*POTENTIAL SPOILERS*

Gripped me from the beginning. I just wanted to keep going to find out what happened next.

At the beginning it's clear that Lily is lonely but feels stuck between proving useful to her Dad and having her own life, being her own person.

She's a woman on a mission and displays sheer strength and determination with anything she does. She has passion in her work and for books which is beautiful.

Mr Caxton is a lovely human, wants the best for her, but also holding her back from fear of losing her. He seems to offer her the fatherly nurture she craves that is missing from her own Dad. I loved this character and found him wonderful, particularly towards the end after he'd realised.

Her Dad is still grieving and although he attempts to try build relationships with her, it doesn't always work that way. She worries deeply about him, but struggles to know how to just be around him. Touched me deeply when in an early chapter, he has a funny turn and she touches to help and realises it's likely been years since they touched. Sad that their relationship is now this way.

Very raw book so far, however honored to have read it!

I was really unsure whether she'd give up on Harry and go with Charlie for a long time, but they worked through this.

I find the snippets of forbidden story so riveting that I experience the same feeling as Lily; no it can't just end there!!

This book throws twists at you constantly. It's brilliant. I wouldn't have expected such a fast pace from a historical novel, yet here it is and has kept me riveted. I've read it all within 24 hours. It's engaged many an emotion. I made prediction and none of them were close to being accurate, really did keep me on my toes.

Oh the final 30 minutes of this book were a whirlwind.

5🌟

Read it ALL in less than 24 hours. Obsessed. The ending sets up for a sequel, I hope so!

I absolutely loved this read. I enjoy anything with books or bookshops. Characters were brillaint and the depth of the hidden notes in books. Couldn't put this down. Have recommended to others

This was one of the those books where the blurb sent shivers down my spine. The premise is that a young female bookbinder (and already I love the fact that it's a female lead in historical fiction) finds a piece of paper secreted in the binding of a burned book. Her desire for answers to the questions it throws up, lead her into the dark underworld of the book business, putting not only her own life, but everything she holds dear, at risk.

As the plot progresses and the reader learns more of Lily's character, I found it increasingly difficult not to think of her as a real person. The challenges she faces - and, more particularly, the ones she has faced in the past - are ones which still face many women today, even in a world where we like to think of ourselves as more enlightened and equitable. The choices she makes and the treatment she receives are so starkly 'female' that when the characters themselves comment on this, I found myself nodding along with them. Whilst this is historical fiction, it has an extremely contemporary feel, but never loses its sense of time and place.

One of the real strengths of this book is that in placing Lily within the bookbinding trade, it allows her to demonstrate that at a time when we, in the twenty-first century, tend to think women had no agency or control over their lives, they were in fact in positions of responsibility and though bound by social constraints, had a degree of control over their lives. Representation of other (what would have been regarded then as) sub-groups within society is also a very welcome side plot, although with one of these, I would have liked more of a sense of closure at the end, as the character seems to simply drift out of the story.

This is a well-constructed narrative, with strong, fully-developed characters and a plot that will keep you reading way past bedtime!

Firstly thank you to HQ and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

*Spoilers Ahead*



Wow. What an intriguing book. This felt like so many stories with a story and honestly it came together so well. I have to say, I did know immediately that Mrs Chand was involved, although I didn't figure out who she was. Lilian hunting the books was just fascinating and the whole plot coming full circle with Dr Ashworth was very clever. The bowler hat man added suspense and I enjoyed reading this, which is evident considering I stayed up until 1am to finish it. Lilian's backstory really set up an understanding of her life and I loved that her relationship with Mr Caxton filled a gap for her father's love and affection. My only thing to note was that I really would have loved for her to have met Isaac. I also wasn't sure what the love affair with Charlie added, as it was clearly always going to be Harry. Overall I really enjoyed this book and am hoping that the end leads to a sequel.

Lily takes us into the intricacies of bookbinding as she is determined to work hard to maintain her place in a man’s world. However, whereas she has the grudging support of her boss, her relationship with her widowed father is more difficult. Lily’s determination and tenacity is stretched to the limit by a chance discovery which leads her into some intriguing and dangerous situations. There is a good mixture of mystery, interesting characters and a bit of romance to keep the reader’s attention.

Lilian Delaney is an apprentice bookbinder. By chance she comes into possession of an old book that holds a secret. The book is part of a set of six and she sets out to recover the other books and discover the secrets they hold. Unfortunately, someone else also wants the books and so begins a race to uncover the mystery.
The story is set in Oxford in 1901. The historical setting doesn't really come across in the story. Lilian is a very modern woman, and she feels anachronistic. The story is slow paced and at times too descriptive. I never really took to the characters and the story, itself, was a bit daft and unrealistic.
The premise sounded so good, but the book was rather disappointing.

A burned book which holds secrets that only a bookbinder's apprentice wants to uncover - this book uses the sprawl of Victorian trains to allow the heroine to zip around and piece together a long hidden mystery that hides behind endpapers.

