Oxford, 1852. A visiting American writer is accused of a brutal murder he swears he did not commit-and unless the real killer is found within seven days, Edgar Allan Poe will hang.
Drawn into the investigation is an unlikely ally: brilliant Oxford mathematician Charles Dodgson, the shy young don who will one day become known to the world as Lewis Carroll. As panic spreads through the ancient colleges and whispers of secret societies, coded manuscripts, and impossible crimes circulate through the city, Poe and Dodgson must navigate a labyrinth of cryptic clues, academic rivalries, and dangerous secrets.
But the deeper they dig, the more the case begins to resemble one of Poe's own nightmares: locked rooms, disappearing evidence, and a murderer always one step ahead.
With the gallows waiting and Oxford turning against them, the two literary legends must uncover the truth before fiction becomes fatal.
Perfect for fans of atmospheric historical mysteries, clever puzzles, gothic suspense, and alternative literary history.