Esquire Best Books of 2017
Minnesota Public Radio Best of 2017
The Morning News 2018 Tournament of Books Pick
“Heller is a gifted writer…Celine is such a joy to be with.” —NPR
“Heller impresses in this fine novel about parents and children and the secrets we try to keep from one another… The novel glows.” —The New York Times Book Review
“In this gorgeously wrought story—equal parts character study and mystery—a young woman asks Celine, a badass Brooklyn private eye, to investigate the death of her father, a nature photographer who may or may not have been mauled and eaten by bears in Yellowstone… Captivating.” —Entertainment Weekly’s “The Must List: Top 10 Things We Love This Week” Grade: A-
“Terrific… Celine is tough, tired, and very funny—exactly the sort of person you want to spend 300 pages with… It’s a pulpy, twisty plot… Heller stuffs it with tingling mysteries and thrilling solutions. He keeps everything moving thanks to an increasingly tense plot… Still, the best thing about Celine is that it’s a terrific piece of fiction.” —Outside Magazine
“Ingenious… Like Mark Twain and Toni Morrison, Heller is a rare talent… Irresistible suspense… Masterful, emotional and action-packed… One of this year’s most unforgettable characters. It’s as if Heller took the tender yet tough-as-nails personality of writer Annie Proulx and cast her on the page, in all her plainspoken, intellectually impeccable, deeply wise—and wise-ass—glory.” —Elle
“Celine and Pete … launch a deceptively leisurely investigation showcasing Celine’s appreciation for public libraries and passion for firearms, venturing into international cover-ups, and culminating in hilarious showdowns in which wit is the mightiest weapon… This captivating, tender, brainy, and funny tale of the mysterious powers of beauty and grief, nature and family will leave readers hoping that Heller is planning a National Park series featuring this stealthy, irrepressible duo.” —Booklist (Starred Review)
“Celine is a paradox, a Sarah Lawrence blue blood who is also a licensed PI, living near the Brooklyn Bridge… Heller blends suspense with beautiful descriptive writing of both nature and civilization to create a winner.” —Library Journal (Starred Review)
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