I found the opening chapters quite slow and I think it would have been good if the parallel love story had got started a bit quicker as I didn't feel that Lillian's obsession with the burned book was that convincing initially, particularly compared to the other things she had going on in her life. I'll admit that I did guess early on that the woman on the train may have more than a passing interest in the book so the ending wasn't much of a surprise despite the various machinations along the way.

This book reminded me of The Night Circus, without the magic but with the dark academia mystery so I'd recommend to fans of that book. Similarly, I would recommend to people who are interested in bookbinding or Victorian love stories!

Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC. I loved this book, after reading, I immediately went to look for a physical copy! Set in Oxford at the beginning of the 20th Century, we follow the life and adventures of Lily, a female bookbinder. Oh to find a real-life mystery within a book, it’s what book readers and collectors dream of. Great story and I’d be happy for more tales of Lily.

Set in Oxford in 1901, "The Bookbinder's Secret" centres on Lilian "Lily" Delaney, an apprentice bookbinder trying to carve a place for herself within the societal limitations of the time. When she comes into possession of a burned book with remnants of what seems to be a fifty-year-old note, hidden within its binding, hinting at a tale of forbidden love, lost fortune, and murder, she is drawn in and determined to solve the mystery of the notes author; leading her on a quest to find other hidden books that hold more pieces of this puzzle. What begins as a harmless endeavour soon becomes more perilous as it quickly seems other parties may also be trying to solve this mystery and they are willing to do whatever it takes to do so.

Bell has crafted an enjoyable mystery which is well-constructed, with enough twists and turns that keep readers engaged and enough to let you join the dots / guess a few of the 'reveals' ahead of time if you're so inclined. The central character of Lily is easy to warm to and the attention to the skills of bookbinding and to the period detail of early 20th century England make it easy to lose yourself in the narrative.

If you are a sucker for novels about old books – The Dumas Club, The Shadow of the Wind etc – and I am, then this is for you. Also, the fact that the author of the books being looked for in the novel are ones by an 'Abel Bell' also made me smile. Good fun.

Whilst collecting a book which needs rebinding Lilian is given another book which has been saved from a fire. It’s badly burnt and as a lover of books and an apprentice bookbinder, Lilian can’t understand why the book was thrown on a fire. And then, discovering a hidden letter she is determined to discover the bigger story, but it will bring danger and harm to her and others she holds close. Sometimes bogged down with descriptions of the intricacies of the art of bookbinding, I enjoyed the story, how it developed and the final outcome.
My thanks to Net Galley and the author for an ARC.

Firstly, thank you HQ for allowing me to review this book!
I loved this book! It was right up my street as it is a historical fiction book, a genre I adore. The book is set in Oxford in 1901, with the main character, Lilian Delaney, an apprentice bookbinder. Lilian also has a love of books through her father's bookshop. However, we see the confines of being a woman at this time due to the oppressive nature of society, in which women of Lilian's age are expected to marry and have children. However, Lilian has a strong character and is extremely independent. Her character is lovable throughout and I especially loved her close relationship with Mr Caxton her bookbinder master. Their relationship is nearly more father-daughter than Lily's relationship with her father, which is troubled due to the death of her mother and his depression.

At the beginning of this story, Lily's life takes an unexpected turn when she finds a burned book with a hidden love letter within, which talks of love and murder. This book sets Lily on a quest to find out the truth of this letter and the people within the letter. Her journey sees her discover that there are several other books with secrets laid within, and Lily is drawn even further into this mystery. However, the journey turns dangerous as she isn't the only one seeking these books.

As the reader, you can tell that this book was researched in detail in terms of bookbinding. I found the author included so many interesting aspects of bookbinding in the book as well as clearly showing their love of books as well as making Lily have this love of books. I loved the mystery element to the story within the book with the letters, it was so fascinating and kept me wanting to read more to find out the truth. It definitely gives a sense of mystery, romance, suspense and emotion throughout the book, with a couple of curveballs for Lily throughout. Overall an excellent book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. I loved the atmosphere that the author set up and the pacing was brilliant. It's definitely a book I would read again and recommend to other historical fiction lovers.

I enjoyed this novel tremendously. I like a mystery and I love bookbinding: neither element disappointed! The storyline is a bit farfetched perhaps, but is suitably bookish, held my interest throughout, and ultimately doesn't take itself *too* seriously (for example, the elusive author is an Abel Bell... and the writer of this fun and intelligent historical mystery is... A D Bell...). We learn a fair bit of the bookbinding scene at the turn of the 20c and of the bookbinding craft itself in a convincing manner, which is a joy. The writing style is excellent, with economic yet apposite descriptions of place and characters, and a wonderful way of intermingling fact and fiction - real pubs and streets, adapted shops (I loved how an imaginary bookbinder's premises are set in Rochester Row, SW1 where in point of fact one of the best bookbinders in London, Shepherds, has their own!). I hope it is clear I loved this recreation of Oxford, London and beyond!!! in search of the elusive books containing.... but that would be to spoil a good story.... let's just say I am totally looking forward to the next adventure (hinted in the last paragraph of the book) of Miss Delaney. Her career, love interests, mentors and acquaintances have been laid out in such a way that I very much hope have a long life. After all, she is just 25!! An intelligent entertainment indeed. Hope it gets a proper, beautiful cover.

