The Luminaries is a compelling mystery novel set in the backdrop of New Zealand's gold rush era. With an intricately woven plot, the author creates a fascinating web of characters whose stories are slowly revealed as the mysteries unfold. The novel's unique feature is its astrological structure, with each character being represented by a different planet or sign. Recommended for those who enjoy historical fiction and absorbing mysteries.

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• Booker Prize (2013)
• Dylan Thomas Prize Nominee (2014)
• Governor General's Literary Awards / Prix littéraires du Gouverneur général for Fiction (2013)
• Australian Book Industry Award (ABIA) for International Book (2014)
• Women's Prize for Fiction Nominee for Longlist (2014)
• Walter Scott Prize Nominee (2014)
• Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Historical Fiction (2013)
• Ockham New Zealand Book Awards for Fiction (NZ Post Awards) (2014)
• RSL Encore Award Nominee (2013)
• Dublin Literary Award Nominee (2015)

It is 1866, and Walter Moody has come to stake his claim in New Zealand's booming gold rush. On the stormy night of his arrival, he stumbles across a tense gathering of 12 local men who have met in secret to discuss a series of unexplained events: a wealthy man has vanished, a prostitute has tried to end her life, and an enormous cache of gold has been discovered in the home of a luckless drunk. Moody is soon drawn into a network of fates and fortunes that is as complex and exquisitely ornate as the night sky.Richly evoking a mid-nineteenth-century world of shipping, banking, and gold rush boom and bust, The Luminaries is at once a fiendishly clever ghost story, a gripping page-turner, and a thrilling novelistic achievement. It richly confirms that Eleanor Catton is one of the brightest stars in the international literary firmament.

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