunites the entire cast in a surprising, poignant, and tremendously satisfying tableau. With Louis Bayard’s trademark sparkling dialogue and deep insight into the lives and longings of all his characters, The Wildes could almost have been created by Oscar Wilde himself. Lightly told but with hidden depths, it is an entertaining and dramatic story about the human condition.

A wildly inventive, humorous first novel about one man''s search for the man of his dreams--and the unexpected results.

Driven by an inexplicable but driving certainty that his family are on the brink of extinction, Nick Broome vows to bring a child into the world by whatever means necessary. The problem? Nick is gay. Alternately moving and very, very funny, Nick''s search for a way to leave a mark on the world and his quest for a surrogate mother, bring him into contact with a host of bizarre characters and straight to the heart of the evolving nature of love and family. By the author of the critically acclaimed ''Fool''s Errand''.

Vidocq. El nombre infunde terror en el bajo mundo parisino de 1818. Como fundador y director de un grupo de policías vestidos de civil de nueva creación, Vidocq ha utilizado su dominio del disfraz y la vigilancia para capturar a algunos de los criminales más famosos y escurridizos de Francia. Ahora está tras la pista de un misterio tentador, las andanzas del joven delfín Louis-Charles, el hijo de María Antonieta y Luis XVI. Héctor Carpentier, un estudiante de medicina, vive con su madre viuda en su casa, ahora transformada en una casa de huéspedes, en el Barrio Latino de París, en los días políticamente peligrosos de la restauración. A tres cuadras de distancia, un hombre ha sido asesinado, y el nombre de Héctor se ha encontrado en un pedazo de papel en el bolsillo del muerto: un caso para las habilidades deductivas incomparables de Eugéne François Vidocq, el hombre más temido de la policía de París. Al principio, sospechando del rol de Héctor en el asesinato, Vidocq lo atrae gradualmente en una búsqueda peligrosamente estimulante que les lleva a la verdadera historia de lo que pasó con el hijo de la familia real asesinada. Oficialmente, el delfín murió de una muerte brutal en la temida Temple, una amenazante torre negra de París de la cual no hay salida, pero durante mucho tiempo se ha especula sobre la posibilidad de que el heredero de diez años de edad podría haber sido pasado de contrabando fuera de su celda de la prisión. Cuando Héctor y Vidocq se encuentran con un hombre sin memoria comienzan a preguntarse si no es el mismo delfín que vuelve de entre los muertos. Sus sospechas se agudizan con el descubrimiento de un diario que revela una impactante conexión de Héctor con el muchacho de la torre y le apoya en su determinación de que se haga justicia a cualquier precio. En La Torre Negra, Bayard entreteje hábilmente la intriga política, la traición épica, encubrimientos y conspiraciones en un retrato apasionante de la redención familiar y trae a la vida un retrato indeleble de los poderosos y lo profano, Eugéne François Vidocq, primer gran detective de la historia.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Uma história brilhante sobre assassinato e vingança, protagonizada por um detetive aposentado e pelo jovem cadete Edgar Allan Poe. CONHEÇA O LIVRO QUE INSPIROU O FILME ESTRELADO POR CHRISTIAN BALE 1830. Uma noite tranquila de outono. Um corpo balançando em uma corda.Quando o dia amanhece, o horror aumenta ainda mais. No meio da noite, alguém entrou na sala onde o cadáver estava e roubou o coração do jovem cadete. Augustus Landor, um detetive experiente e aposentado, é chamado para investigar o crime com discrição. Ele consegue recrutar um aliado surpreendente – um cadete temperamental, com gosto por bebida, autor de dois livros de poesia e um passado obscuro. O nome desse ajudante? Edgar Allan Poe. Juntos, os dois formam uma dupla improvável que irá trabalhar incansavelmente até descobrir quem é o responsável pelo crime chocante. Ao longo do caminho, Landor e seu companheiro irão se envolver em uma trama perigosa e inesperada, repleta de sociedades secretas, rituais sombrios e mais cadáveres. O Pálido olho azul é um mistério de tirar o fôlego e que deixa o leitor preso até a última página.

