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This second novel by the author of The Widow’s Daughterconfirms Nicholas Edlin’s growing reputation as one of New Zealand’s finest young novelists. Mae Glass is the daughter of a once-famous American novelist. From New York to Auckland via post-war Korea, her colourful childhood was itself the stuff of stories. Thirty years later, a lawyer working in the Auckland crown prosecutor’s office, she travels back to booming Seoul, which is preparing to host the Olympic Games. However, in Korea nothing is as it seems. Accompanied by a quirky, dubious team of guides, she tries to uncover the dark secret of her father’s wartime exploits. But as she stalks the elusive mystery, Mae finds herself besieged by all manner of ghosts from the past – her Korean childhood sweetheart, her estranged husband, her only son … The Below Countryis a haunting, beautifully written novel about fragile innocence and the effects of loss. The powerful, ever-present thread of mystery and impending danger that drives the novel along makes The Below Countrya readable, narrative-driven story that is hard to put down.

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