The Impossible Thing

About the book

A New York Times and Guardian Best Thriller of the Year

A Deadly Pleasures and Minnesota Star Tribune Best Book of the Year

‘A cliffhanger of a tale... Around the mystery of the fate of the so-called Metland Egg, Bauer constructs a multigenerational drama as captivating as the fabled object itself... rich in humor and suspense.’-Wall Street Journal

From the exceptionally original mind of CWA Gold Dagger Award winner and Booker longlisted author Belinda Bauer, a sweeping tale of obsession, greed, ambition, and a crime that has remained unsolved for a hundred years

How do you find something that doesn’t exist?

1926. On the 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. A small girl-penniless and neglected by her family-retrieves one such treasure. Its discovery will forever alter the course of her life.

A century later. In a remote cottage in Wales, Patrick Fort finds 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 skullduggery 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 this book:

"Extraordinary. There's a deceptive simplicity to The Impossible Thing that packs a real punch." - Ann Cleeves

"Part crime caper, part historical mystery, The Impossible Thing is one of the most enjoyable novels I've read in ages. Meticulously plotted and told with wit and heart, it is utterly distinctive and totally addictive." - Paula Hawkins

"The gift of The Impossible Thing is the pure joy of reading." - Val McDermid

"A captivating novel from one of the UK's most talented storytellers. I loved every page of this unique mystery." - Clare Mackintosh

"A wonderful, brilliant mystery." - Laura Shepherd-Robinson