Overview

A New York Times and Guardian Best Thriller of the Year A Deadly Pleasures and Minnesota Star Tribune Best Book of the Year ""A cliffhanger of a tale . . . Around the mystery of the fate of the so-called Metland Egg, Bauer constructs a multigenerational drama as captivating as the fabled object itself . . . rich in humor and suspense.""--Wall Street Journal From the exceptionally original mind of CWA Gold Dagger Award winner and Booker longlisted author Belinda Bauer, a sweeping tale of obsession, greed, ambition, and a crime that has remained unsolved for a hundred years How do you find something that doesn't exist? 1926. On the cliffs of Yorkshire, men are lowered on ropes to steal the eggs of the sea birds who nest there. The most beautiful are sold for large sums. A small girl--penniless and neglected by her family--retrieves one such treasure. Its discovery will forever alter the course of her life. A century later. In a remote cottage in Wales, Patrick Fort finds his friend, Nick, and his mother tied up and robbed. The only thing missing: a carved case containing an incredible scarlet egg. Doggedly attempting to retrieve it, Patrick and Nick discover the cruel world of egg trafficking, and soon find themselves on the trail of a priceless collection of eggs lost to history. Until now. A taut, wonderfully imagined novel brimming with skullduggery at every turn, The Impossible Thing is a blazing testament to Belinda Bauer's status as one of our greatest living crime writers.

Full Product Details

9780802164414

Table of Contents

Reviews

Praise for The Impossible Thing: ""Magnificently executed . . . [The Impossible Thing] has my vote for the most unusual crime novel in recent memory . . . Subplots abound . . . with the egg as the unvoiced yet central character of them all.""--Bruce Tierney, BookPage (starred review) ""Bauer tugs at the heartstrings in this extraordinary literary mystery that unfolds across intersecting timelines . . . Bauer's deep empathy--for both her human characters and for the birds whose nests are looted--elevates the immersive and unpredictable plot. It's another winner from an impressively versatile writer.""--Publishers Weekly (starred review) ""A time-slip mystery set in the compulsive, and nowadays illegal, world of bird egg collectors . . . Fans of Bauer know to expect something original from this most ingenious of crime writers, and newcomers will be delighted by a funny, moving and beautifully written tale of misfits and oological obsession.""--Laura Wilson, The Guardian ""Belinda Bauer is a genius--she can turn any idea into a solid gold, suspenseful, immersive and intriguing story. This could be her best ever.""--Lee Child, author of In Too Deep ""It's hard to overstate the absolute charm of The Impossible Thing. Remember the feeling of wonder the first time you fell in love with a book? This.""--Val McDermid, author of Past Lying ""An extraordinary novel. Belinda Bauer writes so beautifully. There's a deceptive simplicity to The Impossible Thing that packs a real punch, and the characters and their stories have really stayed with me. Highly recommended!""--Ann Cleeves, author of The Raging Storm ""Part crime caper, part historical mystery, The Impossible Thing is one of the most enjoyable novels I've read in ages. Meticulously plotted and told with wit and heart, it is utterly distinctive and totally addictive.""--Paula Hawkins, author of The Blue Hour ""I loved everything about The Impossible Thing: the effortless interweaving of the timelines, the flawed, interesting characters, the beautiful rendering of the historic setting and the natural world, and the twists and turns in the present day plot. Belinda's compelling exploration of man's obsession and the darkness that follows in its wake made me laugh and cry. A wonderful, brilliant mystery.""--Laura Shepherd-Robinson, author of The Square of Sevens ""From the bestselling author of Snap comes a beguiling, wholly unique crime caper-cum-historical mystery which weaves thieves, myths, and unforgettable characters into a perfectly plotted masterpiece.""--Mark Skinner, Waterstones Praise for Belinda Bauer: ""Belinda Bauer is a marvel. Her novels are almost indecently gripping and enjoyable.""--Sophie Hannah, New York Times bestselling author of The Monogram Murders and Woman with a Secret, on The Shut Eye ""The best crime novel I've read in a very long time.""--Val McDermid, author of Queen Macbeth, on Snap ""Vividly real . . . Gripping to the end.""--Kirkus Reviews on Snap ""The most original amateur sleuth I've come across all year is Patrick Fort, the young hero of Belinda Bauer's macabre mystery.""--Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review, on Rubbernecker

Praise for The Impossible Thing: ""It's hard to overstate the absolute charm of The Impossible Thing. Remember the feeling of wonder the first time you fell in love with a book? This.""--Val McDermid, author of Queen Macbeth ""The gift of The Impossible Thing is the pure joy of reading.""--Val McDermid, author of Queen Macbeth ""An extraordinary novel. Belinda Bauer writes so beautifully. There's a deceptive simplicity to The Impossible Thing that packs a real punch, and the characters and their stories have really stayed with me. Highly recommended!""--Ann Cleeves, author of The Raging Storm ""Part crime caper, part historical mystery, The Impossible Thing is one of the most enjoyable novels I've read in ages. Meticulously plotted and told with wit and heart, it is utterly distinctive and totally addictive.""--Paula Hawkins, author of The Blue Hour ""I loved everything about The Impossible Thing: the effortless interweaving of the timelines, the flawed, interesting characters, the beautiful rendering of the historic setting and the natural world, and the twists and turns in the present day plot. Belinda's compelling exploration of man's obsession and the darkness that follows in its wake made me laugh and cry. A wonderful, brilliant mystery.""--Laura Shepherd-Robinson, author of The Square of Sevens Praise for Belinda Bauer: ""Belinda Bauer is a marvel. Her novels are almost indecently gripping and enjoyable.""--Sophie Hannah, New York Times bestselling author of The Monogram Murders and Woman with a Secret, on The Shut Eye ""The best crime novel I've read in a very long time.""--Val McDermid, author of Queen Macbeth, onSnap ""Vividly real . . . Gripping to the end.""--Kirkus Reviews on Snap ""The most original amateur sleuth I've come across all year is Patrick Fort, the young hero of Belinda Bauer's macabre mystery.""--Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review, on Rubbernecker

Author Information

Belinda Bauer is the award-winning author of ten novels that have been translated into twenty-one languages. She won the CWA Gold Dagger Award for Crime Novel of the Year for Blacklands, the Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award for Rubbernecker, and the CWA Dagger in the Library Award for outstanding body of work. Her novel Snap was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize. She lives in Wales.

Tab Content 6

Countries Available