Nell Young, a gifted yet disgraced cartographer, thought she would never return to the New York Public Library where she was fired and humiliated by her boss, mentor, and hero, Dr. Daniel Young, her father. Seven years later, Nell is summoned to the NYPL and learns of her father's murder. Despite having not spoken to him in years, Nell finds herself immediately immersed in researching his last project, the same map that led to her firing and ruin of her career. Dr. Daniel Young was furious when Nell discovered the 1930's New York gas station map in library storage and he insisted it was worthless. Yet, in the end, it was the one thing he left her and she soon discovers it is the last of its kind and highly sought after by cartographers everywhere. Why then did he treat her discovery the way he did all those years ago and why did he destroy her career? As Nell starts to unlock the secrets of the map, its origins and its power, she hopes to solve the mystery of her father's murder and get the answers she needs to move forward. The Cartographers brings the suspense, fantasy, dual timelines and multiple narrators that made this book impossible to put down. I would recommend this to anyone who knows a good adventure starts in the library.
— Sara
“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.