The Card

A charming, surreal, visually stunning and utterly unforgettable new novel, in which the design of the pages replicates the way our hero's mind works as he pieces together the mystery at the novel's heart

Since childhood, Riley has been a keen collector of bubble gum cards. Now, 30 years later, the one card missing from his collection is the legendary card 19 from the 1967 Mission Impossible television series, of which only one exists. One day a mysterious grey-haired man drops a playing card in a deserted alley. Riley picks it up. Is it a secret sign? Before long, he is finding all kinds of bubble gum and cigarette cards on the street, each one apparently containing a further hidden clue to a coded message. Will Riley rise to the challenge and discover the secret of the cards? And will he ever find elusive card 19? Exquisitely written, extremely funny, and visually stunning, this is the utterly unforgettable story of a man who views the world—and everything in it—just a little bit differently from everyone else. Each of the 15 cards, created by Graham Rawle, appear in color as they turn up in the story.