La novela en la que se basa la próxima gran película de Netflix, protagonizada por Christian Bale y Robert Duvall. Una ingeniosa historia de asesinatos y venganza, con un detective jubilado de la ciudad de Nueva York y un joven cadete llamado Edgar Allan Poe. En la Academia West Point en 1830, la calma de una tarde de octubre se rompe con el descubrimiento del cuerpo de un joven cadete colgando de una cuerda justo al lado del patio de armas. Un aparente suicidio no es inaudito en un régimen tan severo como el de West Point, pero a la mañana siguiente, sale a la luz un horror aún mayor. Alguien se coló en la habitación donde yacía el cuerpo y extrajo el corazón. Sin respuestas y desesperada por evitar cualquier publicidad negativa, la Academia recurre a los servicios de un civil local, Augustus Landor, un ex detective de policía que adquirió cierto renombre durante sus años en la ciudad de Nueva York antes de retirarse a Hudson Highlands por motivos de salud. Ahora viudo e inquieto en su reclusión, Landor accede a hacerse cargo del caso. Mientras interroga a los conocidos del muerto, encuentra un ansioso asistente en un joven cadete intrigante y malhumorado con una inclinación por la bebida, dos volúmenes de poesía a su nombre y un pasado turbio que cambia de relato en relato. ¿El nombre del cadete? Edgar Allan Poe. Impresionado con los astutos poderes de observación de Poe, Landor está convencido de que el poeta puede resultar útil, si puede mantenerse sobrio el tiempo suficiente para poner a prueba sus agudas habilidades de razonamiento. Trabajando en estrecho contacto, los dos hombres, separados generacionalmente pero con la misma inteligencia, desarrollan una relación sorprendentemente profunda a medida que su investigación los lleva a un mundo oculto de sociedades secretas, sacrificios rituales y más cuerpos. Pronto, sin embargo, los macabros asesinatos y los propios secretos enterrados de Landor amenazan con destrozar a los dos hombres y su recién formada amistad. Reseñas: «Louis Bayard es un escritor de notables dones: para el lenguaje, para la imaginación, para esa mezcla misteriosa de audacia y destreza que indica un gran talento en ciernes.» Joyce Carol Oates «Un tour-de-force, una novela intensa y apasionante. Este thriller bellamente elaborado se destaca por encima de otros esfuerzos recientes para convertir a Poe en ficción.» Publishers Weekly Starred Review «Sorprendentemente inteligente y devotamente poco sentimental... se lee como un clásico perdido. Bayard revigoriza la ficción histórica.» New York Times Reviews «Con una trama brillante y completamente absorbente, termina con el tipo de impacto que pocos novelistas pueden ofrecer.» Sunday Times «Mezcla a la perfección a Poe en una apasionante novela policíaca digna de su inspiración.» USA Today «Pelotazo de novela del ya distinguido Louis Bayard, escritor de notables obras con dones para los diálogos y la imaginación tal como declaró en su día la maestra Joyce Carol Oates.» «Una trama brillante y absorbente.» J.J Castillo, Desde Nueva York - Crónicas literarias «La historia tiene muchos alicientes interesantes: un joven Edgar Allan Poe como investigador, macabros crímenes y la Academia militar de West Point en 1830.» David Yagüe, 20 minutos «La narración bebe de toda la tradición clásica de gran novela, fluye a un ritmo sosegado y constante, tiene trazas de lo que imita con habilidad: una gran novela del siglo XIX.» Juan Carlos Galindo, El País

