Will has left his life of crime behind and started over. But his past isn’t willing to let him go. When his daughter returns to the house covered in blood and with a strange package drawing him back into the underworld of forged rare books, he knows his nemesis Henry Slader has returned. This time his daughter Nicole must help him forge copies of Edgar Allen Poes Tamerlane, or Will and his family will suffer.

This book is a sequel to the authors first books, The Forgers, which I haven’t read, but I don’t think you need to read that book to enjoy this one.

The plot of this book is a thriller, with the threat of death and violence around the family. It alternates between Will’s voice and that of his wife, their differing perspectives, and this adds a layer of tension as they each know things they’re not 100% honest about with each other. It has the kind of swift flow, dialogue and style that you’d expect of a thriller, perhaps a little cheesey sometimes, but it works and it’s entertaining.

What makes this fun is that it’s all about books. I found the descriptions of the book being forged really relaxing and interesting. It’s all about inks, binding, vintage thread binding stitches, slants, nibs, printing blocks. It’s also all about the history of books, especially Tamerlane by Poe, with it’s rarity and value. I loved all of this. It’s a real bibliophile’s mystery. And it’s in these times that the book really shines.

If you get the hardback that you can see above, it’s so beautiful. The dust cover is designed to look aged and water stained. The page edges inside are deckled edged, which is that rough edge that older books used to have that’s back in fashion again. And the end papers are really pretty, with their antique handwriting design. It’s a really pleasant book to hold and to read. I know, don’t judge a book by it’s cover, but honestly, it’s a beautiful book.

I think the cover is maybe more serious than the contents. It’s not a dry book or a hard read. It reads like a modern thriller or mystery, and is a great Summer or Autumn read for that reason. I liked this. It’s a fast book, with a few little twists in the plot and characters who aren’t one dimensional.

Read It If: a book lovers book. If you like biblio-thrillers, you’ll like this.

Thank you PGC Books for the ARC of this book for honest review.

The Forgers is out September 18th.