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9780316485913

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This book contains a rare kind of perfection: Elizabeth Hand's rough, observant magic draws into its circle great historical accuracy, a cross-dressing central protagonist, a wonderfully tender portrait of the great Outsider Artist Henry Darger, a vibrant thriller plot, reflections on gender and its place in civic order, a helpful Ben Hecht, and one of the greatest climactic drop-the-mic moments I've ever read -- and does all this while patiently setting into place the warm emotional armatures that make Curious Toys so moving. --Peter Straub This atmospheric novel will transport you to a world you've never imagined before. --Real Simple The latest novel from genre-crossing master storyteller Elizabeth Hand journeys from thriller territory straight into the heart of horror . . . A richly layered study of horror and sin and fantasy and reality, all in a peculiarly American vein. And it's scary as hell. --Chicago Review of Books Richly imaginative and psychologically complex. --Kirkus Reviews Hand--whose masterly oeuvre ranges from the eerie to the horrific, post-punk to magic--delivers another brilliant mystery.... Wonderfully imaginative and richly delivered. --Ivy Pochoda, New York Times Book Review Hand is a mage of the page.... [Curious Toys] will enchant those who like tough-girl protagonists and antiheroes, as well as fans of historical crime fiction. --Library Journal (starred review) Glittering and scruffy as its carnival setting, with the deep gravity hold of a rollercoaster. --Lauren Beukes, internationally acclaimed author of The Shining Girls and Broken Monsters Deliciously creepy . . . Atmospheric . . . Hand's gripping plot mines the era's vagaries with aplomb. --Associated Press Brilliant, bustling . . . While Hand paces her mystery with classic precision, the real reward of Curious Toys lies in its richly textured panorama of Chicago during a crucial period of change, and in its vivid characters. --Gary Wolfe, Chicago Tribune An atmospheric crime novel... A phantasmagoric time trip tailor-made for fans of The Devil in the White City. --Publishers Weekly A well-crafted and deliciously unsettling period thriller. --Booklist (starred review) [Pin] is a remarkable young sleuth. . . . Curious Toys is a thriller to be savored-tough, funny, strange, and revelatory. --Michael Berry, Portland Press Herald [Hand] crafts a gritty and winsome character whose sheer determination to catch a murderer makes this mystery novel whiz by. --WBUR Curious Toys is itself like a carnival ride: alternatively dazzling and terrifying, disorienting and marvelous. --Amy Stewart, The Washington Post ONE OF THE YEAR'S BEST BOOKSLitHub * Chicago Public Library * CrimeReads Curious Toys is wonderful! I stayed up late two nights in a row, transported. It will be catnip for readers who love Chicago, circuses, cross-dressers, and early cinema. --Audrey Niffenegger, bestselling author of The Time-Traveler's Wife

This book contains a rare kind of perfection: Elizabeth Hand's rough, observant magic draws into its circle great historical accuracy, a cross-dressing central protagonist, a wonderfully tender portrait of the great Outsider Artist Henry Darger, a vibrant thriller plot, reflections on gender and its place in civic order, a helpful Ben Hecht, and one of the greatest climactic drop-the-mic moments I've ever read -- and does all this while patiently setting into place the warm emotional armatures that make Curious Toys so moving. --Peter Straub, - This atmospheric novel will transport you to a world you've never imagined before. --Real Simple The latest novel from genre-crossing master storyteller Elizabeth Hand journeys from thriller territory straight into the heart of horror . . . A richly layered study of horror and sin and fantasy and reality, all in a peculiarly American vein. And it's scary as hell. --Chicago Review of Books Richly imaginative and psychologically complex. --Kirkus Reviews Hand--whose masterly oeuvre ranges from the eerie to the horrific, post-punk to magic--delivers another brilliant mystery.... Wonderfully imaginative and richly delivered. --Ivy Pochoda, New York Times Book Review Hand is a mage of the page.... [Curious Toys] will enchant those who like tough-girl protagonists and antiheroes, as well as fans of historical crime fiction. --Library Journal (starred review) Glittering and scruffy as its carnival setting, with the deep gravity hold of a rollercoaster. --Lauren Beukes, internationally acclaimed author of The Shining Girls and Broken Monsters Deliciously creepy . . . Atmospheric . . . Hand's gripping plot mines the era's vagaries with aplomb. --Associated Press Brilliant, bustling . . . While Hand paces her mystery with classic precision, the real reward of Curious Toys lies in its richly textured panorama of Chicago during a crucial period of change, and in its vivid characters. --Gary Wolfe, Chicago Tribune An atmospheric crime novel... A phantasmagoric time trip tailor-made for fans of The Devil in the White City. --Publishers Weekly A well-crafted and deliciously unsettling period thriller. --Booklist (starred review) [Pin] is a remarkable young sleuth. . . . Curious Toys is a thriller to be savored-tough, funny, strange, and revelatory. --Michael Berry, Portland Press Herald [Hand] crafts a gritty and winsome character whose sheer determination to catch a murderer makes this mystery novel whiz by. --WBUR Curious Toys is itself like a carnival ride: alternatively dazzling and terrifying, disorienting and marvelous. --Amy Stewart, The Washington Post ONE OF THE YEAR'S BEST BOOKSLitHub * Chicago Public Library * CrimeReads--- Curious Toys is wonderful! I stayed up late two nights in a row, transported. It will be catnip for readers who love Chicago, circuses, cross-dressers, and early cinema. --Audrey Niffenegger, bestselling author of The Time-Traveler's Wife

