The Club Dumas might possibly be one of the greatest novels I have ever read. Mixing parts of the detective novel with gothic horror and adventure serial spirit (like Dumas' own The Three Musketeers) makes for an exciting and atmospheric adventure. Equally coy and charming, book detective Lucas Corso is a fascinating character and he makes for a hell of a protagonist. We are not sure if we even trust Corso to be a good man as he dives into the seedy world of book collecting (who knew?).
The Club Dumas' chapters about the colorful people Corso meets are as exciting as the chapters where Corso finds himself alone in a dark room pouring over the pages of an ancient manuscript as the rain patters the window. I think this is required reading for those looking for a dark gothic adventure. This is a novel about literature and the transformative power of the novelist to open the mind and heart of those lucky enough to read their passionately written words.