Zofia Nowak’s Book of Superior Detecting

'We have a case to solve, remember, Mr. Writer?'

Zofia's son, Janek, has vanished without a trace. Leaving behind her native Warsaw, she arrives in London, determined to uncover the truth - and she's certain that a celebrated writer called Steve holds the key to Janek's disappearance.

To fund her DIY investigation, Zofia takes on a string of cleaning jobs - a professional trajectory she finds very much beneath her. Armed with little more than her stubborn resolve and a second-hand detective manual, Zofia gathers evidence. After all, mother knows best - something she proves when she makes a shocking discovery: Steve's now dating Janek's ex-boyfriend. After some further digging it transpires that a former lover is not the only thing Steve has stolen from Janek...

Despite their mutual animosity, Zofia and Steve team up to get to the bottom of this tangled web of lies. Facing an unsolved murder, a stolen manuscript and a missing son, this unlikely duo must confront the secrets they've been hiding - not just from each other but from themselves.

With biting humour and a detective you've definitely never met before who breaks every rule in the book, Zofia Nowak's Book of Superior Detecting will keep you guessing - and laughing - until the very last page. Perfect for fans of Jonas Jonasson, Elizabeth is Missing and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine.

'If you're looking for irresistible prose, it's here in this book. The protagonists' voices criss-cross in a near impossible harmony of heart, guts, shrewdness and nerve... I'm in awe' Helen Oyeyemi

If you're looking for irresistible prose, it's here in this book. The protagonists' voices criss-cross in a near impossible harmony of heart, guts, shrewdness and nerve. If it's a story you're after, that's here too: I'm in awe Helen Oyeyemi
The star of the story is Zofia Nowak: loud, salty and oh so vulnerable. The tale zips along as briskly as Zofia herself, barging its way through London and Warsaw. At its heart, a maze of dark injustice, as compelling as it is heartbreaking. Zofia is glorious! I want her as my cleaner - no, better still, my friend! J.M. Hall, author of A Brush with Death and A Spoonful of Murder
Funny, deep and unexpected. This is so much more than a murder mystery. It movingly describes the dangers of existing in a society that thrives on prejudice and fear - which makes it sadly relevant to our times. I'll be thinking about this one for a while. S.J. Bennett, author of The Windsor Knot
One of a kind, pitch-perfect novel. The characters leap from the page and you are fully in their world to the last word. The pages keep on turning - the sign not only of an excellent plot but a truly distinct narrative, a heady melange that is pacy mystery and laugh out loud comedy, a queer love story and a celebration of diversity. The character of Zofia rises in all her unforgettable glory - a perfectly flawed, perfectly outrageous, perfectly heart-melting character. She is with me still Helen Paris, author of The Invisible Women’s Club

Piotr Cieplak is an author and award-winning filmmaker. His writing has appeared in Litro Magazine, Lines Underwater and Aesthetica. He holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge and was the recipient of the year-long Harper-Wood Creative Writing Studentship at St. John's College (2010-11). Piotr is the author of Death, Image, Memory: the genocide in Rwanda and its aftermath in photography and documentary film (Palgrave, 2017) and the editor of Familiar Faces: memory, photography and Argentina's disappeared (Goldsmiths/MIT Press, 2024).

Piotr's films have screened at international festivals around the world, on TV, and received numerous awards. He lives in London and teaches at the University of Sussex.

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