In this novel of mystery, intrigue, and virtual reality, Rima Lanisell is at loose ends after the loss of her father and brother. Hoping to regroup, she arrives at her godmother’s old Victorian mansion in Santa Cruz, California. Addison Early is a secretive and feisty best-selling mystery writer who once knew Rima’s father well—perhaps too well. Rima is on a mission to discover just what their relationship was. That won’t be easy. Addison has fought fiercely to protect her privacy, even as her passionate fans have become ever more intrusive. Thanks to the Internet, with its blogs, chat rooms, false personas, and hidden identities, fans have begun to take over her plotlines and the life of her famous fictional detective. Word has it that Addison is so beleaguered by her fans’ Web postings that she has writer’s block.