A.D.Bell ...the author of this tale has named her book well, but should perhaps have added an "s".
This gothic style novel, and it's author are full of various kinds of secrets.
Isobel and William's secret doomed love story,
Lilian's secret search for six books, each hiding a secret themselves.
Lilian's secret she keeps from her loyal friend Harry
Bookbinders with secrets they hide from society.
And book collectors who have secrets of their own abd various secretive reasons for seeking titles to collect.
A twisty tale of murder, revenge and obsession, The Bookbinder's Secret is crammed full of incident, threat and a whole lot of train travel as Lilian crosses the country searching for six books, their author and the secret story held hidden in their pages.
It certainly is a fast moving and intriguing tale, and I read through it very fast, quite caught up in it's plot.
It's a great book to pick up on a murky night and immerse yourself in an over the top gothic mystery.
Not one to live on in the mind, but good fun at the time!
Thank you to HQ stories Harper Collins and NetGalley for an earc of this title in return for an honest review.

Set at the beginning of the 20th century, in 1901, this is the tale of Lillian Delaney, living in Oxford with her widowed, bookshop owner, father.

In a world traditionally dominated by men, Lillian goes against the norm and is working as an apprentice bookbinder for the fabulous but elderly Mr Caxton. She is sent to go and meet a prospective client, and whilst there, she aquires a book that will change her life.

Burnt badly and smelling as bad as it looks, Lillian can't help but prioritise this book over all others. It seems to call to her. Only, when carefully lifting away the cover, she finds a letter, or maybe a love story, one that has no beginning or end. She soon realises, by its markings, this is one of six, so where are the other five?

From that moment on, Lillian is pulled into a dangerous world, one she has never had to navigate before, let alone on her own.

On her search, which sends her gallivanting across the country, she meets all walks of life, the good, the bad, and the ugly! And when she is threatened, she knows she has no other choice but to carry on her search, no matter what the consequences.

The atmosphere this tale elicited was phenomenal. It felt like I was walking the backstreets of the set of 'Oliver'. The detailing of every sight and sound literally had me there, walking alongside Lillian.

The characterisation was perfectly executed, and one character in particular, Ambrose Fane, had me wanting to be his friend, I adored his eccentricity.

It's quite obvious just how much research into the magical profession of book binding and restoration the author went to, it added an amazing element to the whole plot, not jist glazing over it but actually explaining it that gave that extra layer of interest.

A mix of mystery, intrigue, romance, suspense, and emotion, this is a must read!

I honestly can't explain just how much I enjoyed this book. It gripped me completely from the very beginning, and I carried it around with me to read at every given opportunity.

Huge thanks to Netgalley and HQ for the ARC.

This book increased my knowledge of book binding, which was very interesting. The actual story, built around six books each of which contained a hidden letter / diary plot device, caused the heroine to gallivant across the country and this was engaging too. I was slightly disappointed with the ending, as I hoped all parties would be reunited, but tantalisingly, they weren’t.

When apprentice bookbinder Lilian finds a letter hidden in a burned book she is cast into a dangerous cat-and-mouse game that puts her life and those of her loved ones at risk.

She becomes obsessed with the series of books by A D Bell which have false titles and other hidden letters and tell the story of a rich debutante locked away by her family to keep her away from her lover.

As Lilian becomes gradually more obsessed with the books and their story, she must solve the mystery, outwit the people on her tail, and take firmer control of her own future before she loses everything.

A bibliophile mystery set in turn-of-the-century Oxford.

This story is set in 1901 and is the story of Lilian Delaney, an apprentice bookbinder. As well as developing this skill, she also works and cares for her elderly father, a professional bookbinder

Bookbinding is literally Lillian’s life so when she finds a badly burned book she gets involved in a dangerous secret. Someone has worked hard to keep this a secret

I really enjoyed this book, it was a bit of a slow burner to begin with but I liked getting to know the characters. Lillian was a good strong and likeable female lead. She’s learning her craft in a male dominated workplace.

There’s mystery and love and murder, a highly recommended read

This book is well worth the reading time

A trudge to get thru the first chapters. Far too much detail on bookbinding that drained the life out of the story.
After that the story moves on a pace. There is something off about the behaviours of the main protagonist as if a 21st Century girl was living in 1900’s. It removes a lot of the authenticity.

I enjoyed this story, it’s a period piece which got my attention and I liked the detailed research the author had obviously done. It flowed really well.

The idea behind this book, the secretion of letters in book bindings is a good one. However, although this is set in 1901, it is full of anachronistic descriptions - mugging for example. The female protagonist speaks and acts if she is in the 21st century rather than the 20th. Alas this really distracted me from the story and finishing the book.