"When Rima Lanisell's father dies, Rima goes to stay with her godmother, Addison Early, in her California beach house. Addison is a wildly successful mystery writer, creator of the detective Maxwell Lane - who, being the star of twenty-eight novels, eight films and three TV series, is far more famous than Addison herself. But as Rima settles into Addison's eccentric household, a real-life mystery begins to unfold. Who stole a small and highly valuable object from Addison's kitchen? Why did an obsessive fan write to Maxwell Lane from the site of an obscure cult - and why is Rima replying in Maxwell's name? What exactly was the relationship between Addison and Rima's father, and why did Addison name a murderer after him in one of her novels? Above all: when will Rima stop losing things, from keys and sunglasses to lovers and family members?"--Publisher description.