Toymaker - Bertauski, Tony

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Résumé :
The 9th standalone novel in the Claus Universe. It started with a present. A mystery gift appeared under trees one Christmas morning. People around the world received one. These lucky recipients didn't know who gave it to them, but they all received the exact same gift. The makers had inscribed their name in tiny letters: BT and Company. It was months before anyone knew what exactly the gift was for. Avery Tannenbaum's brother was one of the lucky few. It was her birthday when all the mysterious gifts came to life and a contest was announced. It was also that very same day Avery's grandmother, Nana Rai, passed away. An eccentric, wealthy woman, Nana Rai left detailed instructions on how to celebrate her passing to be held on Christmas morning, which just so happens to be the same day the contest is set to end. Avery's family travels to a cold and snowy land to honor her grandmother's wishes. And it's here she uncovers the true purpose of mystery gift, and why the makers launched a global contest. As Nana's celebration nears, Avery follows clues her grandmother left behind. BT and Company are searching for the Toymaker. And Avery knows what they'll do when they find him. She becomes part of her grandmother's plan to stop them. The real mystery isn't where the Toymaker is hiding. It's why he's hiding in the first place....

Biographie:
Tony Bertauski began his writing career with magazine columns, landscape design textbooks, and a gardening column for the Post and Courier in Charleston, South Carolina, before turning fully to fiction. Influenced by a grandfather whose shelves overflowed with classic science fiction, his work explores consciousness, identity, and what it means to be human. In 2008, he won the South Carolina Fiction Open for his short story Four Letter Words. He is best known for the Claus Universe and the Socket Greeny Saga, writing stories that emphasize momentum, emotional connection, and unexpected twists, always with entertainment at the forefront....

Sommaire:
SOME GIFTS YOU KEEP. SOME KEEP YOU. Avery Tannenbaum didn't ask for a present. She got one anyway. Sleek. Black. A headset unlike anything on the market. Turns out she's not the only one. People all over the world tied to virtual design and neural tech are unwrapping the same device. No instructions. No branding. No clue who sent them. Fun. Then Avery's headset lights up in the middle of a family gathering, right as her grandmother, Nana Rai, drops dead. Coincidence? Nope. The headset isn't a toy. It's a signal. The starting line for something called the Hunt. Now stuck in her grandmother's estate, Avery finds herself surrounded by things that don't belong in a normal house: forgotten toys, carvings that hum with secrets, and entire rooms wired like hidden servers. With her cousins at her side, she digs deeper, chasing cryptic clues left behind by Nana Rai. Curiosity turns into obsession. Obsession turns into survival. Because the Hunt? The Hunt isn't a game. It's a test. And failing doesn't come with a reset button. Toymaker: Return of the Lost Toys is a sci-fi mystery that blends immersive technology, family secrets, and a forgotten legacy clawing its way back into the present. Perfect for fans of Warcross, The Maze Runner, and A Series of Unfortunate Events, it asks one question: What if the toys we abandon don't stop waiting for us?...