Everything Under the Sky: A Novel - Hardcover

Asensi, Matilde

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0061458414 ISBN 13: 9780061458415

Publisher: Harper, 2008

Synopsis

Setting out for Shanghai to settle the affairs of her recently deceased husband, Spanish painter Elvira finds herself swept up in a centuries-old quest to find the lost treasure of China's first emperor, in a tale peppered with maps, codes, and riddles. By the author of The Last Cato. 50,000 first printing.

About this title

About the Author:

Matilde Asensi is the author of many internationally bestselling thrillers, including The Last Cato. She lives in Alicante, Spain.

Matilde Asensi, periodista y escritora espaÑola, ha publicado varios libros bestsellers, incluyendo su primera novela, El salÓn de Ámbar, que ha sido traducida a varios idiomas, Iacobus que la situÓ en los primeros puestos de las listas bestsellers y El Último catÓn que la confirmÓ como la autora de su generaciÓn de mayor Éxito de crÍtica y pÚblico. Actualmente reside en Alicante, EspaÑa.

From Booklist:

An old-fashioned treasure hunt peppered with brainy challenges, Spanish writer Asensi’s second English-language thriller (The Last Cato, 2006) celebrates China’s multifaceted history and culture. In 1923 expatriate Spanish painter Elvira Aranda leaves France, her teenage niece Fernanda in tow, when word arrives of her husband’s death in Shanghai. Unfortunately, Rémy died horribly in debt, leaving Elvira destitute and in trouble. Then a mysterious chest concealing the location of the First Emperor’s treasure-laden secret tomb propels them on a madcap adventure, accompanied by a crafty antiquarian, an Irish journalist, and a gifted Chinese servant boy. Their grueling, fast-paced quest—thugs from Shanghai’s Mafia pursue them relentlessly—covers miles and centuries. Solving each progressive riddle (and avoiding booby traps) requires knowledge of the game of Go, Taoist philosophy, ancient dynasties, and other obscure, fascinating historical tidbits. Elvira’s unfamiliarity with China renders her a less-than-active intellectual participant, though her determination, sarcastic wit, and growing appreciation for her surroundings brighten her jaunty narrative. Exciting and unabashedly over-the-top, it should inspire readers to do more armchair adventuring in imperial China. --Sarah Johnson

About this edition

• Publisher: Harper
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0061458414
• ISBN 13: 9780061458415
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 400