Jacob Finch Bonner is a struggling author. Long ago, he wrote a moderately successful book but has had writer's block ever since and has been unable to produce anything of any merit. Ultimately, he recognizes that he is a has-been. He works to write a new novel.
To that end, Bonner, who also teaches at a Masters of Fine Arts program at a college in Vermont, one day stumbles upon an idea for a book that was developed by one of his deceased students. That student had always bragged that the story would be a "guaranteed bestseller," but Bonner didn't believe him - until he hears the student's plot.
When Bonner learned of the student's death, he very quickly used the student's ideas and began to write what became his new novel. Entitled Crib, Bonner's new novel received worldwide critical acclaim and was a profound financial success. The deceased student, in other words, was right: his novel was a guaranteed bestseller.
One day, while enjoying the profound success of his new novel, Bonner receives an email from someone claiming - correctly - that he was a thief. After this email, an email campaign begins aimed to scare and shame Bonner. The trouble is that the deceased student likely stole the idea for his novel from someone else. As Bonner begins to uncover the truth behind his dead student and the plot of his book, he must also deal with the fallout from the controversy and contend with his publisher, the general public, his friends, and his family - none of whom are happy.
