This detective story began on a rainy evening in Paris. There were several years left before the outbreak of World War II, and people were still lining up for sweets. Jacques Perl, as always, was wrapping marmalade in branded silky paper when he saw a cold and soaking wet boy of about fifteen on the street. He didn’t speak French, and how he ended up here is a mystery. Time will pass, he will take the name Joshua and replace the Pearl spouses with their deceased son. Or maybe this story began at another moment, like an adventure novel. Then, when a 14-year-old boy, tired and wounded, ran through the forest and came across an amazing hut. There lived a taciturn man named Joshua Pearl, who devoted an entire room of his home to suitcases. It's amazing how many there are! But their contents are even more surprising. Neatly wrapped in paper with the inscription “Confectionery “House P””, they contain all sorts of curiosities. A small thimble in a red box, an amber ball with a frozen bone inside, an ivory skull - nothing less than priceless artifacts stolen somewhere? Perhaps this story has a third beginning, the most incredible: young Ilian falls in love with the beautiful girl Olia, but they are not destined to be together... No matter where you start the story, the story will seem incredible. At least for those who have lost the ability to believe in a fairy tale. The novel by Timothée de Fombelle was awarded a special prize for the best work for teenagers at the Montreuil Book Salon in France. His other novels were also published in Russian by the KompasGid publishing house: “Toby Lolness”, “Vango”, “The Girl from Tower 330”.