Harry Quebert was Marcus Goldman’s mentor when Marcus Goldman was a student and an aspiring writer. Harry Quebert had become a great writer, not in the most honest way, as we learn in the book “The Truth about the Harry Quebert Affair”. The mentorship gave rise to a good friendship, but the friendship came to an end due to the “Affair”. At the beginning of the “Affair” book, Marcus Goldman has a writer’s block and goes to visit Harry Quebert in his house by the beach in search of help. He is under pressure from the publisher to write a second book and he has no ideas. Witnessing first hand all events that led to Harry Quebert’s downfall, he reluctantly writes the book about the crime investigation that took place.

This second book is also a success. The first book had been inspired by his friendship with his cousin when they were kids and had been a huge success. When “The Baltimore Boys” starts, Marcus Goldman is trying to write his third book and… he has no ideas. In the meantime, he receives a call saying his uncle had died. He then goes to Florida to his uncle’s house and revisits his friendship with his cousin: how appearances can be deceiving, how never-told-words can become misunderstandings, and how basic human emotions can lead to thoughtless and disproportionate actions.

The Goldman’s family had two branches: the “poor” branch, living in New Jersey, and the “rich” branch, living in Baltimore. Marcus was part of the New Jersey branch, but he would go to Baltimore whenever he could, to spend time with his cousin. They were joined by a friend of his cousin, who became a non-official Marcus’ cousin. There was also a girl, who caused troubles, and a tragedy, that changed everyone’s lives. It turns out that the girl is, in fact, Marcus’ lost love. By chance, Marcus finds out that she is living not far from his uncle’s house… but she is engaged to be married.

Joël Dicker takes us on a journey between the past and the present, where the present is conditioned by the past and the present can change the course of the future. A Swiss national, he spent many childhood summer holidays in Maine, USA. This experience inspired some of his first novels such as the famous “The Truth about the Harry Quebert Affair”, which has turned into a successful TV series. Besides “The Baltimore Boys”, “The Alaska Sanders Affair” also includes characters of “The Truth about the Harry Quebert Affair”. In his first novel set in his home town, “The Enigma of Room 622”, Joël Dicker is the main character of the story and pays tribute to his editor who had just died. With the death of his mentor, he decided not to have any other editor, and, thus, established his own publishing house: Rosie & Wolfe.