The Impossible Thing

De: Belinda Bauer

Narrado por: Phil Dunster

From the exceptionally original mind of CWA Gold Dagger Award winner and Booker longlisted author Belinda Bauer comes this sweeping tale of obsession, greed, ambition, and a crime that has remained unsolved for a hundred years.

How do you find something that doesn’t exist?

1926. On the cliffs of Yorkshire, men are lowered on ropes to steal the eggs of the sea birds who nest there. The most beautiful are sold for large sums. A small girl—penniless and neglected by her family—retrieves one such treasure. Its discovery will forever alter the course of her life.

A century later. In a remote cottage in Wales, Patrick Fort finds his friend, Nick, and his mother tied up and robbed. The only thing missing: a carved case containing an incredible scarlet egg. Doggedly attempting to retrieve it, Patrick and Nick discover the cruel world of egg trafficking, and soon find themselves on the trail of a priceless collection of eggs lost to history. Until now.

A taut, wonderfully imagined novel brimming with skullduggery at every turn, The Impossible Thing is a blazing testament to Belinda Bauer’s status as one of our greatest living crime writers.

©2025 Belinda Bauer (P)2025 Dreamscape Media

Highly recommendable

I’m lazy about writing these reviews, but I’ve liked everything I’ve read/listened to by this author, and this is no exception. It’s a really well written, edited and narrated book.

Favorite book of 2025

Excellent balance of characterization, plot, and understated humor. Narrator did well with understating the accents on the characters and also did well with pacing, delivering fast-moving scenes with a certain breathlessness but perfectly understandable. Look forward to reading more from author and finding other books with the narrator.

Brilliant writing and performance

She's done it again ... another fantastic book. This my third book by Ms. Bauer, each one unique and enthralling. She is equally adept at weaving plot, characters, fiction and fact.

Jamie Tartt can read to me anytime

Phil Dunster (Ted Lasso’s Jamie Tartt) is so gifted with accents that it made this interesting book an extra special treat for my ears. I enjoyed the author’s interplay of past and present. Depicting neurodivergent characters in both eras was skillfully done. The rich descriptions of eggs, birds, nature and more painted vivid pictures in my mind.

Great story with great characters

I enjoyed this book immensely. The story is gripping, with touches of humor, and the good main characters in both centuries are so well developed. The empathy for the birds deprived of their eggs is especially touching.