The Bookbinder's Secret: one book's secret and one woman's journey to discover it

The Bookbinder’s Secret by A.D. Bell is a story of how one book tells a secret and one woman’s journey to discover it. Lillian “Lily” Delaney is an apprentice to a master bookbinder in Oxford in 1901 and feels trapped. Trapped by her father’s failing bookshop. Trapped by still being an apprentice. When she is given a burned book by a book collector, where she finds something hidden binding, a letter speaking of love, fortune, and murder. Lilly is pulled into a mystery of young lovers, forbidden love, and discovers there are more books with more hidden secrets. She quickly becomes obsessed with the story and that obsession becomes dangerous. She discovers someone is looking for the same books and is ready to kill for them. As she searches, sinister forces are closing in and her life begins to fall apart, she must decide if the truth is worth her life. 

The Bookbinder’s Secret is a slow moving train at first as Lilly discovers the hidden letter. As she innocently searches for the truth, she doesn’t realize she is being watched until it is too late. The train speeds up and I was hooked as Lilly is determined to find the truth, find the individuals in the letter, solve the mystery and restore her life as best she can. I loved the look into bookbinding and the cutthroat business of book collecting. The pieces to the mystery were intriguing as well. There is a cast of unsavory characters whom Lilly must trust despite the danger she is in and the reveal of who is behind it all was a shocker! Overall, I enjoyed this story and when I closed the book I sat in awe at the twists and turns. If you enjoy historical fiction with a mystery, I highly recommend The Bookbinder’s Secret. 

The Bookbinder’s Secret is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook