Mr. Berger has spent 34 years keeping his life as empty as possible. His job title as a “Closed Accounts Registrar” doesn’t spark much interest, and his cautious flirtation with a woman at his company was cut short upon her engagement to another man. This doesn’t bother him, however, as he much prefers the company of books to that of people. When a series of fortunate events leads to an early retirement in the English countryside, Mr. Berger is content to spend the remainder of his years nestled comfortably between the pages of a book. But fate has other plans. His serene life is rendered strange when he witnesses a tragedy chillingly reminiscent of Anna Karenina as a woman flings herself before a train. When he rushes to the scene, she has vanished, leaving no body on the tracks. Berger’s investigation into this event leads him to The Caxton Private Lending Library & Book Depository, where the line between fiction and reality becomes blurred beyond comprehension.