Near Metland Farm, hidden among the cliffs, a near-mythical colony of guillemots once laid eggs unlike any other. The Metland Egg—cone-shaped, blood-red, and several times the size of a hen’s egg—became the stuff of legend. A prized possession among early 20th-century collectors, it was as elusive as it was illegal in modern times. Most striking of all, the egg was red..
A hundred years later, the Metland Egg has become more myth than reality—until Weird Nick tells his friend Patrick Fort that a strange egg has been stolen from his house. An inheritance from his father, the stolen artifact turns out to be the legendary Metland Egg itself, and its disappearance sets them on a path filled with secrets, obsessions, and the shadowy underworld of illegal wildlife collectors.
What unfolds is a richly layered, dual-timeline mystery, filled with twists that pull readers deeper into both the past and present. The narrative deftly juggles the tension of a classic whodunit with the quiet melancholy of lost heritage and fragile ecosystems. But what truly makes the story stand out is the character of Patrick Fort. His literal interpretation of language, difficulty with sarcasm, and social challenges strongly suggest traits of Asperger’s Syndrome.
As I reached the end of this spellbinding novel, I found myself both satisfied and haunted. The writing is immersive, the pacing well-balanced, and the tone strikes just the right chord between nostalgic and urgent. And yet, one question lingers, quietly unsettling in its simplicity: Aren’t eggs supposed to hatch?
4.5 ⭐A richly imagined, emotionally intelligent story that combines the thrill of a mystery with the quiet wonder of natural history. Riveting.