{"product_id":"the-contest-paperback","title":"The Contest - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eJeff Macfee\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eIn this crime novel, a previous puzzle prodigy returns to the competing world. A thoughtful, low-stakes mystery, perfect for fans of \u003ci\u003eThe Queen's Gambit.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eOnce a child prodigy of puzzles and logic games, Gillian Charles now barely ekes out a living in Los Angeles. With her sick mother facing eviction from her care facility, Gillian can't say no when her childhood nemesis, Tommy, shows up at her apartment with a $50k offer. All she has to do is return to the place where it all started, where she swore she'd never set foot again: Miscellany. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eMiscellany is a place of wonder and enchantment--a Disney World for puzzle lovers, and one that quickly owns the lives of those who stay too long. Tommy is running the park's latest big game, and he's convinced someone is leaking the answers. With investment and expansion in the cards, Miscellany can't afford a scandal. As a former puzzler who kept her distance from Miscellany for twenty years, Gillian should find it easy to investigate while avoiding Miscellany's charms and entanglements.But when Gillian arrives, she discovers things aren't so straightforward. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eHer turncoat ex-friend Martin Ellsberg holds the security reins, Tommy's estranged wife Evelina spins PR webs around the park's machinations, and the manipulative park founder Sebastian offers her the financial security and intellectual future she always wanted. With her mother's circumstances growing more dire, and under pressure to sweep the accusations under the rug, Gillian finds childhood games all the more treacherous for adults. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eMiscellany is offering Gillian the life she always wanted. But at what price?\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eJeff Macfee is the author of the forthcoming crime novel \u003ci\u003eThe Contest\u003c\/i\u003e (February, 2025). He writes about ordinary people who do their best but make things worse. When he's not writing he's doing IT things and asking you to turn it off and on again. He lives in North Texas with his wife and three kids.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 336\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.2 x 7.7 x 5 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e February 11, 2025\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51773193650464,"sku":"9781915523457","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/21d02c0ba6dff5f4e8b8dadb141945b0.webp?v=1780421724","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/the-contest-paperback","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}