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Often the most enjoyable books cross our paths through recommendations from readers with similar tastes and interests, and this was my case with Eddie Bell’s debut novel, The bookbinder’s secret.
My local bookstore in Bend, circular book, regularly invites her staff to share their book picks, and one of the booksellers is Sarah, Recommend this Oxford set mystery. I immediately took note. Picking up the book this past February, I plowed through it over the course of a few days, eager to find answers to protagonist Lily Delaney’s many questions as she tries to solve a mystery found between the layers of a book cover given to her by a client, hidden by a fellow bookbinder years ago.
But first, let me rewind.
Set in 1901, Lillian Delany is a bibliophile, but not just any bibliophile; He is a skilled, up-and-coming bookbinder, learning the trade as an apprentice under Mr. Craxton in Oxford, England. Growing up in a family with a father who owned an old bookstore, he was surrounded by books from an early age. And while the relationship between him and his father is far from loving, as he wants to make his own way in the world and not be constrained by the limited paths allowed for women, he looks out for his wife, while struggling with the weight of grief after his mother dies.
The primary plot, however, centers on something far removed from his family, but directly tied to his bookbinding trade. He is given a book, a book containing encrypted signals, designed to save life and protect love. With a determination she cannot ignore, Lily ensures that those who caused pain are thwarted, and those who love are reunited, if still possible. Along the way, she navigates her own love life and passion in life, one of which she has become quite skilled at – bookbinding. And we, the readers, learn a lot about this technical trade that we rarely hear about today, but oh, what an industry it is.
At around 400 pages in length, the short chapters keep you intrigued and wanting to continue as Lily wanders around England. First from Oxford to London, and then to many other counties around the country as she tries to guess what the clues are trying to tell her, while trying to keep herself and her loved ones out of harm’s way.
This novel kept me up early in the morning until I finished it. It was quite an easy decision to choose this first novel as Petit Plassier Episode #421And if you love a strong female protagonist, a historical British setting and a mystery solving as well as a book world centered around it, then I’m sure this is a book you’ll enjoy.
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