The Finder

In this witty, exuberant novel from Ferguson (419), items believed long lost, such as Buddy Holly’s glasses, Muhammad Ali’s Olympic gold medal, a priceless African drum, and a lost Hitchcock film reel, suddenly resurface, often accompanied by unexplained deaths. The question is, who’s doing this and why? The memorable cast of seekers includes Gaddy Rhodes, an Interpol agent obsessed with unmasking the mysterious “finder”; Thomas Rafferty, a legendary but burned-out travel writer searching for an ex-lover; Tamsin Greene, a war photographer with secrets of her own; and Catherine, a New Zealand schoolgirl hoping to breed bolder sheep. The richly developed characters cross and re-cross each other’s paths as the plot moves effortlessly from the islands of southern Japan to earthquake-devastated Christchurch, New Zealand, and the country’s Maori lands before climaxing during a dust storm in the Australian outback. Part thriller and part travelogue, this highly original novel offers punchy storytelling and vividly portrayed locales. Ferguson is bound to win new fans with this one. (Sept.)