Few have crafted stories as haunting as those by Edgar Allan Poe. Collected here to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Poe's birth are sixteen of his best tales accompanied by twenty essays from beloved authors, including T. Jefferson Parker, Lawrence Block, Sara Paretsky, and Joseph Wambaugh, among others, on how Poe has changed their life and work.Michael Connelly recounts the inspiration he drew from Poe's poetry while researching one of his books. Stephen King reflects on Poe's insight into humanity's dark side in "The Genius of 'The Tell-Tale Heart.'" Jan Burke recalls her childhood terror during late-night reading sessions. Tess Gerritsen, Nelson DeMille, and others remember the classic B-movie adaptations of Poe's tales. And in "The Thief," Laurie R. King complains about how Poe stole all the good ideas... or maybe he just thought of them first.Powerful and timeless, In the Shadow of the Master is a celebration of one of the greatest literary minds of all time.The Mystery Writers of America, founded in 1945, is the foremost organization for mystery writers and other professionals dedicated to the field of crime writing.

A descent into the maelstrom
On Edgar Allan Poe / by T. Jefferson Parker
The cask of Amontillado
Under the covers with Fortunato and Montresor / by Jan Burke
The curse of Amontillado / by Lawrence Block
The black cat
Pluto's heritage / by P.J. Parrish
William Wilson
Identity crisis / by Lisa Scottoline
Manuscript found in a bottle
In a strange city : the Poe toaster and me / by Laura Lippman
Fall of the House of Usher
Once upon a midnight dreary / by Michael Connelly
Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar
The Poe effect / by Laurie R. King
Ligeia
Poe and me at the movies / by Tess Gerritsen
The tell-tale heart
The genius of the tell-tale heart / by Stephen King
The first time / by Steve Hamilton
Pit and the Pendulum
The pit, the pendulum, and perfection / by Edward D. Hoch
The pit and the pendulum at the Palace / by Peter Robinson
Masque of the Red Death
Edgar Allan Poe, Mark Twain, and me / by S.J. Rozan
The murders in the Rue Morgue
The quick and the undead / by Nelson DeMille
The gold-bug
Imagining Edgar Allan Poe / by Sara Paretsky
Raven
Rantin' and ravin' / by Joseph Wambaugh
A little thought on Poe / by Thomas H. Cook
The bells
Poe in G minor / by Jeffrey Deaver
Excerpt from The narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym
How I became an Edgar Allan Poe convert / by Sue Grafton.