Book Review | THE FINDER by Will Ferguson

  

THE FINDER by Will Ferguson
Publication: September 1, 2020
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Canada
Genre: Contemporary Fiction/ Mystery
Rating: ★★★★

From the Scotiabank Giller Prize-winning novelist of 419 comes a spellbinding literary adventure novel about precious objects lost and found.

The world is filled with wonders, lost objects—all real—all still out there, waiting to be found:

• the missing Fabergé eggs of the Romanov dynasty, worth millions
• the last reel of Alfred Hitchcock’s first film
• Buddy Holly’s iconic glasses
• Muhammad Ali’s Olympic gold medal

How can such cherished objects simply vanish? Where are they hiding? And who on earth might be compelled to uncover them?

Will Ferguson takes readers on a heroic, imaginative journey across continents, from the seas of southern Japan to the arid Australian Outback, to the city of Christchurch, New Zealand, after the earthquake. Prepare to meet Gaddy Rhodes, a brittle Interpol agent obsessed with tracking “The Finder”—a shadowy figure she believes is collecting lost objects; Thomas Rafferty, a burnt-out travel writer whose path crosses that of The Finder, to devastating effect; and Tamsin Greene, a swaggering war photographer who is hiding secrets of her own.

The Finder is a beguiling and wildly original tale about the people, places, and things that are lost and found in our world. Both an epic literary adventure and an escape into a darkly thrilling world of deceit and its rewards, this novel asks: How far would you be willing to go to recover the things you’ve left behind? -Publisher

THE FINDER is an ode to travel and a good hunt, filled with compelling people, witty dialogues, and vivid settings. The book starts in Okinawa, to Australia, and ends in Loch Lomond. The premise centers on a Finder, a small man with a forgettable face, who has the gift of finding forgotten things -things valued high because they were once lost and now found. He takes advantage of the chaos and leaves more behind after him. Finding the Finder, however, is Interpol Agent Gaddy Rhodes's obsession. And caught between their game of cat and mouse is an array of characters -distinct and flawed, but sincerely fleshed out and evenly scattered.

Ferguson’s words are delectable. His wit and humor emerge thru them naturally, knowing they are from experience. He has a knack for transporting his readers exactly where he imagines them to be. His keen eye highlights rich cultures and vibrant landscapes. All the while that the characters' history unravels, the mystery thickens. And although this reader doesn’t want the book to end, I want to know how the story will come together.

This book came at a much needed time, a gift, while wanderlust is at its peak during a pandemic. 

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About the Author:

Photograph by
Kevin Hanson

Will Ferguson is the author of four novels, including 419, which won the Scotiabank Giller Prize. A three-time winner of the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour, he has been nominated for both a Commonwealth Prize and an International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. His most recent novel, The Shoe on the Roof, was an instant national bestseller. Will Ferguson lives in Calgary.

*Thanks to Simon & Schuster for sending the advance uncorrected proofs for free in exchange for this unbiased review.
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