LA NOVELA EN LA QUE SE BASA LA PELÍCULA MÁS IMPORTANTE DEL AÑO PARA NETFLIX. UNA INGENIOSA HISTOIRA DE ASESINATOS Y VENGANZA, CON UN DETECTIVE JUBILADO DE LA CIUDAD DE NUEVA YORK Y UN JOVEN CADETE LLAMADO EDGAR ALLAN POE. En la Academia West Point en 1830, la calma de una tarde de octubre se rompe con el descubrimiento del cuerpo de un joven cadete colgando de una cuerda justo al lado del patio de armas. Un aparente suicidio no es inaudito en un régimen tan severo como el de West Point, pero a la mañana siguiente, sale a la luz un horror aún mayor. Alguien se coló en la habitación donde yacía el cuerpo y extrajo el corazón. Sin respuestas y desesperada por evitar cualquier publicidad negativa, la Academia recurre a los servicios de un civil local, Augustus Landor, un ex detective de policía que adquirió cierto renombre durante sus años en la ciudad de Nueva York antes de retirarse a Hudson Highlands por motivos desalud. Ahora viudo e inquieto en su reclusión, Landor accede a hacerse cargo del caso. Mientras interroga a los conocidos del muerto, encuentra un ansioso asistente en un joven cadete intrigante y malhumorado con unainclinación por la bebida, dos volúmenes de poesía a su nombre y un pasado turbio que cambia de relato en relato. ¿El nombre del cadete? Edgar Allan Poe. Impresionado con los astutos poderes de observación de Poe, Landor está convencido de que el poeta puede resultar útil, si puede mantenerse sobrio el tiempo suficiente para poner a prueba sus agudas habilidades de razonamiento. Trabajando en estrecho contacto, los dos hombres, separados generacionalmentepero con la misma inteligencia, desarrollan una relación sorprendentemente profunda a medida que su investigación los lleva a un mundo oculto de sociedades secretas, sacrificios rituales y más cuerpos. Pronto, sin embargo, los macabros asesinatos y los propios secretos enterrados de Landor amenazan con destrozar a los dos hombres y su recién formada amistad. ENGLISH DESCRIPTION Soon to be a Netflix film starring Christian Bale, Harry Melling, and Gillian Anderson “Shockingly clever and devoutly unsentimental . . . reads like a lost classic. Bayard reinvigorates historical fiction.” — New York Times Book Review “Seemlessly blends Poe into an engrossing whodunit worthy of its inspiration. ” — USA Today An ingenious tale of murder and revenge at West Point, featuring a retired detective and a young cadet named Edgar Allan Poe—from the author of Courting Mr. Lincoln. 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 next 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.

1830, Accademia militare di West Point: la calma di una sera di ottobre viene sconvolta dal ritrovamento del corpo di un giovane cadetto appeso a una corda. La mattina dopo, arriva la scoperta di un dettaglio ancora più macabro, qualcuno ha prelevato il cuore dal cadavere. Augustus Landor, che ha acquisito una certa fama durante i suoi anni come detective nella polizia di New York, viene chiamato per indagare in segreto. È un caso sconcertante che Landor deve risolvere al più presto e con la massima discrezione, perché uno scandalo potrebbe compromettere la reputazione della neonata accademia, destinata a diventare una delle più prestigiose istituzioni americane. L’investigatore trova un alleato inaspettato per seguire le tracce dell’assassino: un giovane cadetto lunatico con un debole per l’alcool e un passato oscuro pieno di leggende, per il quale prova subito un affetto paterno. Quello strano e tormentato ragazzo del Sud, appassionato di poesia, ha un nome destinato a un grande successo: Edgar Allan Poe.

1830 októberének végén felakasztva találják Leroy Fry kadétot az Egyesült Államok Katonai Akadémiája, a Hudson-felföldi West Point lezárt területén. Az öngyilkosság kizárva, mivel az áldozatot brutálisan meggyalázták: kivájták a szívét a mellkasából. Az akadémia jó hírének megőrzése – és egyáltalán: fennmaradása – miatt a létesítmény vezetője a nyugdíjas éveit a közeli településen, Buttermilk Fallsban élvező egykori New York-i rendőrnyomozót, Augustus Landort kéri fel az eset felderítésére és a tettes vagy tettesek kézre kerítésére. A szigorú szabályok szerint működő katonai bázison azonban nincs könnyű dolga a feleségét és a lányát is a közelmúltban elvesztő bűnüldözőnek. Ám akad egy önjelölt, nem kevés önbizalommal – és nem mindennapi koponyával – rendelkező, ékesszóló, ugyanakkor meglehetősen szószátyár segítője: az első évfolyamos Edgar Allan Poe kadét személyében. Bayard történelmi krimijében zseniális módon elevenedik meg a XIX. század első harmadának Amerikája és annak történetileg pontosan ábrázolt katonai akadémiai közege – ahogy „a detektívtörténetek atyja” hányatott életpályájának korai szakasza, nemkülönben romantikus-misztikus költészete és elbeszélő prózája is. A hátborzongató krimi már önmagában is lenyűgöző olvasmány, ám a Poe-életmű ismerőinek, tisztelőinek és rajongóinak igazi ínyencséggel szolgál.

