Originally published: as Wit's end. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons; as The case of the imaginary detective. London: Viking, 2008.
Rima Lanisell is at a loose end, following the death of her father. She has come to California to stay with her godmother, Addison Early, who once knew Rima's father well. Addison is a best-selling mystery writer. Over the years, she has tried to protect her work and her privacy as her fans have become ever more intrusive.