The Purloined Letter, Edgar Allan Poe
The Purloined Letter, Edgar Allan Poe
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The Purloined Letter

Author: Edgar Allan Poe

Narrator: Richard Stibbard

Unabridged: 47 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 08/21/2025

Synopsis

In one of Edgar Allan Poe’s most brilliant detective tales, C. Auguste Dupin faces a crime that is as much about intellect as it is about cunning. When a highly sensitive letter is stolen from the royal apartments by a shrewd and unscrupulous minister, the police search tirelessly—yet fail to find it. Called upon for help, Dupin applies his unparalleled powers of observation and deduction, proving that the best hiding place may be in plain sight.The Purloined Letter is a masterclass in psychological intrigue and logical reasoning, a classic that continues to inspire the detective fiction genre.

About Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) was an American poet, short story writer, editor, and literary critic who is credited with inventing the detective fiction genre and with contributing to the emerging science fiction genre. He began his literary career with the anonymous publication of a collection of his poems entitled Tamerlane and Other Poems. He then turned to writing prose and spent the next several years working for literary journals and periodicals, becoming well known for his particular style of literary criticism. He served for a time on the staff of the New York Mirror, in which his poem "The Raven" was published. Poe's other well-known works include his stories "The Purloined Letter," "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," and "The Mystery of Marie Roget."

Reviews

Goodreads review by James on April 29, 2023

Book Review 3+ of 5 stars to The Purloined Letter, a short story written in 1844, by Edgar Allan Poe. One of the most interesting facts about this story is that it involves Poe's detective Dupin, who also appears in The Murders in the Rue Morgue. Unlike the Rue Morgue, this mystery contai......more

Goodreads review by Sanjay on November 10, 2015

"Perhaps it is the very simplicity of the thing which puts you at fault." My first Dupin-tale by Poe; and it was impressive! I enjoyed every bit of it. Very Engrossing. Explanations given by Dupin at the end of the story are epic and quenches all the thirst inside you. I can guess now why Sherlock Ho......more

Goodreads review by Peter on July 31, 2019

Here we have the third appearance of master investigator C. Auguste Dupin. This time a royal letter was stolen by a minister. Can Dupin find the whereabouts of the letter? Prefect G is desperate since his men thoroughly searched the premises of the minister with no avail. Following Dupin's brilliant......more

Goodreads review by Pam on February 19, 2023

Poe came up with this story which launched a thousand (and more) stories using an amateur elite detective, a slightly dim sidekick, dimmer police, a master criminal, a room that contains all the action, and a mystery hidden in plain sight. Poe’s Purloined Letter was published in 1844. Conan Doyle an......more

Goodreads review by Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ on October 01, 2019

Starting off October with an Edgar Allen Poe detective mystery! "The Purloined Letter" is one of Poe's more memorable stories, featuring his amateur detective C. Auguste Dupin, who could give Sherlock Holmes a run for his money. This story is more analytical than adventurous: Dupin and his friend, th......more

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