The Impossible Thing is a wonderfully enjoyable story about birds' eggs and their collectors.

In the 1920's a young girl perilously dangles off the cliff near her Yorkshire home to retrieve a rare guillemot egg. In the 2020's, Patrick Fort and his friend Weird Nick go on an adventure to retrieve a stolen egg, possibly being pursued by the RSPB.

An exciting thrill of a story about a subject I didn't know I was interested in, devoured in less than 24 hours. Marvellous!

In this book, we are reminded of the time egg trafficking took place on the Yorkshire cliffs in the 1920s. Men had to be lowered by rope over the edge of the cliff to gather the eggs. Rival egg collectors would try and buy the eggs, then sell them to wealthy collectors. But it is a little girl who has retrieved the most desired egg. Celia Sheppard lives at Metland Farm with her family, but she's the black sheep, her mother blames her for everything that goes wrong. Her father had left them to fen for themselves.

This is another enjoyable red by Belinda Bauer. The characters are relatable, the pace is steady in this well-written book. It covers the illicit and illegal trade of collecting birds eggs. The eggs can be quite an expensive purchase for the rich. The story cover two timelines that are almost one hundred years apart. We do meet up with Patrick Fort, he was in Rubberneckers. What we do learn is that no matter how insignificant something looks, it can have a considerable outcome.

Published 27th February 2025

I would like to thank #NetGalley #RandomHouseUK #TransworldPublishers and the author #BelindaBauer for my ARC of #TheImpossibleThing in exchange for an honest review.
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I am a huge fan of Belinda Bauer, the acclaimed author known for her gripping crime novels and her latest novel The Impossible Thing is once again truly captivating.
This novel has a compelling plot and original characters. The story alternates between two timelines: in 1926, where people (climmers) collect valuable bird eggs by hanging from dangerous cliffs in Yorkshire, and the present day, where Nick and his mother are robbed at their remote cottage in Wales. Nick and his friend Patrick strive to uncover the culprit behind the break-in.
Belinda Bauer excels in creating multidimensional characters, and "The Impossible Thing" is no exception. The Patrick character (present day) for me was full of depth and I loved his quirkiness. I think Bauer writes children particularly well.
The authors writing style is engaging, drawing readers into the story with vivid descriptions and a keen eye for detail. The pacing of "The Impossible Thing" is well-balanced, with moments of suspense interspersed with quieter, introspective scenes that allow for character development.
For me one of the novel's strengths is Bauer's skilful use of dialogue. The conversations between Nick and Patrick feel authentic, revealing their personalities and motivations while advancing the plot. Additionally, Bauer's dark humour provides a welcome contrast to the novel's more sombre moments.
"The Impossible Thing" by Belinda Bauer is a unique and thought-provoking read which showcases the author's talent for crafting compelling characters and intricate plots.
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley UK for the ARC.

The Impossible Thing by Belinda Bauer is a wonderfully unique and imaginative novel that sets this author apart from all others. Her cunning plot spans a one hundred year period and is remarkably satisfying.

The characters in The Impossible Thing are both dastardly and innocent, cunningly two-faced but extremely upfront. Patrick and Weird Nick make a great detective team as they try to track down the guys who stole Nick's property.

Bauer brings us back to the 1920s, a time when men had few qualms about the things they deemed collectible and money afforded people privileges whilst the working classes barely survived.

Totally original story.

A book with a subject I knew nothing about and yet found it intriguing and easy to learn about
Maybe not the fastest moving read but then sometimes it doesn’t need to be
Without doubt an authors reputation re previous books read made me choose this and am glad did as would probably have been off my radar if chosen by blurb etc

Normally I get swept along by Belinda Bauers stories but sadly I struggled with this one, the storyline was okay and quite unique as egg collecting is not something you hear about very often but it was difficult for me to work out what was happening to who in some of the chapters, and although the story was beautifully writen I found the ending was a bit of an anti climax but I did learn that guillemots are amazing birds.

I love Belinda Bauer, so I was excited to read The Impossible Thing. I have to say, if it were by another author, it would not seem like my cup of tea. As bird egg collecting isn't my go-to genre!!

But Belinda has worked her magic and created a tale of intrigue and mystery. With vivid characterisation and a well plotted story line I was gripped from start to finish.

When you are lucky enough to be approved to read the latest book by Belinda Bauer you just know you’re in for a treat and what a fabulous treat it was!
A slow start that builds up and then it becomes a story to savour, it had so many elements to it and brought out many emotions in me and at times the subject matter was painful to read but also incredibly interesting. I’m not going to rehash the plot I personally think it is better to just read the book with no misconceptions, it’s beautifully written as you would expect from the author and one I can highly recommend.
My thanks to NetGalley and Transworld Publishers, Bantam for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was certainly an unusual book and good to read something different, and discover the world of bird's eggs and the murkier world of egg collectors. As with all Ms Bauer's books it was well written with rounded characters, and being set in two different eras added to the plot and highlighted the changes in public opinion regarding protecting wild birds. I was especially interested to discover the Metland Egg was real and next time I'm on the Yorkshire coast I will pay more attention to the thousands of birds on the cliffs!
Thank you to netgalley and Transworld for an advance copy of this book.

