The Cartographers (Compact Disc)
Staff Reviews
The Cartographers is set alternately in New York Public Library's spectacular and slightly mysterious cartography room and in a rural New York home about 20 years ago where a tight knit group of PhD cartography students spent a summer working on what they were certain would be a mapping masterpiece. A fire and a death ended their project and scattered the students. Now, one of them - a cartographer at the NYPL - has died at work under suspicious circumstances, and his daughter is obsessed with learning why an old NY state road map was the only item in her father's special hiding place. As both stories move forward, old mysteries are revealed and new mysteries arise. Sharp characters, eerie settings, and many twists add up to a very satisfying thriller.
— Kay Wosewick
Nell followed in her parents’ footsteps and became a cartographer. The love of maps is her obsession, especially since her mother died in a tragic fire accident when she was young. Estranged from her father after the junk-box incident seven years ago, Nell is informed that he has passed away. Could it be foul play? The only proof is the map that cost her a job, her father, and her boyfriend. As she digs into the history of the map and why some shadowy entity known as The Cartographers will possibly kill for it, the discoveries she makes could change maps and her understanding of her own family history. A fun and twisty read!
— Jason Kennedy
When a cartographer mysteriously dies, his daughter discovers some very unusual connections to his graduate school classmates and a looming conspiracy. This is a clever variation on The Secret History school of novels, a thriller with a touch of speculation and inspired by a very real mysterious old road map. This book is map-tastic!
— Daniel GoldinApril 2022 Indie Next List
“A can’t-put-it-down immersive magical mystery that kept me up late to read. Anyone with an affinity for antique maps, the NY Public Library, and twisty-turny reveals will dig this. Highly entertaining with a superb cast of characters.”
— Cheri Anderson, The Bookloft (MA), Great Barrington, MA
Description
From the critically acclaimed author of The Book of M, a highly imaginative thriller about a young woman who discovers that a strange map in her deceased father's belongings holds an incredible, deadly secret--one that will lead her on an extraordinary adventure and to the truth about her family's dark history.
What is the purpose of a map?
Nell Young's whole life and greatest passion is cartography. Her father, Dr. Daniel Young, is a legend in the field, and Nell's personal hero. But she hasn't seen or spoken to him ever since he cruelly fired her and destroyed her reputation after an argument over an old, cheap gas station highway map.
But when Dr. Young is found dead in his office at the New York Public Library, with the very same seemingly worthless map hidden in his desk, Nell can't resist investigating. To her surprise, she soon discovers that the map is incredibly valuable, and also exceedingly rare. In fact, she may now have the only copy left in existence... because a mysterious collector has been hunting down and destroying every last one--along with anyone who gets in the way.
But why?
To answer that question, Nell embarks on a dangerous journey to reveal a dark family secret, and discover the true power that lies in maps...
Perfect for fans of Joe Hill and V.E. Schwab, The Cartographers is an ode to art and science, history and magic--a spectacularly imaginative, modern story about an ancient craft and places still undiscovered.
Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.
