From the spine-tingling horror of The Tell-Tale Heart and The Masque of the Red Death to the haunting echo of The Raven, this classic compilation includes all your favorite tales and poems by Edgar Allan Poe.  Be sure to read The Gold Bug, a story of buried treasure set on Sullivan's Island, SC.  

The brief introduction provides a concise overview of the author's tragic life and mysterious death, which is almost as intriguing as the tales themselves.  Poe is celebrated as a literary innovator, and his influence can be seen in the works of today's horror and mystery authors.   If you enjoy either of these genres, then sample
these writings by a master in both fields.         

During the month of October, RCPL is going "Stark Raven Mad" reading Great Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe.  Pick up a free copy of this book at your local Richland County Public Library and participate in national reading initiative The Big Read.  Post your comments and join the discussion on our Online Book Group:

/forums/-big-read-online-book-club

If you enjoy a great mystery and gritty characters, give this historical novel a try. The Canadian wilderness of 1867 is the setting for this well researched mystery. Mrs. Ross' son, Francis, disappears the same day that Laurent Jammet's body is found scalped in his cabin. The murder brings together a diverse assembly of characters, each with his own reason for wanting to find the murderer. With no other suspects, the characters begin to trail Francis into the frigid depths of the wilderness. Penney's absorbing narrative reveals the characters, each a kind of outcast, through whose viewpoints this multi-layered story is told.

It is a beautiful spring day at Carthage Place Plantation outside Charleston, and guests are enjoying participating in the Plantation Ramble. The day is going well. Mark Congdon has just entered the winning bid for a monkey-face orchid at the rare plant auction. As he celebrates his good fortune at the sweet Dragonwell tea booth, which is manned by Theodosia Browning, proprietor of the Indigo Tea shop, and Drayton Conneley, master tea blender, he suddenly suffers what appears to be a heart attack. Theodosia and Drayton begin to suspect that his death was not an accident, but murder. They set out to help his wife, Angie, discover what really happened. Events escalate until the final culmination at the Orchid Lights fund-raising event. Enjoy the adventure, the recipes and tea tips.

Before he can carry out the stabbing, Dr. Bill Brockton has a crucial decision to make: right- or left-handed? He soon discovers he needs both hands, and all his weight, to drive the knife home. Not to worry, though, his "victim" is already dead, one of the cadavers donated to the University of Tennessee's Anthropology Research Facility, better known as "The Body Farm." A forensic anthropologist, Brockton's job is to perform experiments on these bodies to aid law enforcement agencies. This particular experiment -- which comes back to haunt him -- is interrupted by another case. An eerily preserved body has been found in an Appalachian cave, and the local authorities need to know the who, why, when and how. His trip up the mountain takes Brockton not just to another county, but to a whole new world. His investigation leads to a backwoods crime boss, an undercover FBI operation, a self-righteous mountain preacher and a corrupt sheriff's department. Throw in grief for his late wife, a break-in at his office, an errant kiss -- not to mention a few attempts on his life -- and Bill Brockton is in deep trouble. The "author," Jefferson Bass, actually is the writing team of Dr. Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson. Bass is the founder of The Body Farm, which drew international notice with the publication of Patricia Cornwell's mystery novel by the same name. "Carved in Bone" is the first book in what seems to be a promising new series.

Enjoy a rip-roaring cowboy adventure and laugh-out-loud mystery, with brothers Gustav and Otto Amlingmeyer (better known as Old Red and Big Red). During an 1892 cattle drive, Old Red becomes besotted with Sherlock Holmes when his brother reads "The Red-Headed League." Determined to follow in his hero's footsteps, Old Red gets the chance to utilize the master's techniques when an unsavory foreman hires the pair to work at a Montana cattle spread, where the ranch’s general manager is soon found dead -- “not only had a few hundred cows gone for a waltz over the body, prairie wolves had snacked on whatever hadn’t stuck to the hooves. The remaining dribs and drabs of gristle were mixed in with the mud like strips of undercooked beef in a bowl of Texas chili.” With characters named Tall John, Swivel-Eye, Crazymouth Nick and Hungry Bob, author Steve Hockensmith helps you hit the mystery trail. The sequel is already completed and ready for publication.

Meet Samantha Shaw, owner of a dating service called Heart Mates, mother of TJ and Joel, reviewer of romance novels, and an aspiring private investigator. Sam and her sons live with her grandfather, a retired magician. Sam dates Gabe Pulizzi, a private investigator under whose license she sometimes works. In the fourth outing in the series, Sam, as usual, gets in over her head. Her friend Angel disappears; a crazed romance reader fan stalks Sam in order to meet R. V. Logan; a jewel thief tries to retrieve a necklace accidentally given to Angel; and, of course, a dead body is discovered. Romance writer R. V. Logan is in actuality Detective Logan Vance, with whom Sam must work to resolve the case. Enjoy the misadventures along the way to a satisfying conclusion.