It’s hard to believe that the Metland eggs actually existed, I assumed they were part if the author’s excellent imagination. Beautifully crafted novel bringing a multi stranded narrative together in an intriguing way. A new Belinda Bauer is always a cause for celebration; she never lets the reader down.

This is a fascinating story told in two timelines a hundred years apart. The author is a skilled writer, the plot moves at a good pace and suspense builds; there are also flashes of humour. I love it when I learn something by reading a novel and this book taught me an awful lot about egg collecting. It is set on the Yorkshire coast at Bempton cliffs, now an RSPB reserve, and for readers not familiar with this I recommend a visit. AsCelie finds in the book, the smell of the birds is quite overpowering! I wholeheartedly recommend this book.

Oology? Those who collect and study bird's eggs.
Yes, unusual and this book was certainly that.
The unusual theme of bird's eggs is set with a thrilling narrative. Set to be published on February 27, 2025, this book promises to be a unique addition to Bauer's impressive body of work.
Quirky and likeable characters, suspenseful and a perfect read for cosy crime aficionados.
I highly recommend "The Impossible Thing" to fans of mystery and literary fiction.

The Impossible Thing by Belinda Bauer
I give this book 4.5 stars.

1926. On the towering cliffs of Yorkshire, men are lowered on ropes to steal the eggs of the sea birds who nest there.But when small and hungry Celie finds an 'impossible' red egg.
100 years later in Wales, Patrick’s friend Nick and his mother are robbed. The only thing missing: a carved case containing an incredible scarlet egg. They find themselves on the trail of a priceless collection of eggs lost to history. Until now.


Who knew it would be so intriguing to read about climmers and oology which thank goodness is now an illegal trade. Guillemot eggs were extremely rare and sought after and this led to extreme greed and is at the heart of this engaging tale. To this day the current whereabouts of the Metland eggs is unknown. The author has done a brilliant job of pulling the reader into the two stories across two timelines (I enjoyed the 1926 storyline slightly more involving Celie who was the only one small enough to collect them from the overhang at Metland) and an up to date timeline with a character from a previous book. It’s also interesting how as an adult Celie has a different outlook about the mother birds and their babies and the ending really tugged at my heart. After finishing the book i immediately started googling to learn more.
With thanks to Netgalley, Belinda Bauer and Transworld Publishers | Bantam for my chance to read and review this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. So far away from my usual genre and with subject matter that I know nothing of. However, I found the story to briefly very well written and extremely informative. I had to research the Metland egg after as I found it fascinating. A book that I have already recommended to anybody that will listen!

A rare find changes one life in the early part of the twentieth century, even as it negatively impacts others nearly a hundred years later.

This story takes a deep dive into the little known world of bird egg smuggling and all the callous and criminal activity that its dark underbelly is made up of.

A cleverly plotted and well delivered read by a writer who is shows with her very original storytelling that she knows what she's doing.

This is a very original novel about greed and ambition that stretches over 100 years. It starts in 1926 in Yorkshire where Celie Sheppard is tasked with collecting precious eggs over a death-defying cliff. She collects a rare specimen of a red egg which significantly improves her life but leaves her feeling uneasy about what she has done as it becomes an annual event. The story then moves forward to the modern day where Patrick’s friend Nick is tied up and robbed of a carved case with a red egg. Bauer moves between Celie and Patrick’s stories in a clever tale of a relatively unknown obsession with rare birds’ eggs. Clever, original and compelling.

I'm a great fan of Belinda Bauer's books and 'The Impossible Thing' is no exception. I requested the DRC as soon as I saw Belinda's name and had no idea of the subject matter of the book. I was therefore slightly surprised to find a dual timeline story (another favourite) about birds egg stealing and collecting. Something I know absolutely nothing about. The story was haunting and captivating. Told as a mystery with some historical faction thrown in I was hooked from the start. The characters were so believable they jumped off the page. I was down that rock with little Celie! There is no doubt whatever her subject matter Belinda Bauer is a wonderful storyteller whose books should be savoured.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

A tale of obsession and greed stretched across a century set in the world of rare egg collecting.
Finding one egg at Bempton changes the fortune of one family and impacts the lives of two friends who live in the Brecon beacons several decades later. The egg respsents hope, greed and the need to preserve our widelife.
A good, interesting read in a world most people don't come into contact with.

This book was beautifully written and very well researched, however I found it slow to get going and the modern day characters rather difficult to engage with. A thoughtful thriller which will be well regarded but wasn't pacy enough for my liking

I blithely started this book without knowing anything about it, other than the fact I’d very much enjoyed previous work by Belinda Bauer. Once started it was very difficult to put down, other than to sleep or work and it kept me interested and wanting to know more even after the last word was read. I’ve discovered that the “Metland Egg” which provides the basis for this crime novel was rumoured to be a very real thing, and now no one knows the whereabouts of it… them!

BB has weaved a web around this premise seamlessly flitting between the early 20th century and the present day. The characters are believable and likeable (well, most of them, apart from the ones we’re not meant to like!) and the book is well written. I’d thoroughly recommend this read and looking forward to the next offering from Ms Bauer!!