Buried Above Ground
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- 10,99 €
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- 10,99 €
Beschreibung des Verlags
An original spin on the crime novel in which the race to gain the rights to an author’s backlist proves to be more head-scratching – and deadly! – than the plots in his books.
"Another absolutely brilliant book from Ripley" - Booklist Starred Review
The Librarian
It’s been two decades since mystery writer Duncan Torrens was last published. I should know, I was his editor. So why a blogger would turn up asking questions about the rights to his books is beyond me . . .
The Reader
That librarian Roly is a bit odd. You’d think he’d be happy with my blog’s research into a largely forgotten author, but he’s . . . resistant. If I can get into Duncan’s home – and his mysterious garden shed – I know I’ll find what I’m looking for . . .
The Publisher
Torrens’ books are crying out for a revival. I just need that blogger, Jacon, to work out who holds the rights to his backlist. Then I can acquire them before Duncan’s old publishing house realises they’ve missed a trick!
The Editor
I never worked directly with Duncan before he died, but if someone is sniffing round, there must be money involved. I just need to find out what’s happened to the rights before they do . . .
The Writer
After twenty years, will the sudden interest in this author’s forgotten mysteries reveal a dark – and deadly – twist?
Told from the point of view of five unreliable narrators, none of whom can be trusted – The Librarian, The Reader, The Publisher, The Editor and The Writer – this amusing and darkly intriguing novel is a refreshingly fun, subversive take on the crime fiction genre.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The publishing world gets a savage skewering in this intricate meta-mystery from Ripley (Mr. Campion's Christmas). For years, Roland Wilkes edited Duncan Torrens's police procedurals for British publisher Boothby & Briggs. Then the vast conglomerate Pabulator acquired the firm, Roland was laid off, and he settled down as a librarian in the "satellite branch of a cash-strapped county library." Nearly 20 years later, Roland is visited by crime fiction blogger Jacon Archer, who's been retained by Pabulator to track down the pseudonymous Torrens. No one at the company knows the author's real name or contact information, and they need him to sign off on e-book and audiobook editions of his Inspector Seeley series. Jason enlists Roland to help track down Torrens, but after they set out to find the elusive author, the reasons for their quest start to look sinister; then somebody dies. Ripley gleefully rotates between a chorus of five narrators—Roland, Duncan, Jacon, and a pair of Pabulator employees—each distinct and none reliable. Their sometimes-contradictory accounts culminate in an ingenious denouement that will make readers want to flip back to the first page and start over again. This is catnip for Anthony Horowitz fans.
