From the award-winning, bestselling author of Addition and Nine Days, a superbly crafted and captivating literary mystery about a lost book and a secret love.

Inga Karlson died in a fire in New York in the 1930s, leaving behind three things: a phenomenally successful first novel, the scorched fragments of a second book—and a literary mystery that has captivated generations of readers.

Nearly fifty years later, Brisbane bookseller Caddie Walker is waiting in line to see a Karlson exhibition featuring the famous fragments when she meets a charismatic older woman. The woman quotes a phrase from the Karlson fragments that Caddie knows does not exist—and yet to Caddie, who knows Inga Karlson’s work like she knows her name, it feels genuine.

Caddie is electrified. Jolted her from her sleepy, no-worries life in torpid 1980s Brisbane she is driven to investigate: to find the clues that will unlock the greatest literary mystery of the twentieth century.

Reserved for Secret Santa recipient.

Thanks very much for this, jeniwren - I saw an ad for this book in a magazine earlier this month and thought I need to read this, so you must’ve read my mind!

I hope you had a lovely Christmas- thank you for this book and the wonderful goodies that accompanied it too :)

This was a very interesting read, although I was annoyed with the more present day character (Caddie) going along with another when she should have known much better. Still, it was an intriguing tale - how did people research not so long ago (mid 1980s) but well before the internet. Even the mention of preparing transparencies for a presentation made me smile as I can remember doing that - no PowerPoint to help!

I had ~20 pages to finish this book when I left the train this morning so I was eager to finish work and keep reading. I guessed that there would be a twist towards the end, and then I realised at work (yes, when I should have been concentrating on other matters!) what the twist would be....

My one criticism was that awful phrases should of and could of were used, surprisingly - people said should have etc back in the 80s. That irritating phrase was introduced when texting etc was well-established. It's one of my pet hates for grammar...

Thanks, jeniwren for sending this to me - I really enjoyed it. I'll pass it on to another BCer - I know someone who will enjoy this as much as I did...

Sent to another Bookcrosser this morning - hope you enjoy this too!

Thanks so much for sending this on to me and for all the lovely goodies that arrived with it!! It looks intriguing .... I'll have to control myself and not start another book before finishing all the others that I've started ......

I enjoyed reading this especially because it was a mystery surrounding an author and a book. I liked how the story alternated between Pennsylvania in the 1920's -30's, New York City in the 1930's and Brisbane in the 1980's. I could see that the author had researched the book well and I also enjoyed how her writing flowed. I did get frustrated with Caddie and I even put the book down so that I could recompose myself to tackle it again! It was a good read though, and I think that it is also one that book lovers would enjoy. I also liked the design of the cover by Imogen Stubbs, as the fragments of paper against the wine coloured background seem to stand out making the cover quite striking to look at. I would like to read more of Toni Jordan's books especially, Nine Days, the one that everyone talks about. Thanks again ukcanaus! This was just what I needed! And thanks to jeniwren too for the initial release. xxx