-
When a burned book falls into the hands of a young bookbinder, she uncovers a tale of forbidden love, a fortune lost … and murder – which puts her own life in jeopardy.
Fans of The Shadow of the Wind and The Thirteenth Tale will love this thrilling historical novel, with an intriguing mystery, which is perfect for lovers of books about books.
‘Thoroughly immersive and atmospheric … This book has everything; adventure, intrigue, romance and a lead character you can really root for’ YOURS BOOK CLUB, Book Editor’s Pick
'A hypnotic novel with fine writing and a skillful ability to discover the culture and society of the past … as it is a really first-rate debut novel, I have selected it as the best book actually published in 2025' THE CRITIC
'Original, exciting, beautifully written' M. W. CRAVEN
‘I devoured this book! Totally immersive and highly atmospheric, this page-turning debut has a magical allure that is utterly captivating’ EVIE WOODS
……………….
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.
Praise for The Bookbinder's Secret:
‘With its irresistible premise and unfolding mystery, The Bookbinder’s Secret kept me hooked until the final page. A. D. Bell has brought every booklover's dream to life!’ ANITA FRANK
'A delicious mystery, superbly plotted, that wraps you up in a good book in more ways than one' HESTER MUSSON
'Totally unputdownable for anyone who loves books and mysteries. I loved every moment' LOUISE HARE
Readers give five stars to The Bookbinder's Secret:
'An incredible read' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'A truly gripping, amazing book' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'It’s what book readers and collectors dream of' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'A mixture of romance, death, sheer willpower and so much more… I never wanted to put it down' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'This is a must read … I honestly can't explain how much I enjoyed this book' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Wow. What an intriguing book' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'This book throws twists at you constantly. It's brilliant' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'I absolutely loved this read … couldn't put it down' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'A well-constructed narrative, with strong, fully-developed characters and a plot that will keep you reading way past bedtime' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Perfect for fans of:
📚Books about books
📜Historical fiction
🔍Hidden mysteries
💗Forbidden romance
🕵🏻♀️Strong FMCs
🎭Colourful side characters
😱Twists, turns, and jaw-dropping secrets
-
All orders are dispatched the next working day. For pre-orders, immediately after publication date.
Delivery Times & Charges
UK: The cost of shipping is calculated based on
the weight of the order, the minimum charge is £3.10 for orders up to 1kg.
Orders over 1kg will be charged £4.10 and orders over 10kg will be charged
£8.14. This will be added during the checkout process. Please allow up to 5 working days for delivery.International: overseas shipping to World Zones 1 to 8: We ship with DHL Standard International Delivery. Postage charges vary according to the weight of your items and the destination country, and are calculated at the checkout. Please allow up to 14 working days for delivery.
Print on Demand: The delivery time for Print on Demand books is 2 - 3 weeks.
Subscriptions
Up to 10 working days, with free postage to UK addresses.
Subscriptions are only available to customers based in the United Kingdom.
eBooks
For eBooks, immediately.
You cannot download an eBook purchased on the Mills & Boon website to a Kindle device, as it doesn't support the file type.
For more information about delivery please visit our delivery page.
-
If you wish to return a book or parcel for whatever reason, please contact customer services.
Please ensure that book(s) are sent back unread, in the original packaging and your dispatch note is included. Without this we will not be able to process your refund or replacement item.
For more information about returns and our eBook policy, please go to our returns page.
-
All of the latest eBooks supplied by Mills & Boon on our website comply with the industry standards of accessibility, in accordance with W3C guidelines. Any images and covers will have a text description for the visually impaired enabled through their device's text-to-speech function and similarly, this complies with digital braille readers and similar devices. The text can also be freely manipulated to allow readers to change every element such as text size, font, colour, line height and margins as suits their accessibility needs.
Monthly Romance Book Subscription
Receive brand new books direct to your door every month, perfect for romance readers!