The Truth about a Cold Case Murder

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Joel Dicker

In 1975, a struggling writer became romantically involved with a 15-year-old New Hampshire girl and her ensuing disappearance later that summer led to the author’s arrest for murder 33 years later. This is the underlying premise for The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair, a widely acclaimed international best-selling thriller that tells the dynamic story of how famous author Harry Quebert became the centerpiece in the murder investigation of underage teenager Nola Kellergan.

Written by Joël Dicker, a 28-year-old Swiss native who spent his summers on the shores of New England, The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair is both a captivating murder mystery as well as a compelling love story. Narrated by Harry’s young protégé who is unabashedly hoping to pen a bestselling exposé that will both clear Harry’s name and turn himself back into the celebrity author he once was, the tenacious young man unwittingly finds himself at the center of a complicated riddle involving a series of eccentric characters and unexpected plot twists. This fast-paced story moves seamlessly back and forth through time, alternating between vivid flashbacks to the fateful summer of 1975 and the present day where Harry sits in an isolated jail cell facing the death penalty while his protégé becomes more and more deeply entrenched in the compelling mystery of Nola’s disappearance and subsequent murder.

The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair is Dicker’s American debut. Translated from French, this sophomore release has been translated into 30 languages and will be published in more than 45 countries. Dicker will appear at Boswell Book Co. at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 3, where he will conduct a reading in both French and English. This event is co-sponsored by Alliance Française de Milwaukee.