Mystery Scene Review

Silver by Edward Chupack
St. Martin's/Thomas Dunne Book, February, 2008

In Silver, Chicago real estate attorney Edward Chupack has written a novel utterly unlike the courtroom thrillers customary for lawyers with literary aspirations. In the vein of John Gardner's Grendel and other retellings of literary tales from the perspective of an alternate character, Silver takes on Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island from the viewpoint of Long John Silver.

Being transported to London for his own hanging, Silver, delirious with fever, provides the fascinating back story of his personal history, from his impoverished, hardscrabble city existence, to his successful rise as captain of a pirate ship. His riveting "professional" adventures as a swashbuckler mirror and enrich the original Treasure Island plot with imagination and skill, while Chupack's use of secret treasure ciphers will please puzzle-lovers.

Fans of Treasure Island and high seas adventure will delight in Silver's clever allusions to Stevenson's classic, but Chupack's familiarity with his source text, his mastery of the historical period, and his facility with language, render Silver a novel well worth experiencing for any and all readers looking for a wholly original literary mystery.

- Lynne Maxwell

This review appeared in the Winter 2008 issue (#103) of the magazine