The Imaginary Corpse

September 6, 2019

DEBUT Good ideas never really fade: they go to a place called the Stillreal. There, daydreams, nightmares, and imaginary friends--concepts rejected by their previous human owners--can live and discover a new sense of purpose. It's also where we meet Tippy, a stuffed yellow triceratops who is Playtime Town's best detective, often found downing root beer sundaes after tough cases and enjoying extended cycles in the dryer. However, when a mysterious being, quickly dubbed the Man in the Coat violates the laws of the Stillreal and starts killing residents, Tippy takes the case. This hard-boiled detective story set in an imaginary high-concept world feels like Pixar's "Toy Story" movies scripted by Dashiell Hammett, but Hayes handles this narrative with style, wit, and an emotional seriousness that belies the cartoonish premise, as Tippy must enlist a wide cast of characters to assist with the various arms of the investigation and use empathy to confront serious issues of abandonment and trauma. VERDICT This special and distinct novel will be enjoyed by fans of genre-bending tales and literary mashups, excellent for admirers of Jasper Fforde or Neil Gaiman.--Gregg Winsor, Johnson Cty. Lib., Overland Park, KS

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from October 21, 2019
Hayes puts a fanciful spin on classic mysteries, inviting readers to the Stillreal, a land where imaginary Friends, Nightmares, and cast-off Ideas go when their creators no longer need them. The Man in the Coat, a terrifying Nightmare, murders Friends—something thought impossible until now—and Tippy, a plush triceratops with a knack for solving mysteries, is on the case. As Tippy and his allies—including superhero Miss Mighty, an octopus named Breaker, and information broker Big Business—pursue their enemy, they discover the truth about the Man in the Coat’s origin. To end the killings, they’ll have to risk their own existences. Hayes’s debut is an affectionate, lightly mocking homage to noir tales. Tippy is an unexpected hardboiled detective, one who asks new acquaintances for their pronouns and resolves matters with hugs as often as with violence. A strong psychological thread weaves through the story as characters confront the trauma of being imaginary and forgotten, adding depth to what at first may seem a silly concept. Readers will revel in this strange, fully realized world. Agent: Lisa Abellera, Kimberly Cameron & Assoc.