{"product_id":"the-raven-letters","title":"The Raven Letters","description":"\u003cheader class=\"rv-hero\"\u003e\n  \u003cdiv class=\"rv-hero-copy\"\u003e\n    \u003cp class=\"rv-eyebrow\"\u003ePhiladelphia, 1842 · A mystery by mail\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003ch1\u003eThe Raven Letters\u003c\/h1\u003e\n    \u003ch2\u003eHe wrote it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eThen it happened.\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/h2\u003e\n    \u003cp class=\"rv-lead\"\u003eSomeone is killing the people around Edgar Allan Poe. Every death echoes a story he has not finished writing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003cp class=\"rv-intro\"\u003eA Gothic mystery delivered to your mailbox in 24 installments of physical letters and story artifacts. Follow the detective. Ask the question Poe cannot answer:\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003cp class=\"rv-question\"\u003eWho is reading his unfinished pages?\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003ca class=\"rv-button\" id=\"raven-top-cta\" href=\"#raven-sample\"\u003eOpen the first letter \u003cspan aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003e↗\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\n    \u003ca class=\"rv-text-link\" href=\"#raven-offer\"\u003ePreorder the series \u003cspan aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003e↓\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\n    \u003cp class=\"rv-format\"\u003ePreorder · First letters mail the week of November 2, 2026.\u003cbr\u003eReal mail. $149 paid in full when you preorder. Postage included.\u003c\/p\u003e\n  \u003c\/div\u003e\n  \u003cfigure class=\"rv-hero-art\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0754\/0457\/4944\/files\/raven-mysterious-woman.jpg?v=1788718600\" alt=\"Atmospheric Raven story artwork of a mysterious dark-haired woman with a raven on her shoulder.\" width=\"1800\" height=\"1800\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\u003e\n    \u003cfigcaption\u003eAtmospheric artwork from The Raven Letters\u003c\/figcaption\u003e\n  \u003c\/figure\u003e\n\u003c\/header\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"rv-ribbon\" aria-label=\"Story themes\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eAn impossible crime\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA dangerous intimacy\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA world you can hold\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003csection class=\"rv-section rv-how\" id=\"raven-how\"\u003e\u003cp class=\"rv-eyebrow\"\u003eHow it works\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe mystery comes \u003cem\u003eto you.\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"rv-how-grid\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"rv-number\"\u003e01\u003c\/span\u003e\u003ch3\u003eOne payment. The whole series.\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e24 installments of physical letters and story artifacts. Pay once, with postage included and no shipping charges.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"rv-number\"\u003e02\u003c\/span\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWatch the mailbox.\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a preorder. First letters mail the week of November 2, 2026. After your first mailing, letters arrive approximately twice a month.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"rv-number\"\u003e03\u003c\/span\u003e\u003ch3\u003eLet the story unfold.\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRead each installment, examine the artifacts, and return to earlier clues as your suspicions change.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection class=\"rv-section rv-opening\" id=\"raven-story\"\u003e\n  \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"rv-eyebrow\"\u003eThe case begins\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eA cellar.\u003cbr\u003eTwo glasses.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eA wall that wasn't there.\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n  \u003cdiv class=\"rv-prose\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA Philadelphia wine merchant is found behind fresh brick in his own cellar. Detective Ignatius Barrow writes to the author of “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” hoping for an insight ordinary police work cannot give him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePoe recognizes the scene. The wine. The recess. The terrible precision of it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot because he has been there.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"rv-punch\"\u003eBecause he wrote it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe tale is unfinished. Unpublished. And now someone has made it real.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection class=\"rv-sample-section\" id=\"raven-sample\"\u003e\n  \u003cdiv class=\"rv-section rv-sample-grid\"\u003e\n    \u003cdiv class=\"rv-sample-intro\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"rv-eyebrow\"\u003eRead it for yourself\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe first letter\u003cbr\u003edoesn't ask you\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eto believe.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt gives you a reason.\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBarrow's report. Poe's reply. Two voices confronting the same impossible fact.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRead the opening correspondence. Decide whether you can leave the question unanswered.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"rv-small\"\u003eAn excerpt from Letter 1.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n    \u003cdiv class=\"rv-letter\" aria-label=\"Excerpt from the first letter\"\u003e\n      \n      \u003cdiv class=\"rv-letter-text\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"rv-letter-date\"\u003ePhiladelphia · January 30, 1842\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDear Mr. Poe,\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e“Behind this wall, Mr. Poe, we found Cornelius Hargrove.”