First published 2012
William French paces his Pimlico apartment, worried sick about his terrier Freddie de la Hay, who vanished during a countryside trip through Suffolk. The brilliant dog, clever enough to work for MI6, seems to have disappeared without a trace. Meanwhile, the other residents of the crumbling Corduroy Mansions battle their own domestic troubles. Oedipus Snark dreads his mother Berthea's vengeful biography about her politician son. Literary agents Rupert Porter and Barbara Ragg fight over the rights to Autobiography of a Yeti. Caroline Jarvis navigates the complicated territory between friendship and love. William also frets about his adult son Eddie, who shows no signs of moving out despite his new wealthy girlfriend. As everyone searches for Freddie and struggles with their closest relationships, the residents discover that their problems might be connected in unexpected ways. The fate of both the beloved terrier and their London home hangs in the balance.
Genres: literary-fiction, domestic-fiction, mystery, contemporary
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, friends-to-lovers
Setting: Pimlico, Suffolk, Corduroy Mansions, London
Period: 21st-century
261 pages · Hardcover · Pantheon