The annals of crime and mystery writing are full of authors who never got the right break and toiled without the critical and commercial acclaim they truly deserved. I could begin a long list here. Likewise in mainstream literature and other genres, actually. The vagaries of the marketplace, publishing at the wrong time or in the wrong place, being with an unsuitable publisher, not being supported with enough marketing and publicity—the reasons are many and have, most times, nothing to do with the quality of the writing or the narrative. These days, the majority of authors are increasingly savvy, and the tools offered by the Internet (blogs, vlogs, websites, social networks, and all that) can help. But too many are still slipping through the cracks.
Emily St. John Mandel is one of them, and I have come to sing her praises.