\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"rv-letter-divider\"\u003ePoe's reply, that same evening\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e“I know the scene you have described. I know it not because I have visited Mr. Hargrove's cellar, which I have never entered, nor because I have read of it in the Ledger, which I have not yet seen. I know it because I wrote it.”\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"rv-letter-credit\"\u003eFrom Letter 1 · The Raven Letters\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n    \u003c\/div\u003e\n  \u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"rv-after-excerpt\"\u003e\n\u003ca class=\"rv-button\" href=\"#raven-offer\"\u003ePreorder The Raven Letters \u003cspan aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003e→\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cp class=\"rv-small\"\u003ePreorder the complete 24-part series\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003csection class=\"rv-section rv-art-gallery\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"rv-story-art-pair\"\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0754\/0457\/4944\/files\/raven-03-the-tell-tale-heart.jpg?v=1788720655\" alt=\"The Tell-Tale Heart · Raven story artwork\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\u003cfigcaption\u003eThe Tell-Tale Heart · Raven story artwork\u003c\/figcaption\u003e\u003c\/figure\u003e\u003cfigure\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0754\/0457\/4944\/files\/raven-04-the-cask-of-amontillado.jpg?v=1788720656\" alt=\"The Cask of Amontillado · Raven story artwork\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\u003cfigcaption\u003eThe Cask of Amontillado · Raven story artwork\u003c\/figcaption\u003e\u003c\/figure\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"rv-small\"\u003eAtmospheric story artwork, not photographs of the mailings.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/section\u003e\u003csection class=\"rv-section rv-experience\"\u003e\n  \u003cdiv class=\"rv-experience-heading\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"rv-eyebrow\"\u003ePut down the screen. Follow the ink.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eNot just a story to read.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eA world to return to.\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOpen the correspondence. Turn over a detail. Discover that a sentence means more than it first seemed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n  \u003cdiv class=\"rv-experience-list\"\u003e\n    \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"rv-number\"\u003e01\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHear more than one version.\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePoe. The detective. The people caught between them. Read what they say and notice what they leave out.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n    \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"rv-number\"\u003e02\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eLook beyond the letter.\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLay the story artifacts beside the letters. Look for the detail that changes your theory.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n    \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"rv-number\"\u003e03\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eKeep the pages. Reconsider the past.\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReturn to earlier correspondence as the mystery unfolds. What looked innocent may read differently now.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n  \u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection class=\"rv-portrait-section\"\u003e\n  \u003cdiv class=\"rv-section rv-portrait-grid\"\u003e\n    \u003cfigure\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0754\/0457\/4944\/files\/raven-edgar-allan-poe.jpg?v=1788718600\" alt=\"Story artwork portraying Edgar Allan Poe at his desk with a raven at the window.\" width=\"1800\" height=\"1800\" loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\u003cfigcaption\u003eEdgar Allan Poe · Raven story artwork\u003c\/figcaption\u003e\u003c\/figure\u003e\n    \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"rv-eyebrow\"\u003eBefore “The Raven”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eYou know the name.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eMeet the man.\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePoe is brilliant, proud, short of money and frightened for his wife. A detective wants answers he cannot give. The literary world measures his worth in reviews, rivalries and debts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThen there is Frances Osgood: another writer, another voice, and the dangerous comfort of being understood.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe murders draw you in. The people give you a reason to stay.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"rv-small\"\u003eOriginal historical fiction, set in Philadelphia and New York from 1842 to 1845. Real literary figures and period settings meet an invented murder mystery. These are not recovered letters written by Poe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n  \u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection class=\"rv-section rv-reader\"\u003e\n  \u003cp class=\"rv-eyebrow\"\u003eFor the reader who wants to disappear into a story\u003c\/p\u003e\n  \u003ch2\u003eA little less scrolling.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eA little more obsession.\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/h2\u003e\n  \u003cdiv class=\"rv-reader-columns\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you love Gothic fiction, historical mysteries, complicated people and a clue that makes you turn back a page, this is your kind of correspondence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRead it alone in a quiet hour, or lay out the evidence with someone who loves a good theory.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n  \u003ca class=\"rv-text-link\" href=\"#raven-offer\"\u003eMake room for a new mystery \u003cspan aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003e→\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection class=\"rv-section rv-gift\" id=\"raven-gift\"\u003e\u003cp class=\"rv-eyebrow\"\u003eFor someone who lives between the pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eGive them a story\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003ethey can’t stop thinking about.