The Library Thief
On sale
6th March 2025
Price: £9.99
The Binding
meets The Vanishing Half in this extraordinary historical debut – perfect for readers who love gothic mysteries with books at the heart of them, as well as stories about people often overlooked by history.‘Intriguingly and superbly plotted. Weaves race, identity, feminism, sexuality and class into a beguiling mystery’ Woman & Home
Some secrets are too scandalous to conceal…
Since they left Jamaica for England, Florence’s father has tried to tame her – from hot-combing her unruly hair, to training her in the art of bookbinding. But when Florence brings scandal to his door, he throws her onto the streets.
Florence has nowhere to turn, but intercepting her father’s commission to restore a private library, she talks her way into the remote, imposing Rose Hall. There, even the wonders of Lord Belfield’s library can’t distract Florence from the whisper of scandal around the late lady of the house and her black maid.
Then one night, someone breaks into the library – yet strangely, they take none of the priceless tomes. Discovering a half-burned diary in the fireplace, Florence holds the key to a mystery that will reshape everything she knows about herself, and shake Rose Hall to its very foundations . . .
‘Swells with secrecy and intrigue’ Candice Carty-Williams, author of Queenie
‘A love letter to the golden age of Du Maurier and Bronte. Lyrical, beguiling and powerfully relevant’ Juno Dawson, author of Her Majesty’s Royal Coven
‘If this book’s a thief of anything – it was of my attention. I was hooked’ Cari Thomas, author of Threadneedle
‘Powerful and wholly original’ Joanne Burn, author of The Hemlock Cure
‘Gut-wrenchingly conveys a unique historical perspective on race, gender and sexuality. [For] fans of Sarah Waters and Bridget Collins’ Library Journal
‘I was blown away’ Stacey Thomas, author of The Revels
‘Atmospheric, compelling Victorian gothic with a fresh twist’ Freya Berry, author of The Birdcage Library
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Reviews
A delightful Jane Austen/Bridgerton mystery romp with themes that speak directly to the world we live in today
The Library Thief is an epic tale of class, race, gender, and self-discovery, a story full of surprises not only for the characters but for its readers. Propulsive, twisty, filled with evocative detail told through a contemporary lens, it constantly upends everything we think we know
This debut gut-wrenchingly conveys a unique historical perspective on race, gender, and sexuality . . . Shenje shines a light on LGBTQIA+ love and people of color in Victorian England . . . Fans of Sarah Waters and Bridget Collins might have in Shenjé a new author to add to their TBR lists
Atmospheric and compelling. Victorian gothic with a fresh twist
I was blown away by Kuchenga Shenjé's debut The Library Thief and her memorable protagonist Florence, who takes up a job at Rose Hall as a bookbinder. Like Florence, I was swept up with the mystery of her employer's late wife's diaries and how deftly the author ties this into uncovering Florence's background. The Library Thief is a beautifully crafted story full of nuanced characters, gothic undertones and plenty of heart
A tantalising read that swells with secrecy and intrigue. It's hard to believe that Kuchenga Shenjé writes of the past, and not of the present. A beautifully and skilfully written debut
Fans of Kate Morton's books and Diane Setterfield's The Thirteenth Tale will devour this novel . . . Shenjé rightfully joins a distinguished line of authors who love books and secrets and know exactly how to combine the two
The Library Thief just seeps into you with its breathtaking prose, weaving together a beautiful tapestry of intrigue and passion and nuance. It's a novel so intricate and considered in its construction, it's hard to believe these characters aren't real. Truly a debut for the ages!
With layers of intrigue, this captivating debut historical novel ultimately focuses on the power of inclusivity, hope, and love
An intriguing premise, an old library and long-kept secret . . . this arresting saga has it all
A love letter to the golden age of Du Maurier and Bronte, The Library Thief is lyrical, beguiling and powerfully relevant
The best part of the book is the unexpected twist at the end that ties up the murder mystery. Kudos to Shenjé for that surprise ending
Powerful, sagacious and warm, The Library Thief is both a gripping, multi-layered mystery and a gorgeously absorbing novel that demanded I return to its pages whenever I had the audacity to set it down. Without a doubt, Shenjé's wholly original debut has bestseller written all over it
A compelling novel that starts as a mystery and grows into a coming-of-age story, examining identity, belonging, loneliness and friendship within the restrictive and stifling world of late Victorian society. The Library Thief is filled with fantastically drawn characters and with a love of books that shines through the prose
Intriguingly and superbly plotted . . . Shenjé weaves race, identity, feminism, sexuality and class into a beguiling mystery
If this book's a thief of anything - it was my attention. I was hooked, the story opening with the tantalising traditions of a gothic mystery and then unfurling in unexpected directions, threading themes of identity, sexuality and a woman's impossible choices into an intricate web of mysteries that would not let me go