The Impossible Thing
A joyful, captivating new mystery from the Sunday Times bestselling crime author
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- 12,99 €
Description de l’éditeur
From the Sunday Times bestselling author of Snap, and two-time winner of the CWA Crime Novel of the Year...
Loved by readers... discover this gripping, entertaining crime caper about a hungry young girl, an impossible discovery, and a crime that remained unsolved for one hundred years.
Until now.
*****
‘A unique crime novel that is both moving and funny . . . highly recommend’ 5-STAR reader review
‘A perfect crime caper' Woman & Home
'[The] most ingenious of crime writers . . . A funny, moving and beautifully written tale' The Guardian
*****
*SPECIAL HARDBACK LIMITED EDITION – AVAILABLE WHILE STOCKS LAST*
It was the most daring crime of the century . . .
1926. On the towering 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. But when small and hungry Celie Sheppard finds an 'impossible' red egg, it will forever alter the course of her life - and the lives of others.
One hundred years later in a remote cottage in Wales, Patrick Fort discovers 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 skulduggery at every turn, The Impossible Thing is a blazing testament to Belinda Bauer’s status as one of our greatest living crime writers.
Praise for The Impossible Thing
‘Enthralling, hilarious, mysterious… I thoroughly enjoyed this book’ 5-STAR reader review
‘The gift of The Impossible Thing is the pure joy of reading’ VAL MCDERMID, bestselling author of the Karen Pirie crime series
'Comic, thrilling and ultimately moving' The Scottish Mail on Sunday
'Extraordinary. There's a deceptive simplicity to The Impossible Thing that packs a real punch' ANN CLEEVES, bestselling author of the Vera Stanhope detective series
'Solid gold. . . This could be her best ever' LEE CHILD, bestselling author of the Jack Reacher series
‘A captivating novel from one of the UK’s most talented storytellers. I loved every page of this unique mystery.’ CLARE MACKINTOSH, bestselling author of I Let You Go
‘One of the most enjoyable novels I've read in ages’ PAULA HAWKINS, bestselling author of The Girl on the Train
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Bauer (Exit) tugs at the heartstrings in this extraordinary literary mystery that unfolds across intersecting timelines. In 1926, young Celie Sheppard retrieves a striking red egg from a guillemot's nest near her home in Yorkshire. With rare egg collecting booming in the region, Celie's discovery rescues her family from poverty—the egg's particular hue has never been seen before, and Celie finds it on a cliff near Metland Farm that's too treacherous for full-grown men to navigate. Her mother sells the egg to pay months of back rent, and enters into a contract to sell any other eggs that Celie finds. Eventually, the broker who buys Celie's egg is murdered. Bauer alternates that narrative thread with one set in the 21st century, in which a post about one of the so-called "Metland eggs" on eBay triggers a robbery that pits brothers Patrick and Nick Fort against an international crime ring. 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.
