The Truth About The Harry Quebert Affair-Joel Dicker

The Truth About The Harry Quebert Affair Joel Dicker Penguin, May 27 2014, $18.00 ISBN: 9780143126683 In 1975 in Somerset, New Hampshire, Deborah Cooper calls the police believing she saw a man chase a woman into the nearby woods. Soon after her frantic call, the town learns that the Pastor Kellergan’s fifteen year old daughter Nola vanished. Though no evidence proved novelist Harry Quebert killed her; most locals believe he murdered his underage girlfriend. In 2008, Manhattan-based writer Marcus Goldman struggles with authoring his second book after a successful debut. Needing help to move passed his writer’s block, Marcus travels to Somerset to consult with his former coach Harry Quebert who welcomes his bright student while reminding him of the 31 rules of writing. Soon after Marcus’ arrival in New Hampshire, gardeners find Nola’s murdered body. The police arrest Harry as his manuscript was interred with her. Marcus, believing his friend is innocent, investigates the thawed cold case with plans to write a book on what he learns. The Truth About The Harry Quebert Affair is an enjoyable twisting metafiction thriller. Although the support cast is two-dimensional stereotyped (past and present), readers will enjoy Marcus’ quest for what happened in 1975 and why. Harriet Klausner