The Bookseller’s Secret

Catherine Jordan

Average Rating 8/10 (1 Review)

Catherine Jordan's sequel to Seeking Samiel...

Some secrets are meant to be shared; this magic book is one of them, and it will haunt you for the rest of your life. Mason Barry is an American reporter who has risked his life writing and whistle-blowing. His last venture ended with his friend and photographer murdered, and a bounty on his head. Regardless, he dives into the deep web, searching for his next great story. He catches a blurb about the anti-Christ, a woman alive and well, living in South Africa. Supposedly, she has written a magic book. Readers claimed the author’s words not only opened doors to the supernatural, but also compelled them to murder and suicide. Mason heads to Llandudno, a wealthy suburb of Cape Town, to find the book, meet the author, and expose whatever truths he might find. He meets more than a few sketchy characters along the way, and becomes lost in a world he never knew existed.

Review by Nigel (040815) Rating (8/10)

Review by Nigel
Rating 8/10
A book review normally consists of a brief description of the plot and then an opinion. Unfortunately, due to its intricacy, this is no easy feat when it comes to The Bookseller’s Secret as to start to describe the plot becomes a massive spoiler. So, I will do the opinion first and then the description for those who want more.

I really enjoyed The Bookseller’s Secret; it is a remarkably original novel that brings together lots of your standard horror plot elements but in a unique and gripping manner. Nothing in the story is new of itself but the whole is wonderfully engrossing and imagined; the story kept changing my preconceptions to the very end. A great addition to the horror genre and well worth reading for any horror fan.

Spoiler Alert

The Bookseller’s Secret is, unsurprisingly, about a book, but not just any book. The book is a means to an end and anyone that reads it becomes trapped in a surreal world where they are gradually possessed.

The villain of the piece (one of them anyway) is the current author of the book, Eva van Hollinsworth, the immortal reincarnation of Lilith, a demon and the anti-Christ. To this mix we add her husband Jeffrey Thurmont and an investigative journalist Mason Barry, one is the current ‘owner’ of the book, or so he thinks, the other is seeking the book, or so he thinks.

Lilith achieves immortality through reincarnating in her own offspring, the mother dying during childbirth and the daughter becoming the next incarnation. As the story unfolds we find that Eva is dead and her daughter is yet to be named and without a name she has no power. The current father is Jeffrey who realises Eva’s daughter is looking for the next Mr Right to continue her life and his time may well be numbered. As you can imagine he is none too happy about this. So starts a descent into madness for Mason Barry as he pieces all this together in his quest for the book while other interested parties converge for the finale… all not being as it seems.

First rate storytelling that will have you as confused as the protagonists; yours will be a happy confusion of a story well told while theirs will lead to unspeakable horrors…
Nigel (4th August 2015)