The Impossible Thing

by Belinda Bauer

Crime Fiction

Historical Thriller

336 Pages

"Bauer's dual-timeline thriller is absolutely brilliant—this fascinating world of egg trafficking kept me completely hooked throughout."

Synopsis

In 1926 Yorkshire, men risk their lives rappelling down treacherous cliffs to steal rare seabird eggs, prized by Victorian collectors willing to pay enormous sums for the most beautiful specimens. When a penniless young girl discovers one such treasure, it sets her life on an entirely different path. A century later, Patrick Fort discovers his friend Nick and Nick's mother bound and robbed in their remote Welsh cottage. The only item stolen: a carved case containing an extraordinary scarlet egg. The Impossible Thing follows Patrick and Nick as their investigation into the theft plunges them into the shadowy world of illegal egg trafficking, where rare specimens change hands for fortunes and collectors will stop at nothing to acquire the most coveted prizes. Their search for the stolen egg leads them to uncover a priceless collection of eggs that has been lost to history, connecting the modern crime to the dangerous Victorian trade that cost lives and destroyed ecosystems. As Patrick and Nick dig deeper, they discover that the world of egg collecting is far more ruthless and organized than they imagined, with networks of thieves, dealers, and obsessed collectors operating across generations. The novel weaves together the two timelines, revealing how the Victorian girl's discovery connects to the modern-day theft and exploring themes of obsession, greed, and the lengths people will go to possess rare and beautiful objects.

Our Take

The Impossible Thing showcases Belinda Bauer's exceptional ability to craft compelling crime fiction that explores unusual criminal worlds with both authenticity and narrative sophistication. Following her award-winning mysteries like The Beautiful Dead, Bauer demonstrates her versatility by tackling the fascinating and little-known world of illegal egg collecting, creating a thriller that educates as well as entertains. Her dual-timeline structure effectively connects Victorian-era crimes with contemporary trafficking, showing how certain criminal enterprises persist across generations driven by the same human obsessions. The novel's exploration of the egg collecting underworld echoes the specialized criminal milieus found in The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt and The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant, but with Bauer's distinctive crime fiction sensibility and meticulous research. Her character development, particularly the relationship between Patrick and Nick, provides the emotional anchor that keeps readers invested in both the mystery and the broader themes about human nature and obsession. Bauer's prose combines the accessibility needed for crime fiction with the depth required for literary exploration of complex moral questions. Perfect for readers who enjoy crime novels that delve into specialized worlds, historical mysteries that connect past and present, and thrillers that combine educational elements with compelling plotting. This book confirms Bauer's status as one of Britain's most innovative crime writers, capable of finding fresh angles on the genre while maintaining the tension and satisfaction that mystery readers expect.