Bookish

by Matthew Sweet

Adapted from the upcoming major U&alibi series created by Mark Gatiss

Matthew Sweet's novelisation of Bookish is based on a brand new six-part TV series coming to U&alibi this summer, set in post-war London in 1946, about an enigmatic independent bookshop owner who helps the local police solve crimes.

Gabriel Book is an erudite and unconventional London bookseller married to Trottie, the owner of the wallpaper shop next door. He is also a sleuth who uses the chaotic riches of his stock to crack the puzzling cases that come his way.

He does not work alone. Book's shop is a magnet for waifs and strays - one of whom is an aspiring writer called Nora. Unlike the TV series, the novel will re-tell the crime stories from Nora's perspective.

Clever, endearing and entertaining, Bookish is a warm-hearted and unexpected mystery, about books, murder and the secrets we all keep.

Genres: Crime, Mystery, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Books About Books, Murder Mystery

400 pages, Hardcover

Published October 7, 2025

About the author

Matthew Sweet is an English journalist, broadcaster, author, and cultural historian. A graduate of the University of Oxford, where he earned a doctorate on Wilkie Collins, he has contributed to The Oxford Companion to English Literature and served as a film and television critic for The Independent on Sunday.
Sweet has written extensively on British cinema, most notably in Shepperton Babylon: The Lost Worlds of British Cinema (2005), a history of Shepperton Studios and the early British film industry, which was later adapted into a television documentary. His other books include Inventing the Victorians (2001), which challenges common misconceptions about the Victorian era, and The West End Front (2011), a history of London’s grand hotels during World War II. He has also explored Cold War intrigue in Operation Chaos (2018).
A prominent broadcaster, Sweet has presented numerous BBC television and radio programmes, including Silent Britain, Checking into History, and British Film Forever. He is the host of BBC Radio 3’s Sound of Cinema, which examines film scores and composers, and has been a regular presenter on Free Thinking (formerly Night Waves). His BBC Radio 4 series The Philosopher's Arms explores philosophical themes before a live audience.
A lifelong Doctor Who fan, Sweet has written several audio dramas and short stories set in the Doctor Who universe and has presented numerous documentaries on the series, including Me, You and Doctor Who for the 50th anniversary. He has also conducted in-depth interviews with key figures from the show for its DVD and Blu-ray releases.

Reviews

[K.J. Charles]

I bought this assuming it was the basis for the TV show rather than a novelisation. But Also I like Matthew Sweet's non fic a lot, so.

I didn't love this. The point of view bounces around in rather a TVish way, and I feel like the author has leaned in to people having rather loaded noun surnames a bit obviously, and mostly it's three separate cases rather than a coherent whole. Might feel completely differently if I'd watched the TV show, perhaps, but as it is I didn't quite feel it worked as a novel, though the historical background is great. I also wish Mark Gatiss would do like one positive happy non-doomed queer relationship in any art form, that would be nice.

[Tyler Phillip Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If this book/show wasn’t made for me I don’t know what is! A bookshop owner that solves murders?!

Mr Book is a very smart, sarcastic and quirky man who owns an antiquarian bookshop called “Book’s”. He also helps to solve crimes, such as murder… With a few secrets himself… Oh and a special letter from Churchill. He has become one of my favourite book/show characters ever! @themarkgatiss has created such an incredible character that he brought to life on screen.

This book is split into 3 different stories (“Slightly Foxed” , “Deadly Nitrate” and “Such Devoted Sisters”) that span over 6 + months. Each with its own equally as interesting twits and turns. As well as some interesting, compelling, complex and sometimes odd characters.

The overall story is fantastic. It being set just after World War 2 in London was really fun. And made things a bit more eerie. I loved the development for all the characters were great! I had fun reading and watching these quirky characters. Mr and Mrs Book are an interesting couple to say the least! But they are so amazing together. They kinda gave Ed and Lorraine Warren vibes. (Mostly because of the show and they both would wear the same colour as part of their outfit) I especially loved the development and bound between Book and Jack, I’m excited to see what happens with them in season 2/a 2nd book… Hopefully. The murders were great, all felt completely different from each other. “Slightly Foxed” was my personal favourite.

Matthew has done incredible job bringing the characters from the show into the book. Added some little details that I really enjoyed! Him and Mark have done an amazing job with the show. I highly recommend it, as well as the book… Obviously!

I decided to watch the TV show before reading the book and I think it helped with visualisation of 1946’s London. And especially the characters. With how they act, talk like, etc. (for example when Book figures something out in the show you hear a little bell ring, that I could just still hear that in my head while reading)

[Tereza · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Perhaps there was no correct approach. Perhaps she just had to choose her own way of getting it wrong.” Page 341

Not a summary, just a quote from the Bookish book of Book’s I liked.

