Author(s): Joel Dicker

Staff Picks- Read our reviews

August 30, 1975. The day of the disappearance. The day Somerset, New Hampshire, lost its innocence. That summer, struggling author Harry Quebert fell in love with fifteen-year-old Nola Kellergan. Thirty-three years later, her body is dug up from his yard, along with a manuscript copy of the novel that made him a household name. Quebert is the only suspect. Marcus Goldman - Quebert's most gifted prot#65533;g#65533; - throws off his writer's block to clear his mentor's name. Solving the case and penning a new bestseller soon merge into one. As his book begins to take on a life of its own, the nation is gripped by the mystery of 'The Girl Who Touched the Heart of America'. But with Nola, in death as in life, nothing is ever as it seems. The Baltimore Boys, a following up to the bestselling The Truth about the Harry Quebert Affair, is available now.

~ This book gripped me from beginning to end, and had so many twists that I was perplexed over the mystery of young Nola's death until it was cleverly revealed at the end of the book. This is not just a typical thriller, though. It is an ode to writing, to the love of language and authoring a book. It is also a love story, albeit a controversial one - that despite its perceived 'wrongness' remains the beating heart of the novel. 
Marcus Goldman is a young author who received great success with his debut book but who now has a severe case of writer's block; His agent is pressuring him and the publisher threatening to sue him as his deadline approaches. To escape these tensions and inspire himself, he leaves to stay in the sleepy seaside town of Somerset with his dear friend and old English professor, Harry Quebert, a renowned author himself. 
One day when Harry is out, Marcus stumbles upon photos of Harry in his 30s with a 15 year old girl, clearly in love. He confronts Harry who admits to being in love with this girl Nola, who disappeared from his life that same summer years ago. A few months later, chaos is unleashed when the dead body of Nola Kellergan is found buried in Harry's yard, along with a copy of his original manuscript. Harry is the only suspect. Marcus is determined to clear Harry's name and investigate the truth...and his new book begins to evolve as each clue discovered leads him deeper and deeper into a complex puzzle that spirals into tangents and further suspects.
The book flashes from present to past and is told from various perspectives which gives a thorough insight into the town and the people that inhabit it. Each chapter begins with a paragraph of writing advice from Harry to Marcus. Beautifully written, the style of this novel was reminiscent of The Secret History but is also very much it's own. A new favourite! Jemma