The Cartographers
By Peng Shepherd
USA Today Bestseller
LA Times Bestseller
National Independent Bookstores Bestseller
Finalist for the LA Times Book Prize
Good Morning America Pick of the Month
Amazon Best Book of the Month
Apple Best Book of the Month
Indie Next Independent Bookstores Pick
“Book of the Month” #BotM Club Pick
Real Simple March Pick
Buzzfeed Best Book of March
Goodreads Most Anticipated of March
Bustle Most Anticipated of March
The Millions Most Anticipated of March
Forthcoming translations: French, Arabic, Japanese, Czech, Danish, Lithuanian, Italian
“It’s brilliant. …An enjoyable, fast-paced (and fantastical) thriller… and Shepherd sticks the landing in a deeply satisfying way.” —The Washington Post
“An exquisitely written, brilliantly plotted, absolutely fantastic novel.” –Brad Thor, #1 New York Times bestselling author
From the critically acclaimed author of The Book of M, a highly imaginative thriller about a young woman who discovers that a strange map in her deceased father’s belongings holds an incredible, deadly secret—one that will lead her on an extraordinary adventure and to the truth about her family’s dark history.
What is the purpose of a map?
Nell Young’s whole life and greatest passion is cartography. Her father, Dr. Daniel Young, is a legend in the field, and Nell’s personal hero. But she hasn’t seen or spoken to him ever since he cruelly fired her and destroyed her reputation after an argument over an old, cheap gas station highway map.
But when Dr. Young is found dead in his office at the New York Public Library, with the very same seemingly worthless map hidden in his desk, Nell can’t resist investigating. To her surprise, she soon discovers that the map is incredibly valuable, and also exceedingly rare. In fact, she may now have the only copy left in existence… because a mysterious collector has been hunting down and destroying every last one—along with anyone who gets in the way.
But why?
To answer that question, Nell embarks on a dangerous journey to reveal a dark family secret, and discover the true power that lies in maps…
Perfect for fans of Joe Hill and V.E. Schwab, The Cartographers is an ode to art and science, history and magic—a spectacularly imaginative, modern story about an ancient craft and places still undiscovered.
Reviews
“Equal parts thriller, fantasy and family drama, [with] layers upon layers of expertly told story…” —The New York Times
“The Cartographers is one of those brilliant books you have to read twice.” —The Washington Post
“The Cartographers constantly astonishes… providing many tantalizing twists and surprises along the way as [Shepherd] explores the intersection between science and art, mathematics and magic.” —Associated Press
“Reminiscent of the work of Dan Brown, Shepherd’s absorbing, inventive second novel … toys expertly with the known unknowns, how we navigate the gloomy backroads of the heart.” —Oprah Daily
“The Cartographers is a memorable work of speculative fiction, [with] echoes of Borges and Bradbury.” —Wall Street Journal
“The Cartographers is a wildly entertaining, imaginative ride, with a cinematic plot that keeps the pages turning.” —Real Simple Magazine (print edition)
“The Cartographers [is a] near perfect second novel.” —The Sun Sentinel