First published 2015
When Anton Bon Scott discovers Charlie Chaplin's hidden reels in his Swiss basement, he holds more than old celluloid. The famous actor had secretly filmed his intimate encounters throughout his life, entrusting Scott to safeguard these private moments after his death. One reel contains over thirty minutes of footage that no one else has ever seen. Film historians call the find priceless, but the collection has vanished again. Sources believe the films have traveled to Texas, lost somewhere in remote territory far from Los Angeles. Scott must navigate the competing claims of preservers and profiteers while protecting Chaplin's final secret. The discovery forces him to confront what we owe the dead and what privacy means when fame outlasts life.
Genres: fiction, historical-fiction, mystery, 21st-century
Vibes: dark, emotional, intimate, suspenseful
Tropes: found-family, secrets
Setting: Los Angeles, Switzerland, Texas
Period: 20th-century
306 pages · Paperback · Civil Coping Mechanisms