It's 1932 and Thomas Wise is highly respected and sought after for his innate ability to unearth the rarest first editions, and bring them to market.

But how does he do it?

Two booksellers begin to have their suspicions that he might not be as trustworthy as is thought and, after spotting a discrepancy in a volume he's supplied, start to question his finds. Eventually they uncover a deceit beyond anything they could have imagined. 

This is a fascinating story which is meticulous in its description of 'the literary crime that fooled the world'. It investigates the character and motivation of Thomas Wise while also exploring the desire for first editions.

It's not just about the money - the value of a rare volume. It's also about possessing something which first introduced us to our literary greats, was touched by genius, and held by generations past. Then, being duped and finding that it isn't in fact real or true can be very painful indeed.