\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the person who always has a book nearby, a gift doesn’t have to end when the wrapping comes off. Raven offers the pleasure of opening a letter, entering another century, and having a new theory to share.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChoose it for a lover of Gothic fiction, literary mysteries or Poe. Or make the correspondence a story you explore together, one installment at a time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ca class=\"rv-text-link\" href=\"#raven-offer\"\u003eExplore Raven as a gift \u003cspan aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003e→\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection class=\"rv-section rv-creator\" id=\"raven-creator\"\u003e\u003cp class=\"rv-eyebrow\"\u003eThe creator\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eA storyteller’s imagination.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eA trial lawyer’s eye for detail.\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eChristopher Forrest\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChristopher Forrest is an author and former trial attorney, and the creator behind Dead Letter Studio. He writes and designs its mystery experiences, bringing his background in law and storytelling to the people, documents and secrets that draw you into a case.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"rv-small\"\u003eRaven is original historical fiction, not recovered correspondence. Read the Letter 1 excerpts above to get a feel for the writing.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection class=\"rv-faq-section\" id=\"raven-faq\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"rv-section rv-faq-grid\"\u003e\n  \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"rv-eyebrow\"\u003eBefore you enter\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eA few things\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eworth knowing.\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n  \u003cdiv class=\"rv-faqs\"\u003e\n    \u003cdetails\u003e\u003csummary\u003eWhat exactly is The Raven Letters?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cp\u003eA 24-part Gothic mystery delivered by mail through physical letters and accompanying story artifacts. The narrative unfolds through correspondence rather than the chapters of a conventional bound novel.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n    \u003cdetails\u003e\u003csummary\u003eWhen will the letters arrive?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is a preorder. First letters mail the week of November 2, 2026. After your first mailing, letters arrive approximately twice a month.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails\u003e\u003csummary\u003eIs this a subscription? Is postage extra?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo recurring payments. The full $149 is paid when you preorder. One payment covers the 24-part series, with postage included and no shipping charges.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails\u003e\u003csummary\u003eWhat is the first-mailing guarantee?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cp\u003eRequest a refund within 30 days of receiving your first mailing. We’ll refund your purchase and cancel the remaining mailings.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails\u003e\u003csummary\u003eCan I give Raven as a gift?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cp\u003eRaven is a thoughtful choice for a reader who loves Gothic fiction, historical mysteries or Edgar Allan Poe: a story to discover through physical mail, rather than another book for the shelf.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails\u003e\u003csummary\u003eDo I need to have read Edgar Allan Poe?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo. The story introduces Poe's world through the people in it, including a detective asking the questions a new reader might ask. If you know the tales, you will recognize another layer of the mystery.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n    \u003cdetails\u003e\u003csummary\u003eIs this a true story?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt is original historical fiction. Edgar Allan Poe, Virginia Poe and Frances Osgood were real people. The central murders, Detective Barrow and the correspondence in this series are fictional. Familiar names are the doorway, not a claim that these crimes really happened.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n    \u003cdetails\u003e\u003csummary\u003eIs it a puzzle game or a reading experience?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe heart of Raven is an unfolding story: a mystery to follow through letters and artifacts, with details to examine and connections to make. Think immersive reading and investigation, rather than a timed escape-room challenge.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n    \u003cdetails\u003e\u003csummary\u003eWhat kind of story should I expect?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cp\u003eA slow-burn blend of murder mystery, literary rivalry, illness, grief and impossible romance. It is Gothic fiction with mature themes, written for readers who enjoy emotional stakes as much as a disturbing crime.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n    \n  \u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"rv-final-art\"\u003e\n\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0754\/0457\/4944\/files\/raven-wings-artwork.jpg?v=1788718600\" alt=\"Atmospheric oil-painting-style artwork of a raven spreading its wings.\" width=\"1800\" height=\"1800\" loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe pages never left his desk.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eSo how did the world read them?\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n","brand":"Dead Letter Studio","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54717540499680,"sku":null,"price":149.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0754\/0457\/4944\/files\/raven-mysterious-woman.jpg?v=1788718600","url":"https:\/\/www.deadletterstudio.com\/products\/the-raven-letters","provider":"Dead Letter Studio","version":"1.0","type":"link"}