Charlie Lovett

• Biography

  Charlie Lovett is the New York Times bestselling author of four previous novels, including The Bookman’s Tale and Escaping Dreamland. His academic writings include Lewis Carroll: Formed by Faith and for children he has written The Book of the Seven Spells and twenty plays that have been seen in over five thousand productions worldwide. A former antiquarian bookseller and avid book collector, he and his wife, Janice, live in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and (when the pandemic allows) in the village of Kingham in England.

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• Praise for Books

  “In the latest from veteran literary mystery writer Charlie Lovett, a professional assassin and a librarian team up to unravel a literary mystery, decipher a coded message from WWII, and fight the fascists. This action-packed adventure gave me serious Raiders of the Lost Ark vibes.” —Anne Bogel, creator of Modern Mrs. Darcy and host of What Should I Read Next?

  “The Gilded Age of New York pulses with life as Charlie Lovett cleverly weaves together historical figures and events with the compelling, emotionally layered stories of a trio of young aspiring writers juxtaposed against a struggling, modern-day Manhattan novelist. Lovett navigates skillfully between centuries while exploring interwoven themes of regret, unrequited love, loyalty, and ambition. Not since E. L. Doctorow’s Ragtime has this era in New York been so beautifully captured.” —Liza Nash Taylor, author of Etiquette for Runaways

  “With breathtaking, brisk prose that vaults you into the story at a torrid pace, Charlie Lovett’s The Enigma Affair throws two unlikely characters together, hitman Nemo and small-town librarian Patton Harcourt, in a veritable collision of opposites, in a suspense-jammed novel that possesses a profusion of labyrinthine twists and turns that it engages on geologic levels. An accomplished writer, Lovett has a sure hand on the wheel of this densely packed thriller, and just when you think he’s going to hurl the reader into the void, he pulls back the reins and all the narrative threads dovetail into an exciting and immensely satisfying finish.” —Rex Pickett, critically acclaimed author of Sideways and The Archivist

  “Nostalgic, wistful, warm, and wise, Charlie Lovett’s latest is a tribute to readers everywhere, and the writers who pen the stories that shape us. Lovett skillfully weaves together fact and fiction to deliver an immensely satisfying and thoroughly absorbing tale that explores the power of stories to irrevocably shape their readers.” —Anne Bogel, creator of Modern Mrs. Darcy and author of I’d Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life

  “Rollicking…The pages fly by. This prose mash-up of National Treasure and Indiana Jones is fun escapist fare.”  —Publishers Weekly

  “As a devout childhood reader of adventure series, I can assure you that Charlie Lovett has captured their spirit in this tremendously enjoyable read for adults. Escaping Dreamland combines the whimsy of Lewis Carroll and the daredevil of the Hardy Boys in a story that takes readers through the looking glass of how we see beloved characters, their narratives, and, most importantly, ourselves in reflection.” —Sarah McCoy, New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author of Marilla of Green Gables

  “Wow! This is a roller coaster of a novel, and just like that ride, it delivers thrills and great heights before rolling to a satisfying conclusion. The Enigma Affair has it all: a hitman and an intelligence agent on the run, neo-Nazis, Enigma enthusiasts, broken hearts, an international chase, and a tantalizing mystery. Smashing stuff!” —James R. Benn, author of From the Shadows and other Billy Boyle WWII novels

  “Escaping Dreamland captures the dizzy thrill of falling in love with reading for the first time. It is a testament to the way the stories of our childhood haunt our imagination for years to come, shaping and sustaining us. A loving tribute to the enduring power of books.” —Wil Medearis, author of Restoration Heights

  “The Enigma Affair is a modern thriller with first-class historical credentials. A globetrotting page-turner where the characters take center stage. A clever librarian and an assassin named Nemo team up in a story that’s part Ken Follett, part Raiders of the Lost Ark, and as clever as anything Lovett has written. A smart roller-coaster ride from start to finish. I want more books like this one!” —M. L. Huie, author of the Livy Nash historical mysteries

  “Escaping Dreamland is an absolute delight. Charlie Lovett takes readers on a lively literary adventure that spans a century, cleverly weaving historical moments into mystery about a forgotten children’s book series. A celebration of both literature and New York City, the novel serves as a poignant reminder of how stories shape us and how, ultimately, they can save us.” —Amy Meyerson, internationally bestselling author of The Bookshop of Yesterdays

  “The Enigma Affair doesn’t tarry in raising the pulse of the reader with bullets and imminent danger in its opening salvo. Author Charlie Lovett blazes a path of action and intrigue where the heroes are damaged but their resolve to deter a rebooting of the Nazi days keeps them going. A nonstop thrill ride.” —Manhattan Book Review

  “This is a wonderful book about the power of stories and of love—even in the midst of disaster.” —Greensboro (NC) News & Record

