A Novel View of Ancient Cartography

Barbara Parker's mystery novel The Perfect Fake offers, "compelling glimpses of obsession and the fascinating art of cartography" according to a glowing review in The Miami Herald.

The story centers around a struggling graphic artist and his efforts to duplicate a rare, 500-year-old map. According to reviewer Sam Harrison, The Perfect Fake has the love interest, murder and deceit, you'd expect in a thriller, but with a cartographic twist:

"...but what sets it apart is its success in making the implausible quite believable. The whole effort to recreate an ancient map is meticulously described. From the intricacies of paper to the making of inks to the workings of ancient presses, the extraordinary world of cartography is detailed and illuminated, while smartly interfaced with contemporary computer and digital technology, to create a tantalizing scenario. But the myriad details never obscure the plot or characters, and the descriptions of Italy, especially Florence, are full and rich without reading like a travelogue. Balanced, provocative and captivating, The Perfect Fake leaves nothing hanging. It just might generate a new wave of map freaks, too."

I've never been a fan of mystery novels, but I plan to check this one out.