Belinda Bauer

The Impossible Thing

In 1920s Yorkshire, men were lowered on ropes over the cliffs to steal eggs from the sea of birds that nest there. The timeframe in the novel changes periodically from the 1920s and 1930s, where we follow Celie Sheppard, a young, neglected farmgirl from Bemptom Cliffs, who precariously collects eggs from the cliffs, and the present day, where Patrick and Nick return from their appearance in Rubberneckers to investigate the robbery of a rare egg. Introducing us to the cruel world of egg trafficking, the book centres around an elusive Metland egg, a uniquely red and mythical guillemot egg found by Celie on the Yorkshire Coast in the 1920s, which is stolen from Nick a century later.

Inspired by a true story, Belinda Bauer highlights the obscure history of the lucrative business of stealing eggs from seabirds while emphasising the importance of conservation in the present-day timeline. The Impossible is a unique blend of crime and history.

The different pov’s were seamlessly combined to reveal clues throughout, but did feel a couple of characters didn’t really add to the plot and at times I was disengaged. Nevertheless, it was a distinctive book among the vast mystery genre. 

Eleanor 

In 1920s Yorkshire, men were lowered on ropes over the cliffs to steal eggs from the sea of birds that nest there. The timeframe in the novel changes periodically from the 1920s and 1930s, where we follow Celie Sheppard, a young, neglected farmgirl from Bemptom Cliffs, who precariously collects eggs from the cliffs, and the present day, where Patrick and Nick return from their appearance in Rubberneckers to investigate the robbery of a rare egg. Introducing us to the cruel world of egg trafficking, the book centres around an elusive Metland egg, a uniquely red and mythical guillemot egg found by Celie on the Yorkshire Coast in the 1920s, which is stolen from Nick a century later.

Inspired by a true story, Belinda Bauer highlights the obscure history of the lucrative business of stealing eggs from seabirds while emphasising the importance of conservation in the present-day timeline. The Impossible is a unique blend of crime and history.

The different pov’s were seamlessly combined to reveal clues throughout, but did feel a couple of characters didn’t really add to the plot and at times I was disengaged. Nevertheless, it was a distinctive book among the vast mystery genre. 

The Impossible Thing

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