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by Stacey Lee
An orphan races to uncover a killer—who may have come from the sea—when she and her beloved orcas fall under suspicion in this "atmospheric…beguiling" (Publishers Weekly, starred review) historical gothic mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of The Downstairs Girl, Stacey Lee.
1918. Orcas Island, Washington.
Lucy Nowhere has spent her eighteen years working on the vast estate of the eccentric shipbuilder who took her in after she washed ashore in a green canoe as a baby. But she has long wished for a life off the island, and in a matter of days, she is set to leave for college—and, for the first time, choose her own future.
Then she finds her employer's severed head on the beach. Rumors swirl that a mischievous spirit and its minions, the sea wolves, have struck again. Lucy doesn't believe in myths. She knows that a human—a human murderer—killed him. And when she is unexpectedly named heiress to the estate, she understands the next target is her.
Her closest friend, the estate's vigilant young guard, begs her to escape while she can. But Lucy knows the only way she can discover who she is, and free the island of its curse, is to find the real killer—before she becomes the next victim.
"Realistically rendered characters navigate fast-paced events with a dash of romance, culminating in a captivating adventure that perceptively ruminates on themes of colonization, gender discrimination, and environmental collapse." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"The lushness and atmosphere of Nowhere is palpable; from feeling the strength of the orcas while swimming to delighting at the beauty of the mansion, Lee's descriptions are sumptuously tangible...Set in 1918 with excellent world building, this exceptional novel would be at home among both historical fiction or magic realism with no need to pick a side." —Booklist (starred review)
"Against a beautifully described natural setting, Lee creates a dark, haunting, suspense-filled atmosphere with a touch of the supernatural. Combining science and myth, this is an exciting story with a multiethnic cast that explores identity, friendship, trust, and caring for nature." —Kirkus Reviews
"Touching upon issues related to race, class, capitalism, and environmental protection, Lee's intricate plot establishes a diverse pool of believable suspects and a wide array of possible motives. Equally satisfying is the romance, as Lucy becomes the center of a compelling love triangle...This is a worthy recommendation for fans of mystery, historical fiction, and romance alike." —Student Library Journal
"Stacey Lee has written a masterpiece of historical fiction, with prose as luminous as spun glass. Wrapped in fog and atmosphere, Heiress of Nowhere is a triumph of storytelling—layered with romance, thrilling mystery, and characters who feel as alive and complicated as the secrets they keep. Take a deep breath and get ready to be pulled under." —Stephanie Garber, author of Once Upon a Broken Heart
"A dazzling, twist-filled mystery about love, identity and ambition, Heiress of Nowhere follows a young woman determined to claim her place in a world that would rather see her disappear. Smart, witty, and utterly magical, this is Stacey Lee at her finest." —Isabel Ibañez, author of What the River Knows
This information about Heiress of Nowhere was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Stacey Lee is the critically acclaimed author of the novels The Downstairs Girl, Under a Painted Sky, and Outrun the Moon, the winner of the PEN Center USA Literary Award for Young Adult Fiction and the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature. She is a fourth-generation Chinese American and a founding member of We Need Diverse Books. Born in Southern California, she graduated from UCLA and then got her law degree at UC Davis King Hall. She lives with her family outside San Francisco.
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