At an international literary conference in Rome in the near future, the greatest detectives in history (and literature) gather to solve the mystery of Dickens' unfinished novel THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD and end up solving the mystery of Dickens' own death. At this crazy conference are Father Brown, Holmes, Maigret, Poirot, Marlowe, Lew Archer and even Nero Wolfe. Dickens' marvelously atmospheric novel is read to them (or imprinted on their brains by a new Japanese technique), chapter by chapter - and for the reader the chapters are interleaved with the story of the goings-on at the conference. Part detective story, part comic academic novel, part science fiction, part playful scholarship, part Dickens, THE D CASE is dazzling, offbeat, hilarious and original. (Translated by Gregory Dowling)