The Forgers

Bradford Morrow's well written and short literary mystery is one to read for the fascinating insights into the little known world of rare books, and the type of obsessive and driven characters that comprise the book collectors that are engaged in a never ending quest for the rarest copy of a book. It is a trade that goes hand in hand with that which blights the arts generally, the skills, craft and art of the forger, the study of handwriting, the ink, producing the signatures, the inscriptions, the counterfeit letters and more that add value to a book. The forger is rarely troubled by the concepts of ethics and morality, or even in the creation of a false history. Morrow's grasp and knowledge of this strange and odd world is laid bare with the rich descriptions and fine details of this specific book trade, but the literary mystery aspects of the story are thinner and more in the background.

In Montauk, Long Island, rare book collector, Adam Diehl, is found amongst trashed and vandalised rare books and manuscripts, with his hands severed and missing. His sister, Megan, a bookstore owner in New York, is distraught, she is in a relationship with Will, with his past history as a gifted forger, specialising in the likes of Arthur Conan Doyle, now apparently a reformed man. The two men had known each other, thinking little of each other, Adam too was a forger, but not in Will's league. With little in the way of leads, It becomes a cold case, his hands never recovered, and Will starts receiving handwritten letters that threaten, how far will he go to protect the life he has with Megan? Will is the narrator, a suitably unreliable one, of this offbeat story of the rare book world, with its lies, secrets and deception. Many thanks to Atlantic Books for an ARC.

I’m curious to know why this hasn’t been published in the UK before now, given that it’s 6 years since US publication and the author is well established. While I’m an avid reader, I know next to nothing about the world of rare books and letters, even less about forgery. This has made me want to find out more. Plus, there’s something alluring about an affluent Manhattan setting. Add in a Long Island retreat and I’m hooked.
In the early part of the book, I was impressed with the narrator, Will; he’s aware of his own weaknesses and failures as well as his skills and sees other people as similarly nuanced. I found the love story between him and Meg believable, enduring despite the difficulties they encounter. I felt a real sense of foreboding as I read on, a creeping dread of what might happen. Just which of Will’s fears will be realised and which are the product of a stressed mind?
It is definitely worth reading to the end. You may even want to go straight back to the beginning to see what you missed the first time.

I enjoyed this book which was a dark brooding story. The narrator is a man with no name figure, who is a reformed forger. Set in bookish New England and rural Ireland, it swaps between the urbane world of first editions and countryside.

When his brother in law dies is horrible circumstances, he is dogged by a mysterious figure from the rare book world wanting to extort money out of him through threatening his reputation and the well-being of his wife.

As the story enfolds, the narrator becomes more frightened of his mystery pursuer and spends increasing amounts of time in a heightened state of anxiety, with the reader wondering whether he will ever find a way be free.

This novel starts with the brutal murder of Adam Diehl, surrounded by his collection of rare books, his hands removed and bludgeoned on the back of his head. He survives a few days in hospital but to no avail, unable to give any clues to his attacker.

Our narrator, Will, is your classic unreliable narrator. A supposedly reformed forger, he is constantly fighting the almost erotic desire to recreate the words of literary masters. In love with Adam’s sister Meghan he supports her through her loss and they form a cosy life together.

However, all is not so idyllic. Haunted by a spectre of a fellow forger, who sends mysterious notes penned in the hand of famous authors, Will and Meghan retreat to an isolated idyll in rural Ireland, the country of Megan’s birth.

It’s not that easy to run from your past though, as Will is about to find out. A novel of truth and lies, honesty and deception, love and obsession. I loved the literary references, the elevated vocabulary - the narrator is engaging and well created. However, I did felt the plot a little lacking. The big reveal at the end of the novel is not as tense or exciting as it could be and left me a little flat. But if you enjoyed You by Caroline Kepnes, you’ll probably like this too. A great, gripping read.