CHARLIE, PRESUMED DEAD

A mix of mind-bending, Gone Girl-esque plot and high-wire literary writing, about two teenage girls who meet at the funeral of an undergrad and realize they both thought they were dating him and that he loved each one alone, but further investigation leads to the unraveling of many secrets.

In Paris, family and friends gather to mourn the tragic passing of Charlie Price—young, handsome, charming, a world-traveler—who is presumed dead after an explosion on the campus of Oxford University. Authorities suspect a terrorist attack; they find only a fingertip, ID’d as Charlie’s. At the funeral, two teens who are perfect strangers, Lena Whitney and Aubrey Boroughs, make another shocking discovery: they have both been dating Charlie, both think Charlie loved them and them alone, and there is a lot they didn’t know about their boyfriend. Over the next week, a mind-bending trip unfolds: first in London, then in Mumbai, Kerala, and Bangkok, the girls go in search of Charlie. Is he still alive? What did their love for him even mean? The truth is out there, but soon it becomes clear that the girls are harboring secrets of their own. Worse, they might be walking into a trap Charlie has laid for them. Anne Heltzel was born in Ohio and earned her MFA from the New School. She's written two other novels: Circle Nine and The Ruining (published under the name of Anne Collomore). Anne is a former book editor who lives and works in Brooklyn. Visit her website at www.anneheltzel.com.