The Dante Chamber

By: Matthew Pearl

Narrated by: Steve West

Memories, fears, the fog of nightmares...

Five years after a series of Dante-inspired killings stunned Boston, a politician is found in a London park with his neck crushed by an enormous stone device etched with a verse from the Divine Comedy. When other shocking deaths erupt across the city, all in the style of the penances Dante memorialized in Purgatory, poet Christina Rossetti fears her missing brother, the artist and writer Dante Gabriel Rossetti, will be the next victim.

The unwavering Christina enlists poets Robert Browning, Alfred Tennyson, and Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes to decipher the literary clues, and together these unlikely investigators unravel the secrets of Dante’s verses to find Gabriel and stop the killings. Racing between the shimmering mansions of the elite and the seedy corners of London’s underworld, they descend further into the mystery. But when the true inspiration behind the gruesome murders is finally revealed, Christina must confront a more profound terror than anyone had imagined.

A dazzling tale of intrigue from the writer Library Journal calls “the reigning king of popular literary historical thrillers,” The Dante Chamber is a riveting journey across London and into both the beauty and darkness of Dante. Expertly blending fact and fiction, Pearl gives us a historical mystery like no other that captivates and surprises until the last page.

Critic reviews

“The sleuths who figure in Matthew Pearl’s THE DANTE CHAMBER should thrill English literature majors… [A] literary whodunit.” —The New York Times Book Review

“Murder takes a literary turn…You’ll enjoy Pearl’s evocation of these esteemed authors, who prove to be all too human.” —Washington Post

“[A] cunning follow-up to The Dante Club… Pearl twists the plot to the final page.” —BBC.com’s Ten Books to Read in June

“Pearl is a brilliant storyteller, vividly portraying London’s literary arts scene and the city’s fear and fascination with the occult and a serial killer. Pearl’s fans, and fans of historical thrillers, are in for a treat.” —Publishers Weekly

“Pearl demonstrates a scholar’s grasp of Dante in this darkly atmospheric novel.” —Christian Science Monitor

“Pearl’s clue-laden detective stories are also well-researched, atmospheric historical novels that succinctly mix fact and fiction. His novels illustrate the true art of historical mysteries, showing just how relevant the issues of another century are to modern times.” —The Sun-Sentinel

“This engrossing historical mystery populated with the literati of the 19th century is one to choose when you’re inclined to relish a sherry in a conservatory.” —Minneapolis Star Tribune

“A clever literary mystery.” —Newsday

“THE DANTE CHAMBER has relocated the action across the pond in London, with a captivating circle of luminary poets…[A] wildly clever novel of suspense.” —The National Book Review


“[A] well-wrought sequel of sorts…Displaying extensive knowledge of the period and the writers, Pearl builds an intricate, well-layered plot…His focus on Christina among several imposing male writers…is also a refreshing choice and produces a complex, appealing character. A thoroughly entertaining excursion to the literary England of the late 19th century with some ink-stained amateur detectives.” — Kirkus, starred review

“Pearl uses his literary knowledge to excellent effect as he crafts a sinister tale of obsession and manipulation.” —Library Journal

"Pearl again does a stunning job of transforming Dante into brilliantly staged crime fiction." — Booklist

Dante

Obsession, drugs what’s not to like. Certainly an easy way to learn about interesting real people. The discussions about Purgatorio almost makes me want to read it again!

Great narrator, great story

I disagree with the top review on this page. I think the narrator was a great choice and did an excellent job. He is not monotonous, but instead allows the story to take center stage instead of trying to take the spotlight, as many narrators are wont to do. Just because the protagonist is female does not mean the narrator must be, and vice versa. I love this story and this narrator!

It should have been a woman

This story was incredible. Unfortunately it was a bad fit with the reader. His cadence was monotonous, and his American and female dialects were wrong upon distraction. The editing between scenes were too quick and you weren’t ever aware that we were jumping from one scene to another. Quite frankly, it should have been a female narrator, as the true protagonist is Christina. Having this actor do the narration, and in such a way that made the narration feel cold towards the passion of the characters, (yes it was Victorian England, but these circumstances were extraordinary), it took me a over year to listen to completion, as i had to replay quite a bit.) I adore this novelist. I was hoping to love this audio version (as I did for The Last Bookaneer) but alas, this was just unsuccessful.

sorry

I've listened to dozens of Audible books and 90% have been fantastic. I've only returned 1 book and this will be the second. I simply could not become interested in it. Boring. Not the best narrator.
sorry

The narrator matters, the story is abstract.

After listening to The Dante Club and it’s wonderful narration I was thoroughly disappointed by the narration of The Dante Chamber. I understand the change of location may have required a more British-leaning cadence but I sorely missed the performances of repeat characters from the previous book.

The story is just ok. The “twist” comes late and in an exposition dump of about 10 minutes that seemed so rushed and wasted when it could have been more tightly woven in the first part of the book. I did thoroughly enjoy the imagery of opioid and laudanum induced painters and scholars in England but the reliance of Dante puns became a bit eye-rolling. There’s a reason “Inferno” is the most widely read of the divine comedy and The Dante Chamber doesn’t always hold up to the Dante Club much like inferno and Purgatorio.

I would reluctantly recommend, if not for the unconventional twist.