A personal and literary examination of hypochondria.A free-wheeling philosophical essay, Hypochondria is expansive in its range of references, from the writings of Franz Kafka to original yet accessible readings of theorists like Lauren Berlant. Whether he is discussing Seinfeld, John Donne, or his own hypochondriac past, Rees reveals himself to be a wry and perceptive critic, exploring the causes — and the costs — of our desire for certainty. Wit...

Todo empezó con un síntoma banal y una certeza aterradora: un dolor de cabeza persistente que convenció a Will Rees, entonces un joven estudiante de filosofía, de que su muerte era inminente. Durante años, vivió asediado por enfermedades ficticias que sentía de forma muy intensa, y atrapado en una espiral de visitas médicas, búsquedas en internet y una vigilancia obsesiva de su propio cuerpo.De esa ansiedad crónica nace Hipocondría, un ensayo filosófico que equilibra rigor ...

"Everyone must read this book." – Lucia Osborne-Crowley"Extraordinary and utterly compelling." – Adam Phillips"An almost impossible balancing act." – Merve Emre“Part philosophical treatise, part memoir, part history, Rees’s genre-bending meditation on hypochondria references everyone from Freud to Kafka to Seinfeld in a provocative search to find out why, exactly, we believe we’re sick.” – The New York T...

"A superbly researched and beautifully crafted historical mystery" about an estranged father and son and a murder in an early American Shaker community ( Toronto Globe & Mail).Winner, Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel CompetitionFive years ago, while William Rees was still recovering from his stint as a Revolutionary War soldier, his beloved wife died. Devastated, Rees left his son, David, in his sister's ca...

A Revolutionary War veteran is out to solve the murder of a childhood friend in this acclaimed historical mystery set in eighteenth-century New England.Maine, 1796. It's been a long time since Will Rees felt at home—not since before his wife died years ago and he took to the road as a traveling weaver. Now Rees is back on his Maine farm, living with his teenaged son, David, and his housekeeper, Lydia, whose presence contributes more towards his happiness th...

"Another eminently readable historical mystery, set in the post-Revolutionary years" from the award-winning author of Death of a Dyer ( Booklist).Will Rees is adjusting to life on his Maine farm in 1797, but he's already hungering for the freedom of the road, and his chance to travel comes sooner than he expects. Lydia has just received a letter from her old friend Mouse, a soft-spoken and gentle woman who now lives in the Shaker community in Moun...

In the depths of winter, Hortense, a midwife, disappears after attending a birth in the woodlands. During the search, Will Rees finds her struggling through the snow and woods without shoes or a coat. After two young men begin stalking the community in search of her—including targeting Rees’s own family—she is questioned further and claims she was kidnapped...but Rees and his wife Lydia are suspicious. It's agreed that Hortense’s presence is endangering everyone’s safety and that she needs...

Fresh from facing allegations of witchcraft and murder, travelling weaver Will Rees, his heavily pregnant wife Lydia, and six adopted children take refuge in Zion, a Shaker community in rural Maine. Shortly after their arrival, screams in the night reveal a drowned body, but is it murder or an unfortunate accident? The Shaker Elders argue it was just an accident, but Rees believes otherwise. As he investigates further, more deaths follow and a young girl vanishes from the community. Haunte...

Will Rees is back home on his farm in 1796 Maine with his teenage son, his pregnant wife, their five adopted children, and endless farm work under the blistering summer sun. But for all that, Rees is happy to have returned to Dugard, Maine, the town where he was born and raised, and where he's always felt at home.Until now.When a man is found dead - murdered - after getting into a public dispute with Rees, Rees starts to realize someone is intentionally trying to pin the murd...

January, 1801. When Lydia’s estranged father is accused of murder, Will Rees escorts her to Boston to uncover the truth. Marcus Farrell is believed to have murdered one of his workers, a boy from Jamaica where he owns a plantation. Marcus swears he’s innocent. However, a scandal has been aroused by his refusal to answer questions and by accusations that he bribed officials. As Will and Lydia investigate, Marcus’s brother, Julian, is shot and killed. This time, all fingers point towards Jam...

Will Rees is back home on his farm with his teenage son, his pregnant wife, their five adopted children, and endless farm work under the blistering sun. But for all that, Rees is happy to have returned to Dugard, Maine, the town where he was born and raised, and where he's always felt at home. When a man is found dead - murdered - after getting into a public dispute with Rees, Rees starts to realize someone is intentionally trying to pin the murder on him. Rees can feel the town of Dugard ...

September 1800, Maine. Will Rees is beseeched by Tobias, an old friend abducted by slave catchers years before, to travel south to Virginia to help transport his pregnant wife, Ruth, back north. Though he's reluctant, Will's wife Lydia convinces him to go...on the condition she accompanies them. Upon arriving in a small community of absconded slaves hiding within the Great Dismal Swamp, Will and Lydia are met with distrust. Tensions are high and a fight breaks out between Tobias and Scipio...