Reclusive mystery novelist Sebastian Trapp doesn’t have long to live. And before he goes, he’s bound and determined to tell his own story. Enter Nicky Hunter, a detective fiction enthusiast he’s selected to craft his personal memoir. Nicky travels to Sebastian’s stately San Francisco mansion to immerse herself in the daily life of the household: Sebastian, the acclaimed novelist, his artistic second wife, Diana, his doting nephew, Freddy, his adult daughter, Madeleine, and the illustrious sidekick Watson the dog.

As Nicky attempts to uncover Sebastian’s life story, one secret is raised again and again- Sebastian’s biggest secret, over twenty years old. On New Year’s Eve in 1999 his first wife and son disappeared without a trace. No bodies have been found, but no proof of life has been found either. It’s something out of one of Sebastian’s own mystery novels. But it’s a case he hasn’t solved.

This book felt a little slow to start, but as Nicky explores the creaking San Francisco mansion, the plot thickens and really grabs your attention in the last third. Multiple first person narrators add intrigue and blend the past as callbacks to the golden age of detective mysteries are peppered throughout. The desire to find out whodunit kept me reading. If you’re a fan of books about books, you’ll enjoy the literary references!

Request a copy here.

Happy reading!

-Melinda