  “Charlie Lovett is the author of several bookish novels…and his new one, I am happy to report, keeps bibliophila front and center…Fans of the Stratemeyer Syndicate—i.e., Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Tom Swift—will get a kick out of the spotlight Lovett shines on anonymously/pseudonymously written children’s book series, and just about anyone who calls themself a ‘book lover’ will relish his latest.” —Fine Books & Collections

  “This dual-timeline story about the mysteries of children’s literature will inform and delight…The crisp clarity of Lovett’s prose, as well as the way Escaping Dreamland immerses the reader in its historical time and place, reminded me of the novels of Ian McEwan and A. S. Byatt…Like the best children’s literature, this novel will inform and delight adult readers who are nostalgic for the books of their youth.” —Washington Independent Review of Books

  "Escaping Dreamland is a departure from the Lovett canon in that it offers not one coming-of-age tale, but three; not one mystery, but two; not one love story, but four…Few are the authors who have so beautifully captured the Gilded Age of New York as has Lovett here…Escaping Dreamland is a bold and brave novel from Lovett.” —Mountain Times

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  • The Enigma Affair

  • By Charlie Lovett

    Read by Nicol Zanzarella

  • Release Date: 9/06/22

  • Formats: Large Print Hardcover, Hardcover, Trade Print ARC, Trade Paperback

  In this propulsive historical thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Escaping Dreamland, a librarian and a professional assassin team up to solve a seventy-five-year-old Nazi mystery and stop a nefarious opponent from wreaking havoc on the world.

  When small-town librarian Patton Harcourt comes under fire one morning while making profiteroles, she has no choice but to trust the mysterious assassin, Nemo, who shows up in her kitchen. Fleeing a pair of German thugs, the two form an unlikely alliance as they try to decipher a seventy-five-year-old message encoded by Nazis on an Enigma machine. Traveling to Bletchley Park in England, they enlist the aid of Patton’s old flame, Ruthie Drinkwater, an expert on Enigma. The trio soon finds themselves on the run, pursued by both the police and Ingrid Weiss, a white supremacist trying to unlock the secret of Heinrich Himmler’s research into alchemy. If Patton, Nemo, and their cohorts can survive a host of dangers—from trained killers to explosions to imprisonment—they might be able to prevent Weiss from acquiring untold wealth to promote her racist agenda.

  In this fast-paced thriller with a thoroughly researched World War II background, a mismatched cadre of heroes, including an art historian, a museum docent, and a collector of Nazi artifacts, must work together to stop a ruthless and resourceful opponent. Racing across Europe, attempting to outfox Weiss and her associates at every turn, Patton and her team mount a complex operation. But can they withstand double crosses and dark secrets from Patton’s military past to defeat Ingrid Weiss and discover the secret of Projekt Alchemie?
  
  Book discussion questions are available here: Click here to view or download

  • The Enigma Affair

  • By Charlie Lovett

    Read by Nicol Zanzarella

  • Release Date: 9/06/22

  • Formats: Large Print Hardcover, Hardcover, Trade Print ARC, Trade Paperback

  Learn More
• 

  • Escaping Dreamland

  • By Charlie Lovett

    Read by Mike Lenz

  • Release Date: 9/22/20

  • Formats: Large Print Hardcover, Trade Paperback, Hardcover, Trade Print ARC, Print Book Preview

  Robert Parrish’s childhood obsession with series books like the Hardy Boys and Tom Swift inspired him to become an author. Just as his debut novel becomes a bestseller, his relationship with his girlfriend, Rebecca, begins to fall apart. Robert realizes he must confront his secret demons by fulfilling a youthful promise to solve a mystery surrounding his favorite series—the Tremendous Trio.

  Guided by twelve tattered books and an unidentified but tantalizing fragment of a story, Robert journeys into the history of the books that changed his life, hoping they can help him once again. His odyssey takes him to 1906 Manhattan, a time of steamboats, boot blacks, and Fifth Avenue mansions, but every discovery he makes only leads to more questions.

  Robert’s quest intertwines with the stories of three young people trying to define their places in the world at the dawn of a new and exciting century. Magda, Gene, and Tom not only write the children’s books that Robert will one day love, together they explore the vibrant city on their doorstep, from the Polo Grounds to Coney Island’s Dreamland, drawing the reader into the Gilded Age as their own friendships deepen.

  The connections between the authors, their creations, and Robert’s redemptive journey make for a beautifully crafted novel that is an ode to the children’s series books of our past, to New York City, and above all, to the power of love and friendship.

  • Escaping Dreamland

  • By Charlie Lovett

    Read by Mike Lenz

  • Release Date: 2/17/20

  • Formats: Large Print Hardcover, Trade Paperback, Hardcover, Trade Print ARC, Print Book Preview

  Learn More

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