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

really enjoyed this so much, war crime has me hooked.

[Louise Bath · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bookish is the book version produced from an adaptation of a TV series created by Mark Gatiss but although the book is written by Matthew Sweet it is Mark Gatiss that I can hear on every page. This is an incredibly well written and emotionally engaging read which by the end I absolutely loved.

Gabriel Book is a bookseller who owns a bookshop on Archangel Lane in London in 1946. He's clearly an eccentric character when we meet him through the eyes of Jack Blunt. Jack has just left prison and has no where to go, but he is given an introduction to Book's and he heads that way finding both accommodation with Book and his wife, Tottie, and a job in the bookshop. Jack quickly discovers there is more to Book than meets the eye as he becomes involved in an investigation of a mass grave close by Archangel Lane underneath a row of bombed houses.

There are three such investigations that Book and Jack become involved in during the course of the book, all quite different but needing to be read in order. While each case is complete in itself these are not intended as short or long short stories, as through them more is revealed about Book and his unusual, if not precarious, position, and the reason why Jack has been favoured with the good fortune of a home and employment.

There is a lot more to these stories than just "whodunnit", indeed as each story reveals more about the main characters the mysteries almost seem secondary to the lives that are being displayed before us and the complexity of those relationships, for although happily married to Tottie, Book is gay and this makes him very vulnerable at that time particularly working so closely with the police. But Book isn't the only person in the story with a "secret" and as the reader progresses through the 3 investigations we see the pain of all the people involved all trying to live their best life in a society where people are forced to conform or at least have a veneer of conformity. We see the pain that causes, the repercussions of that forced secrecy and the beauty of lives and loves overcoming those prejudices and still having a level of happiness and fulfillment. In Bookish we see British society at the dawn of changing times and as readers in 2025 know that those attitudes also change, but Book doesn't know that in 1946 which adds to the pathos of this book and my heart went out to all off those people in Archangel Lane.

[Hilary Tesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was attracted to this book because I’d seen the TV series advertised (not on Freeview)and knew Mark Gatiss was involved in the production as well as taking the part of Gabriel Book himself. I was therefore expecting something as complex and clever as Sherlock had been. This it was not, but it was still enjoyable. Set in post-war London in 1946, the book consists of three “episodes” in which Book, a bookshop owner in Archangel Lane, helps Inspector Bliss solve his cases. I found the development of each case more interesting than the solution because it introduces the other characters and their relationships with Book. Trottie is Book’s wife and owner of a wallpaper shop next door to the bookshop. Jack Blunt, newly released from prison, receives an invitation to take a job at Book’s - later, we learn why. Nora is introduced as a successful author in a letter written years later but in the story she’s still a teenager who spends a lot of her time at the bookshop. Each play their roles in the cases, of course. I’m glad I didn’t pay the full h/b price for the book but as a Kindle bargain, it was worth buying and reading. Maybe, 3.5*

[Curtis Wilkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like the TV programme as the premise seemed right up my alley but as soon as Mark Gatiss did his "mysterious" voice I couldn't be bothered with it as I find it annoying. That said, I went in knowing it was a TV adapatation so the thing other reviewers have mentioned about some bits seeming too TV-y I could put aside.

There was simultaneously too much and not enough LGBTQ+ representation.
I felt like the history of queer London in the post war years was interesting, and could have done with more fleshing out, with less wavering between coy hints and leering winks. Not every historical queer relationship has to end in sadness, too. Presumably there were threads left un-tied for the next series/sequel but it meant elements of the story felt unfinished and unsatisfying, too. I don't feel we knew much more about Jack's father on the last page than we did at the beginning.

[Alexandra (Ally) Francis · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF

I was really excited to pick this up based on the description, but the writing style just didn’t click for me. Even though it’s written in third person, the narrative jumps perspectives and scenes so frequently that I never found a comfortable reading rhythm. The constant switching kept pulling me out of the story instead of drawing me in, and I struggled to stay engaged.

That said, I think this one will work better for readers who enjoy a faster, jump-cut style of storytelling. If you already have a connection to the TV series or enjoy that format—quick transitions, multiple viewpoints, and shorter scene-to-scene pacing—you may end up liking this one much more than I did. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t the right fit for me, so I decided to DNF.

