The Cartographers (Hardcover)
April 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
'Exquisitely written ... Be prepared to be swept away on an incredible journey' Brad Thor, #1 bestselling author of Black Ice
'A story about magical maps that lead to your heart's desire [and] the people who would do anything to find them ... A vastly rich experience' Charles Soule, author of The Oracle Year
There are some maps you can lose yourself in...
Nell Young has lived her life in and around maps. Her father, Dr. David Young, was one of the most respected cartographers in the world. But this morning he was found dead - or murdered? - in his office at the New York Public Library.
Nell hadn't spoken to her father in years, ever since he fired her after an argument over a seemingly worthless highway roadside map. A map which was mass-produced - and every copy of which is now being found and destroyed. But why?
To answer that question, Nell will embark on a dangerous journey into the heart of a conspiracy beyond belief, the secrets behind her family, and the true power that lies in maps . . .
THE CARTOGRAPHERS is a story about Art and Science: where they meet, how they both enrich our lives, and how each defines the other. And it's a book about the mystery, history, and ineffable romance of maps.
The Cartographers is a story about magical maps that lead to your heart's desire, the sort of people who would do anything to find them, and the joy, regret, and possibility they bring. A vastly rich experience. I loved this book.—Charles Soule, author of THE ORACLE YEAR
One of those brilliant books you have to read twice ... The Cartographers is, at its heart, about three things: family, found and otherwise; how much of one's life can be built and balanced on a single lie; and the transformative nature of cartography. Its examination of this last aspect is what takes the book from an enjoyable, fast-paced (and fantastical) thriller to something you want to put down and think about before rereading it - snarling viciously at anyone who tries to pick it up before you can get that second pass.—Washington Post
Shepherd's convincing blend of magic from old maps with the modern online world both delights and thrills.—Publishers Weekly
An engrossing tale involving maps, murders, and rooms that are not there ... Readers will be hooked and find their imaginations sparking as they turn the pages.—Library Journal
With an elaborately realized plot, fanatic cartographers, maps with surreal powers generated by phantom settlements (intentional errors), and many-faceted suspense, Shepherd contrasts science and art, obsession and love in a bedazzling metaphysical tale of lost and found—Booklist
The Cartographers is wildly imaginative and totally mind-bending in the best possible way. Shepherd has crafted a juicy mystery masquerading as a grown-up scavenger hunt filled with astonishing twists and revelations. The result is a romp that's pure pleasure to read and will keep readers guessing-and gasping-as the map's true power and beguiling history are brought to light—Bookpage
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