The Feral Detective: A Novel

Phoebe Siegler is lost in a world that doesn’t seem to make sense to her anymore. She quit her job at a newspaper in response to the divisive 2016 election. She is adrift and looking for purpose when she begins to investigate her friend’s daughter’s disappearance. Phoebe has been close with Arabella and her mother going back many years. She heads out to California and enlists a detective named Charles Heist. Heist’s mannerisms and methods are unorthodox, but he has come highly recommended. Heist holds a particular interest in strays, animals and/or people. Siegler is skeptical but strangely compelled to follow Heist’s leads no matter where they go. A journey into the California mountains reveals nomads cohabitating in groups. Heist has prior experience with both groups, the bears and the rabbits. Heist grew up between both groups, but he now rescues strays in danger. As Phoebe learns more in her search, the unknown questions about the “Feral Detective” draw her in deeper. Will she be able to find Arabella in time?

The Feral Detective is not your typical mystery, but the atypical draws the interest of the reader. The main characters garner intense interest throughout. The timeline of the story runs parallel with the current administration taking the reigns and the mounting dissent building in reaction to it. Jonathan Lethem has carved out a hybrid mystery/drama that will be sure to hook in many mystery lovers.