Sur les traces d''Edgar Allan Poe. Adapté sur Netflix en 2023 sous le titre The Pale Blue Eye. 1830. Gus Landor est un vétéran en retraite de la police de New York. Personnage complexe, usé par les années de service et les tragédies personnelles, il répond à l''appel des autorités de l''académie militaire de West Point lorsque la dépouille d''un élève-officier est retrouvée atrocement profanée. Pour mener son enquête, Landor prend pour assistant un cadet de l''école, sombre et tourmenté, nommé Edgar Allan Poe. C''est le début d''un terrible voyage au cœur des ténèbres pour les deux hommes qui, lancés sur la piste d''un tueur machiavélique, devront affronter leurs propres démons alors que l''académie entière est prête à basculer dans la folie. Tandis que les cadavres s''accumulent, Landor et Poe pénètrent les arcanes mystérieux de West Point, entre sociétés secrètes et sacrifices rituels, jusqu''à une conclusion aussi stupéfiante qu''imprévisible. Louis Bayard nous propose un thriller gothique et érudit, d''une intensité rare. Multipliant les énigmes, les fausses pistes et les trompe-l''œil, il construit une intrigue qui prend racine dans la vie et les œuvres d''Edgar Allan Poe, au suspense constant et au final éblouissant. Un œil bleu pâle a été adapté pour Netflix avec dans les rôles principaux Charlotte Gainsbourg, Christian Bale et Robert Duvall. " Un œil bleu pâle est une poupée russe : roman policier, gothique, sanglant, mais aussi, pour qui veut, jeu littéraire et logique abouti. " Philippe Lançon, Libération

Uma engenhosa história de assassínio e vingança, protagonizada pelo jovem Edgar Allan Poe 1830. Na Academia de West Point, a tranquilidade é perturbada pela descoberta do corpo de um jovem cadete enforcado junto ao recinto da formatura. Na manhã seguinte, constata-se que alguém assaltou o quarto onde o cadáver repousava e levou o coração. Desesperada para evitar publicidade negativa, a academia contrata os serviços de Augustus Landor, ex-detetive de renome. Nos interrogatórios iniciais, Landor fica impressionado com os astutos poderes de observação de Edgar Allan Poe, um caprichoso e curioso jovem cadete com propensão para a bebida e um passado sombrio. Trabalhando em estrita colaboração, os dois homens desenvolvem um relacionamento profundo à medida que a investigação os conduz a um mundo oculto de sociedades secretas, rituais de sacrifício e mais cadáveres. Porém, os macabros homicídios e o passado secreto de Landor ameaçam afastar os dois e terminar com a sua recente amizade.

