New Zealander Eleanor Catton , 28 , wins Man Booker Prize for `` The Luminaries '' The murder mystery is set on New Zealand 's West Coast during the 1860s gold rush . The 28-year old 's book , a murder mystery set on New Zealand 's remote , forbidding West Coast during the 1860s gold rush and featuring seances , opium and a dead hermit , was described by the judges at the time it was shortlisted as a `` Kiwi Twin Peaks . '' Catton is three years younger than the previous youngest winner . Hide Caption
New Zealander Eleanor Catton , 28 , wins Man Booker Prize for `` The Luminaries '' The murder mystery is set on New Zealand 's West Coast during the 1860s gold rush . Catton is three years younger than the previous youngest winner . Hide Caption