Curious Toys is wonderful! I stayed up late two nights in a row, transported. It will be catnip for readers who love Chicago, circuses, cross-dressers, and early cinema. --Audrey Niffenegger, bestselling author of The Time-Traveler's Wife Curious Toys is itself like a carnival ride: alternatively dazzling and terrifying, disorienting and marvelous. --Amy Stewart, The Washington Post [Hand] crafts a gritty and winsome character whose sheer determination to catch a murderer makes this mystery novel whiz by. --WBUR [Pin] is a remarkable young sleuth. . . . Curious Toys is a thriller to be savored-tough, funny, strange, and revelatory. --Michael Berry, Portland Press Herald A well-crafted and deliciously unsettling period thriller. --Booklist (starred review) An atmospheric crime novel... A phantasmagoric time trip tailor-made for fans of The Devil in the White City. --Publishers Weekly Brilliant, bustling . . . While Hand paces her mystery with classic precision, the real reward of Curious Toys lies in its richly textured panorama of Chicago during a crucial period of change, and in its vivid characters. --Gary Wolfe, Chicago Tribune Deliciously creepy . . . Atmospheric . . . Hand's gripping plot mines the era's vagaries with aplomb. --Associated Press Glittering and scruffy as its carnival setting, with the deep gravity hold of a rollercoaster. --Lauren Beukes, internationally acclaimed author of The Shining Girls and Broken Monsters Hand is a mage of the page.... [Curious Toys] will enchant those who like tough-girl protagonists and antiheroes, as well as fans of historical crime fiction. --Library Journal (starred review) Hand--whose masterly oeuvre ranges from the eerie to the horrific, post-punk to magic--delivers another brilliant mystery.... Wonderfully imaginative and richly delivered. --Ivy Pochoda, New York Times Book Review Richly imaginative and psychologically complex. --Kirkus Reviews The latest novel from genre-crossing master storyteller Elizabeth Hand journeys from thriller territory straight into the heart of horror . . . A richly layered study of horror and sin and fantasy and reality, all in a peculiarly American vein. And it's scary as hell. --Chicago Review of Books This atmospheric novel will transport you to a world you've never imagined before. --Real Simple This book contains a rare kind of perfection: Elizabeth Hand's rough, observant magic draws into its circle great historical accuracy, a cross-dressing central protagonist, a wonderfully tender portrait of the great Outsider Artist Henry Darger, a vibrant thriller plot, reflections on gender and its place in civic order, a helpful Ben Hecht, and one of the greatest climactic drop-the-mic moments I've ever read -- and does all this while patiently setting into place the warm emotional armatures that make Curious Toys so moving. --Peter Straub ONE OF THE YEAR'S BEST BOOKSLitHub * Chicago Public Library * CrimeReads

Curious Toys is wonderful! I stayed up late two nights in a row, transported. It will be catnip for readers who love Chicago, circuses, cross-dressers, and early cinema. --Audrey Niffenegger, bestselling author of The Time-Traveler's Wife ONE OF THE YEAR'S BEST BOOKSLitHub * Chicago Public Library * CrimeReads Curious Toys is itself like a carnival ride: alternatively dazzling and terrifying, disorienting and marvelous. --Amy Stewart, The Washington Post [Hand] crafts a gritty and winsome character whose sheer determination to catch a murderer makes this mystery novel whiz by. --WBUR [Pin] is a remarkable young sleuth. . . . Curious Toys is a thriller to be savored-tough, funny, strange, and revelatory. --Michael Berry, Portland Press Herald A well-crafted and deliciously unsettling period thriller. --Booklist (starred review) An atmospheric crime novel... A phantasmagoric time trip tailor-made for fans of The Devil in the White City. --Publishers Weekly Brilliant, bustling . . . While Hand paces her mystery with classic precision, the real reward of Curious Toys lies in its richly textured panorama of Chicago during a crucial period of change, and in its vivid characters. --Gary Wolfe, Chicago Tribune Deliciously creepy . . . Atmospheric . . . Hand's gripping plot mines the era's vagaries with aplomb. --Associated Press Glittering and scruffy as its carnival setting, with the deep gravity hold of a rollercoaster. --Lauren Beukes, internationally acclaimed author of The Shining Girls and Broken Monsters Hand is a mage of the page.... [Curious Toys] will enchant those who like tough-girl protagonists and antiheroes, as well as fans of historical crime fiction. --Library Journal (starred review) Hand--whose masterly oeuvre ranges from the eerie to the horrific, post-punk to magic--delivers another brilliant mystery.... Wonderfully imaginative and richly delivered. --Ivy Pochoda, New York Times Book Review Richly imaginative and psychologically complex. --Kirkus Reviews The latest novel from genre-crossing master storyteller Elizabeth Hand journeys from thriller territory straight into the heart of horror . . . A richly layered study of horror and sin and fantasy and reality, all in a peculiarly American vein. And it's scary as hell. --Chicago Review of Books This atmospheric novel will transport you to a world you've never imagined before. --Real Simple This book contains a rare kind of perfection: Elizabeth Hand's rough, observant magic draws into its circle great historical accuracy, a cross-dressing central protagonist, a wonderfully tender portrait of the great Outsider Artist Henry Darger, a vibrant thriller plot, reflections on gender and its place in civic order, a helpful Ben Hecht, and one of the greatest climactic drop-the-mic moments I've ever read -- and does all this while patiently setting into place the warm emotional armatures that make Curious Toys so moving. --Peter Straub

Author Information

Elizabeth Hand is the author of more than fifteen cross-genre novels and collections of short fiction. Her work has received the Shirley Jackson Award (three times), the World Fantasy Award (four times), the Nebula Award (twice), as well as the James M. Tiptree Jr. and Mythopoeic Society Awards. She's a longtime critic and contributor of essays for the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Salon, Boston Review, and the Village Voice, among many others. She divides her time between the Maine coast and North London.

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