Parigi, 1818. Hector Carpentier è uno studente di medicina piuttosto indolente, vive con la madre vedova nella loro casa signorile – che però ha visto giorni migliori – nel Quartiere Latino di Parigi. La sua vita scorre tranquilla e ripetitiva nella Francia della Restaurazione che, come lui, sembra preferire la quiete e la monotonia del presente agli sconvolgimenti del recente passato. Ma quando il famosissimo Vidocq, terrore della malavita parigina, ex criminale, ora investigatore, fondatore e capo di una nuova forza di polizia che agisce perlopiù in incognito, maestro di travestimenti e di astuzia, bussa alla sua porta, il povero Hector non può far altro che seguirlo. Il suo nome, infatti, è stato trovato nella tasca di un uomo ucciso, e Vidocq vuole capire perché. Nessuno dei due si aspetta, però, che quella cominciata come un’indagine di routine li porterà a confrontarsi con uno dei misteri più grandi della storia francese: la presunta morte di Louis Charles di Borbone, legittimo erede al trono di Francia, figlio di Maria Antonietta e del re Luigi XVI, rinchiuso nella famigerata prigione della torre nera dal governo rivoluzionario. O, almeno, questa è stata a lungo la versione ufficiale, ma sono in molti, nella Francia di Luigi XVIII, a sperare nel ritorno del giovane, e altrettanti a temerlo. In “La torre nera”, Louis Bayard, maestro del thriller storico, acclamato in tutto il mondo e tradotto in più di quindici lingue, intreccia abilmente intrighi politici, epici tradimenti, depistaggi e cospirazioni di una famiglia protagonista degli anni tra Rivoluzione e Restaurazione, dando vita, inoltre, a un ritratto indelebile del potente quanto controverso Eugéne François Vidocq, il primo grande detective della storia. “Louis Bayard è uno scrittore dalle doti straordinarie: per il linguaggio, per l’immaginazione, per quella misteriosa mescolanza di audacia e maestria che è propria di un grande talento.” Joyce Carol Oates “La torre nera intreccia insieme storia e finzione nello stile distintivo – brio linguistico, una trama che si svolge con disinvoltura, una serie di personaggi pittoreschi – che ha spinto il lavoro di Bayard ai vertici del thriller storico.” The Washington Post “Pochi scrittori oggi possono eguagliare l’abilità di Bayard nell’ideare un thriller storico così brillante e coinvolgente.” Publishers Weekly

Vidocq au centre d''une enquête liée à la disparition du Dauphin dans un Paris politiquement instable... Après Un œil bleu pâle, un autre roman palpitant du talentueux Louis Bayard. " Louis Bayard a tous les dons ! " Joyce Carol Oates Paris, 1818. Les Bourbons, en la personne de Louis XVIII, sont de retour sur le trône. En pleine Terreur blanche, Hector Carpentier, un jeune étudiant en médecine, est soupçonné du meurtre d''un inconnu. Mais le directeur de la Sûreté nationale, Eugène-François Vidocq, doute de sa culpabilité. Il commence alors une enquête périlleuse qui va le mener à la disparition du Dauphin, Louis XVII, officiellement mort en 1795 à l''âge de dix ans. Secondé par Hector, Vidocq va mettre en œuvre tous ses talents tandis qu''un tueur mystérieux continue de sévir dans les rues de Paris. Avec une intrigue mêlant Histoire et conspiration, et une reconstitution magistrale du Paris de l''époque, Louis Bayard nous offre ici un thriller de tout premier ordre, à la tension d''une rare intensité et aux rebondissements incessants.

Réimpression inchangée de l''édition originale de 1842.

1818. La France, de nouveau, porte la couronne. Mais dans les rues de Paris, trente ans de chaos ont laissé des traces - et c''est un ancien forçat, habitué des bas-fonds, qui dirige la Sûreté : François Vidocq. Un as de l''investigation auquel le jeune Hector Carpentier, docteur en médecine, emboîte vite le pas : il faut dire qu''il en va de sa vie, mais également de l''avenir des Bourbons, dont l''un des membres, disparu en 1795, pourrait bien revenir d''entre les morts...

1860. Londres vit au rythme de la Tamise qui charrie eaux d''égouts, barriques égarées, et corps de noyés. Tout ce qui flotte revient de droit aux intrépides gosses des rues, et ce qui coule, aux pêcheurs de morts, qui leur font les poches avant de toucher une prime. Il est loin le temps de l''innocent petit Tim Cratchit qui inspira à Dickens son Conte de Noël. Tim a grandi et vit dans un bordel. Jusqu''ici, ses expéditions fluviales ne lui ont guère souri. Et quand il remonte le corps d''une fillette, c''est toute la cruauté humaine qui lui adresse un rictus carnassier. Car cette enfant lui en rappelle une autre, elle aussi tuée et marquée au creux du bras de la lettre G.