The Raconteur's Commonplace Book
A Greenglass House Story
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
In this standalone mystery set in the world of the New York Times bestselling Greenglass House by an Edgar Award–winning author, a group of strangers trapped in an otherworldly inn slowly reveal their secrets, proving that nothing is what it seems and there's always more than one side to the story.
The rain hasn't stopped for a week, and the twelve guests of the Blue Vein Tavern are trapped by flooded roads and the rising Skidwrack River. Among them are a ship’s captain, tattooed twins, a musician, and a young girl traveling on her own. To pass the time, they begin to tell stories—each a different type of folklore—that eventually reveal more about their own secrets than they intended.
As the rain continues to pour down—an uncanny, unnatural amount of rain—the guests begin to realize that the entire city is in danger, and not just from the flood. But they have only their stories, and one another, to save them. Will it be enough?
"Will dazzle seasoned Milford fans and kindle new ones." (Publishers Weekly starred review)
Story Within a Story: To pass the time, the guests begin to tell tales, but each story of folklore reveals more about their own dangerous secrets than they ever intended.Atmospheric Fantasy: Trapped by an unnatural, week-long flood, the guests of the Blue Vein Tavern realize the rising Skidwrack River isn't the only danger they face.Folklore and Fairy Tales: From a ship's captain to tattooed twins, each stranger's tale weaves a different kind of magic, building a puzzle that might be the key to their survival.Interconnected Stories: As the uncanny rain continues to fall, the guests' individual tales begin to connect, revealing a larger mystery that threatens the entire city.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
As rain and the Skidwrack River's rising make "new rivers that had once been roads," 15 stranded individuals alternately spin stories in this deliciously folkloric, carefully plotted compilation that has roots in—and similarities to—Milford's Greenglass House. Interspersed with interludes in the Blue Vein Tavern and bearing repeating references and themes, the individual stories focus on "peddlers, tricksters, gamblers, and lovers"; keys, maps, and portals; and roads of ice and of old. In the moments between the tellings, the inclusive array of worldly and otherworldly guests—brothers with facial tattoos, a shawl-swathed woman, a child traveling solo—and the tavern's staff rotate across a great room's stage, manipulating physical objects (cards, an hourglass, whittled animals, music boxes) and engaging in continual patterns of movement (bookbinding, dancing, firekeeping). At once a deeply satisfying standalone and a smart addition to Milford's expansive world, this elegant feat of telescopic storytelling serves as both map and key, offering singular stories of consequence that slowly, artfully reveal an immersive mystery—one that will dazzle seasoned Milford fans and kindle new ones. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 8–12.
