The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown

Book Blurb
Because some doors should never be opened.

New York bookseller Cassie Andrews is not sure what she’s doing with her life. She lives quietly, sharing an apartment with her best friend, Izzy. Then a favourite customer gives her an old book. Full of strange writing and mysterious drawings, at the very front there is a handwritten message:

This is the Book of Doors. Hold it in your hand, and any door is every door.

Cassie is about to discover that the Book of Doors is a special book – a magic book. A book that bestows extraordinary abilities on whoever possesses it. And she is about to learn that there are other magic books out there that can also do wondrous – or dreadful and terrifying – things.

Because where there is magic there is power and there are those who will stop at nothing to possess it.

Suddenly Cassie and Izzy are confronted by violence and danger, and the only person who can help them is Drummond Fox who has a secret library of magical books hidden in the shadows for safekeeping, a man fleeing his own demons. Because there is a nameless evil out there that is hunting them all . . .

Because this book is worth killing for.

My Review

The Book of Doors has been on my Amazon wishlist since last year so I was very grareful to receive a copy to review. What drew me to this book was the idea of a magic book that meant the owner could travel anywhere immediately, including to the past. When reading The Book of Doors I realised that it was more than just a book about a magic, it is a thriller, with lots of menace, it has adventure, time travel, and intrigue.

The Book of Doors was a revelation to me, in that there was a lot more to it than I originally thought. I loved the fast pace of this book, there was never a dull moment, meaning that I honestly couldn’t put it down. There is such a wonderful cast of characters, all have a quirkiness to them and some are absolutely terrifying. Cassie is the main protagonist of the book, a young woman working in a bookstore in New York who is left the Book of Doors by a regular customer Mr Webber. I loved Cassie and could relate to her on many levels, her joy in books, her wanting to use the book to visit her grandad rather than for the evil it could be used for. Her relationship with the other characters was very natural, she was kind and loyal to those she befriended, but as the plot progressed her dogged determination came out, her need to do the right thing even if it meant putting herself in danger. I was fascinated with her relationship with book collector, the enigmatic Drummond Fox, they had a lot in common including their wariness of trusting each other. Fox shows her the evil that wants to possess her book and others like it.I was really hoping for a romance between them, but Gareth Brown cleverly keeps this ambiguous.

Gareth Brown has a fantastic imagination that shines through in his writing. It is not only the Book of Doors that he creates, there are a whole library of others including The Book of Shadows, The Book of Despair, The Book of Pain and The Book of Mists. Some of these books, by account of their names, are used to control, to hurt and to kill. It is through these books that Gareth Brown adds a sinsister element and more than a touch of horror, most through a character that is simply called The Woman, a nightmarish character. This book flows beautifully, and kept my attention with the intrigue, adventure and twists and turns of the plot. For balance there is also Cassie’s heartwarming relationships with her Grandfather and Mr Webber.

The Book of Doors is a stunning debut from Gareth Brown. It works on so many levels and will appeal to so many readers with its complex plot and mix of magic, suspense, fantasy and a touch of horror. I found this an accomplished and beautifully written book with aimiable characters and compelling plot; who doesn’t like a book about books and saving books!!. Perfectly plotted with a dark undercurrent this is a stunning read.

I’d like to thank Bantam Books via NetGalley for my copy of this book in return for my honest review.