[Oundle Crime · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't have access to Netflix so I was intrigued to find this – the book of a new Netflix crime series – on the library shelf. Turns out the book was written after the TV series, not before. Nonetheless it’s quite an entertaining read. Set in London, 1946, Gabriel Book is a bookshop owner with a sideline in sleuthing, and married to Trottie, the owner of a wallpaper shop next door. The book has three different mysteries, one after the other (probably each taking two episodes on the TV?). The plots are okay but it was the settings and characters which make this worthy of a recommendation. I'd describe it as a sort of classy cosy crime.
Review by: Cornish Eskimo, Oundle Crime

[Dragonlady Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not seen the serialisation; not sure I want to. Maybe.

The concept is great - and feels so right for a quirky amateur detective. The post war period is beautifully, visually, atmospherically brought to life. The stories feel a bit Dorothy Sayers. I like the little band of characters that thread through the book.

What lets it down for me is the inconsistent style. Some of the phrasing is lyrical, wonderful, the touches of alliteration and assonance inspired - but the short sentences can lose punch and leave the reader blinking, looking for the rest of the words. Hence the 4 stars, and not 5.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this although every now and again I found it hard to follow and thought I'd missed something - nope! Just a lack of clarity on occasion butbit could be entirely my error. I liked the characters - especially Nora. There were 3 murders in the one novel so the pace of each crime was quite swift. I would read a follow up should there be one and am looking forward to seeing the televised version which was scripted first. Love Mark Gatiss and it was his original idea I think.

[Eve · Rating 3 out of 5]

I discovered the TV series' a little while ago and binged them in short order. I'd hoped that there was a book series it was based on, mainly so I could find out what happened after the end of the 2nd series on TV.
Unfortunately, the book is almost taken word for word from the scripts.... which means I didn't gain anything in the reading. Having said that, I think if I hadn't seen the TV series, I would have enjoyed this much more.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this along watching the TV series from which this was adapted. I found both enjoyable. I'm not sure how well the book would stand up on it's own though. I found some parts of the text vague and plot details a little confused, only clarified by watching each episode. But the setting and characters were all very appealing. The storylines promise intrigue and for the most parts succeeded in capturing me. The ending hints at more to come.

[Dan Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book, but some is a bit too twee or on the nose.

Didn't really need to be set in a bookshop, did it?

I ready 1/3 of the book which I realise now probably corresponds to one episode of the TV show (which I haven't watched).

Probably would have been 4 stars on its own, but it was a let down to realise that it's sold as one book but is episodic.

[A J HOOPER · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amusing set of 3 stories, dealing with a series of murders. Mr Book runs a shop in a war damaged part of Fleet Street in around 1946. It's called Book's. He is married to Mrs Book but they live separate lives although extremely fond of each other. He goes cottaging. The action is set in a hotel called the Walsingham which is dead ringer for the Savoy.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was written in 3 parts. I really enjoyed the first part, but found the second 2 parts disjointed. The overarching themes of Jack's relationship to the Books and the Books' relationship to each other was never really resolved. I never thought I'd say this, but in this case the show may be better than the book. I also felt like I needed to research WWII to fully understand the plot.

[Neil Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

its a wonderful good old fashioned TV tie in novelisation. by Matthew moody Sweet himself. based on TV show by Mark Gatiss and Sweet. if you know the names, you'll know if you like it already.

I lived the extra bits of colour hidden on the set dressing on TV, but here providing a little more to the reader.

I loved it, best thing since Jago & Litfoot finished.

[Maggie Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant

I saw the Tv series and decided to read the books. I just loved the characters. I think I did get a bit more from the books as with books one uses one’s imagination. Please let’s have some more.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the TV series and was impressed with the book version as it followed the story perfectly. I would definitely watch and read another book and series if it happens. I like the characters and especially Mr Book.

[Miriam · Rating 1 out of 5]

a book based on a tv series just doesn't work for me. the characters bounce all over the place; the plot is weak and the editing is just awful. if you saw and liked the tv series don't ruin your experience by reading this book.

[Brian Quast · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as interesting, entertaining, or engaging as I'd hoped ... just disappointing.

[Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t realize it would be separated although the main characters remain throughout the three stories.

[Jason Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written novelisation of an enjoyable series

[Lorraine Southern · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not necessarily bad, just not for me.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun, engaging read – I hope there will be more in the series.

[Dave Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goodish

[Mfg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strongly recommended. Lovely stories of postwar London. Wonderfully read by Mark Gatiss.

[Simon Frenais · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read, but despite it's pedigree, doesn't quite hit the heights I expected.
maybe the next one will prove better.

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars. I was curious to read this book as it’s adapted from an upcoming PBS series. I enjoyed parts of the book but overall just an ok read. But I will watch the series.