'The Bookbinder’s Secret' by A. D. Bell - Atmospheric Historical Mystery

A Reader's Opinion:

Set in Oxford in 1901, The Bookbinder’s Secret introduces Lilian (“Lily”) Delaney, an apprentice bookbinder stifled by the rigid expectations placed on women in the profession, and with a few quirks that make her an interesting character.

The author does a beautiful job with the bookbinding details, drawing you in until you feel like you're there in the bookshop with the leather bindings and dusty shelves. The descriptions of bookbinding were quite interesting, though some may find the focus a bit weighty at times. Lily is a convincing heroine, filled with determination and spirit.

After a start, the pacing picked up with twists and intrigue that combined the mystery with a somewhat contemporary feel, which could appeal to modern readers. The romance definitely took a back seat to the mystery and bookbinding, and it would have been nice to have a little more something there, but for a historical mystery, it kept me engaged.

This is definitely one of those books where the reader should go in filled with curiosity and not expectations for how they think the book should turn out. Just allow yourself to become immersed.

The Bookbinder’s Secret is a nicely written debut: atmospheric, intelligent, and driven by a heroine who refuses to stay bound by convention. For historical mystery fans—especially those with a love of old books (as so many of us book lovers do)—it’s an enjoyable read.

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About the Book

The Bookbinder's Secret

by A.D. Bell

(Retailer Description)

Every book tells a story. This one tells a secret.

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.

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Title: The Bookbinder's Secret

Author: A.D. Bell

Publication date: ‎‎January 13, 2026

Language: ‎ English

Print length: ‎400 pages

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Genres: Historical Fiction / Historical Mystery

Language: ‎English   

Read by: Lizzie

Review Copy Source: NetGalley

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