The Found Object Society

A Novel

By: Michelle Maryk

Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld, Michelle Maryk

An atmospheric speculative suspense novel following a mysterious society offering its members the chance to relive the death of another person—and the self-destructive woman determined to uncover its secrets

This ambitious, genre-bending debut is perfect for fans of time-travel fiction including Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library and Gareth Brown’s The Book of Doors

A Publisher's Marketplace Spring/Summer 2026 Buzz Book!

A People Best Books of February 2026!

An Allstora Shelf Care Society Book Club Pick!

For twenty years, Greta Davenport has lived with the guilt of surviving the accident that killed her parents. She’s tested the limits of her own mortality ever since, but little gives her the dopamine rush she craves. Not until the night she almost drunkenly crashes her car into a tree, and a peculiar blank card slides under her front door—an invitation to the Found Object Society. What she discovers there is beyond comprehension: an opulent, subterranean playground filled with aisles of objects from different eras and regions of the world. Pick an object and go on a voyage to relive the final moments of the person who died holding it, along with an unparalleled, irreplicable high. Greta’s hooked, but she can't quiet her questions about the society and its enigmatic creators, the answers to which have implications far beyond her growing dependence on the voyages. Death is addictive, and what she uncovers will put her entire life into question.

A fever dream of a novel with episodic, time-traveling chapters told from multiple points of view, The Found Object Society examines the depraved whims of the ultrarich and the breadth of unresolved trauma—all while asking how grief and the choices we make in its aftermath can change the course of our lives. Michelle Maryk’s wholly original and ambitious debut opens an impeccably wrought speculative world of greed, power, and destiny.

©2026 Michelle Maryk (P)2025 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Danger's afoot in this propulsive mystery.” —People, Best Books of February 2026

“The Found Object Society is an atmospheric, genre-bending debut that blends speculative suspense with emotional depth.” —Chronogram

“Unsettling. Propulsive. Sexy. The Found Object Society offers its protagonist, and readers, the ultimate thrill ride: the chance to experience death without dying. With lush, gorgeous prose, Michelle Maryk unspools a confident meditation on privilege, addiction, and grief. Do not miss this incredible debut.” —Julia Bartz, New York Times bestselling author of The Writing Retreat

“Wickedly smart and wildly creative, The Found Object Society pulses with dark wit. Michelle Maryk spins a seductive tale that’s equal parts speculative thrill ride and emotional excavation, delivering a gripping, moving page-turner. This is a suspenseful, addictive must-read!” —Jean Kwok, New York Times bestselling author of The Leftover Woman and Searching for Sylvie Lee

“Compelling and wholly original, the conceit at the center of The Found Object Society—that the rich can experience the death of an individual through the object they last touched—is so juicy it almost feels impossible that the book could also explore the complex emotional, personal world of grief. And yet, Maryk has managed to do it all. This novel is a winner.” —Katy Hays, New York Times bestselling author of The Cloisters

“This feverish tinderbox of a novel simmers with suspense, fueled by Greta, a brazen heroine desperately seeking the truth to her dark past. Maryk has concocted a gripping read, one that does a deep dive into questions surrounding mortality and culpability, money and madness, wrapped up in a unique, brilliantly written novel that kept me gasping for air.” —Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Stolen Queen

“The Found Object Society is a mind-bendingly brilliant exploration of the nature of grief, the seductions of liminal experiences, and how alternate reality can renew, deepen, and destroy us. Addictive and beautifully rendered . . . Michelle Maryk has written one hell of a novel.” —Danielle Trussoni, New York Times bestselling author of The Puzzle Master

“An unforgettable debut with a premise so irresistible you’ll be hooked from the first chapter. The Found Object Society unfolds through multiple stories, each one a vital piece of a larger puzzle, and builds to a mind-boggling twist ending that reframes everything that came before. Multifaceted, intricate, and impossible to put down.” —Angie Kim, New York Times bestselling author of Happiness Falls

Great Read

Compelling, original, and positively cinematic. What an exciting debut novel—looking forward to what comes next.