Bibliomysteries Series by F. Paul Wilson, David Crommett, Anne Perry, John Connolly, Christopher Fowler

An ancient scroll draws a bookseller into a chilling mysteryMonty Danforth finds the tin buried beneath a shipment of leather-bound classics. Inside is a millennia-old vellum manuscript written in an unfamiliar but unmistakably ancient language. Danforth tries to photocopy and photograph it, but he ends up with blank images, as though the ink were made of something impervious to modern technology... moreAn ancient scroll draws a bookseller into a chilling mysteryMonty Danforth finds the tin buried beneath a shipment of leather-bound classics. Inside is a millennia-old vellum manuscript written in an unfamiliar but unmistakably ancient language. Danforth tries to photocopy and photograph it, but he ends up with blank images, as though the ink were made of something impervious to modern technology. As the scroll’s mystery enchants him, this hapless bookseller falls into a cutthroat conspiracy that he may never escape. Soon a dead-eyed old man and his granddaughter come calling for the scroll. Danforth refuses to sell them the manuscript, but they will not be the last to demand it. Powerful forces crave the secrets locked within this ancient document, and Danforth will survive only if he can master its power. less

In the 15th century, the Spanish Inquisition spreads terror throughout the land, with Prior Toms de Torquemada serving as the ultimate judge of who will live and who will be consigned to the purifying flames. Never has Torquemada questioned his own faith or his sacred duty to rid the world of heretics, blasphemers, and nonbelievers. Now, however, an extraordinary volume has come into his possession—an ancient book that radiates pure evil... moreIn the 15th century, the Spanish Inquisition spreads terror throughout the land, with Prior Toms de Torquemada serving as the ultimate judge of who will live and who will be consigned to the purifying flames. Never has Torquemada questioned his own faith or his sacred duty to rid the world of heretics, blasphemers, and nonbelievers. Now, however, an extraordinary volume has come into his possession—an ancient book that radiates pure evil. The prior realizes this abomination must be destroyed along with anyone who has come into contact with it, for it is surely the devil’s work, corrupting and possessing all those who touch it. But whom can Torquemada trust to help him achieve his mission now that The Compendium of Srem has passed through numerous hands…including his own? less

This is Chris Fowler's contribution to Mysterious Bookshop's Bibliomysteries series.The original manuscript of Bram Stoker's DRACULA, heavily edited before publicaion, is now lost, which means that the removed chapter concerning Count Dracula's bewitched library may never be read again. But for Carter, a New York-based scholar of Stoker's work, there is still hop to find that missing material: a storied edition of the text bound in blue cloth, so rare that many doubt it ever existed at all... moreThis is Chris Fowler's contribution to Mysterious Bookshop's Bibliomysteries series.The original manuscript of Bram Stoker's DRACULA, heavily edited before publicaion, is now lost, which means that the removed chapter concerning Count Dracula's bewitched library may never be read again. But for Carter, a New York-based scholar of Stoker's work, there is still hop to find that missing material: a storied edition of the text bound in blue cloth, so rare that many doubt it ever existed at all. After years hunting for the so-called 'blue edition' he believes it to be held in the collection of Viscria, a small village nestled in the Carpathian mountains. To get there, he must enlist the aid of a German bookseller and form an uneasy alliance with his academic rival, a wealthy antiquarian named Mikaela Klove. But beneath Viscria's picturesque old-world exterior lurks something sinister, and its source will be found in the pages Carter so desperately seeks. less

In this “utterly enchanting” Edgar and Anthony Award–winning novella, a book lover uncovers a secret world of literary wonders (Irish Times).   A voracious reader, Mr. Berger leads a solitary but satisfying life. Preferring the company of books to that of people, he’s looking forward to an early retirement in the English countryside, where he can spend his remaining years nestled comfortably between the pages of classic literature... moreIn this “utterly enchanting” Edgar and Anthony Award–winning novella, a book lover uncovers a secret world of literary wonders (Irish Times).   A voracious reader, Mr. Berger leads a solitary but satisfying life. Preferring the company of books to that of people, he’s looking forward to an early retirement in the English countryside, where he can spend his remaining years nestled comfortably between the pages of classic literature. But his serene life is disrupted when he witnesses a woman with a distinctive red traveling bag fling herself before a train. If Mr. Berger isn’t mistaken, he’s just seen the climax of Anna Karenina reenacted on the Exeter-to-Plymouth railway. Though there is no body on the tracks, and the destiny of the tragic victim was written nearly a century before, Mr. Berger still longs to rescue her.   The investigation leads him to the Caxton Private Lending Library & Book Depository, where the living breathing characters of literary invention are under the guardianship of a curious caretaker—and where, for Mr. Berger, the line between fiction and reality will blur beyond comprehension. less