📆 Publication Date: 6th November 2025
⭐️4/5 stars
📖 Length: 442 pages
📱 Format: ePUB
⏳ Read Time: 10 days
Synopsis
What danger could lie within a book?
‘I wish you had not killed him.’
Lilian Delaney, apprentice to a master bookbinder in Oxford in 1901, chafes at the confines of her life, caught between the oppressive walls of her father’s bookshop and the limitations of being a woman in a man’s profession. But when a burned book comes into her possession, she finds hidden beneath the binding a fifty-year-old letter speaking of love, fortune and murder.
Lily is drawn into the mystery, which hints at a forbidden romance between young lovers, and learns there are other books which conceal more of the story. Lily becomes obsessed with finding them, but she is not the only one looking, and what began as a simple intrigue quickly turns dangerous.
Her journey takes her across the country, to the eccentric booksellers of London, private libraries of unscrupulous collectors and the dusty archives of society papers, as she delves further into the heart of the secret. But with sinister forces closing in, willing to do anything to obtain the books, Lily’s world begins to fall apart, and she must decide if uncovering the truth is worth losing everything.
What I thought
Okay, I’m very late with this review, again! Illness has been keeping me off my usual schedule, but I finally managed to get this one down.
The Bookbinder’s Secret by A.D. Bell pulled me in quietly but surely from the very first page. I’m always a sucker for anything that gives a peek behind the scenes of books, libraries, and binders, so getting a glimpse into a bookbinder’s world was such a treat. There’s something really romantic about the craft, and Bell captures that mix of ink, glue, and nostalgia beautifully.
The story hits a lovely balance of mystery, romance, and intrigue. I’ll admit though, I worked out the twist a bit earlier than expected. But honestly? That didn’t take away from my enjoyment. I still loved the journey, the atmosphere, and the way the story unfolded.
It’s cosy, clever, and satisfying.
What I loved most was how it made me think of all those second-hand books I’ve picked up with inscriptions in the first few pages. There’s something quietly magical about those little notes, tiny echoes of someone else’s life, and this book really captured that feeling for me.
All in all, it’s a well-constructed, enjoyable read. If you like cosy mysteries with a literary twist, this one’s definitely worth picking up.
If you’re curious to check it out yourself, you can grab a copy:
On Amazon – here
Bookshop.Org – here
Thanks to NetGalley, HQ and the author for this ARC in return for an honest review.
Until next time… ✨
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