A young bookbinder begins a hunt for the truth when a confession hidden beneath the binding of a burned book reveals a story of forbidden love, lost fortune, and murder.
Lilian ("Lily") Delaney, apprentice to a master bookbinder in Oxford in 1901, chafes at the confines of her life. She is trapped between the oppressiveness of her father’s failing bookshop and still being an apprentice in a man’s profession. But when she’s given a burned book during a visit to a collector, she finds, hidden beneath the binding, a fifty-year-old letter speaking of love, fortune, and murder.
Lily is pulled into the mystery of the young lovers, a story of forbidden love, and discovers there are more books and more hidden pages telling their story. Lilian becomes obsessed with the story but she is not the only one looking for the remaining books and what began as a diverting intrigue quickly becomes a very dangerous pursuit.
Lily's search leads her from the eccentric booksellers of London to the private libraries of unscrupulous collectors and the dusty archives of society papers, deep into the heart of the mystery. But with sinister forces closing in, willing to do anything for the books, Lilian’s world begins to fall apart and she must decide if uncovering the truth is worth the risk to her own life.
Set in 1901 Oxford, The Bookbinder’s Secret introduces Lillian “Lily” Delaney, whose love for rare books borders on obsession. As an apprentice bookbinder, Lily is privileged to work with precious tomes, yet she is deeply unhappy laboring in her father’s struggling bookshop. Her true passion lies in the art of bookbinding, where she feels most alive and fulfilled.
Lily’s world takes a dangerous turn when she is given a burned book containing an ancient letter hidden underneath its binding. The letter reveals a haunting story of love and murder, and what begins as a tantalizing mystery soon becomes a very real threat to Lily’s safety. Is the danger rooted in the books she treasures, or in the people willing to kill to protect their secrets?
The mystery surrounding the young lovers mentioned in the letter is only the beginning. Possessing both the damaged book and the incomplete letter places Lily squarely in harm’s way. To uncover the full truth, she must track down other copies of the book, each one potentially holding another piece of the puzzle. As her search deepens, Lily’s passion for old books intensifies, and the stakes grow ever higher.
The Bookbinder’s Secret is an outstanding novel that seamlessly weaves together history, romance, secrets, and adventure. For me, the story’s deep reverence for books was an irresistible draw, making this a richly satisfying and immersive read. This grossing read was made even better by an excellent job at narration by Olivia Vinall.
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