What do you think?
Rate this book
The Binding Truth: A Cozy Small Town Mystery
When damaged rare books reveal hidden modern documents, bookshop owner Lila Hart discovers that some people will kill to keep history "corrected"—and that a decades-long forgery scheme has been rewriting Mockingbird Bay's past for profit.
A collection of deteriorating books from the Hartwell estate seems perfect for Lila's upcoming restoration workshop—until careful examination reveals modern financial records deliberately hidden within antique bindings. As Lila and librarian Emily Chen work to extract the concealed documents, they uncover evidence of systematic forgery at the Mockingbird Bay Historical Society that has been replacing authentic historical records with fabrications designed to support profitable property deals.
When Historical Society President Margaret Thornfield demands return of the "stolen" documents and attorney Thomas Whitman turns up dead surrounded by burned historical papers, Lila realizes that someone has been willing to kill to protect their document fraud operation. With preservation specialist Diana Blackwood providing authentication expertise and Sheriff Cooper Reid maintaining community control of the investigation, the team discovers that the late Gerald Hartwell had been secretly preserving authentic documents by hiding them in book bindings—and that Lila's grandmother Agatha was helping him build a case against the forgers.
As Lila's restoration workshop becomes an impromptu authentication session with community members bringing suspicious family documents, the investigation reveals that fifteen years of "historical discoveries" have been carefully orchestrated forgeries. From sophisticated legal challenges to desperate break-in attempts, Thornfield's operation threatens to destroy not just authentic historical records, but the community's trust in its own past.
But when the workshop participants organize to protect their family legacies and Gerald Hartwell's preservation efforts are finally vindicated, Lila discovers that some truths are worth preserving not for their monetary value, but for the communities whose authentic stories they protect.
The eighth installment in the Bookmarked Mystery series celebrates the power of community cooperation to defend historical integrity while delivering a compelling blend of document authentication and preservation ethics. Perfect for fans of Louise Penny, Emily Brewster, and Jenn McKinlay.
A collection of deteriorating books from the Hartwell estate seems perfect for Lila's upcoming restoration workshop—until careful examination reveals modern financial records deliberately hidden within antique bindings. As Lila and librarian Emily Chen work to extract the concealed documents, they uncover evidence of systematic forgery at the Mockingbird Bay Historical Society that has been replacing authentic historical records with fabrications designed to support profitable property deals.
When Historical Society President Margaret Thornfield demands return of the "stolen" documents and attorney Thomas Whitman turns up dead surrounded by burned historical papers, Lila realizes that someone has been willing to kill to protect their document fraud operation. With preservation specialist Diana Blackwood providing authentication expertise and Sheriff Cooper Reid maintaining community control of the investigation, the team discovers that the late Gerald Hartwell had been secretly preserving authentic documents by hiding them in book bindings—and that Lila's grandmother Agatha was helping him build a case against the forgers.
As Lila's restoration workshop becomes an impromptu authentication session with community members bringing suspicious family documents, the investigation reveals that fifteen years of "historical discoveries" have been carefully orchestrated forgeries. From sophisticated legal challenges to desperate break-in attempts, Thornfield's operation threatens to destroy not just authentic historical records, but the community's trust in its own past.
But when the workshop participants organize to protect their family legacies and Gerald Hartwell's preservation efforts are finally vindicated, Lila discovers that some truths are worth preserving not for their monetary value, but for the communities whose authentic stories they protect.
The eighth installment in the Bookmarked Mystery series celebrates the power of community cooperation to defend historical integrity while delivering a compelling blend of document authentication and preservation ethics. Perfect for fans of Louise Penny, Emily Brewster, and Jenn McKinlay.
142 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 13, 2025
3 people are currently reading
3 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
No one has reviewed this book yet.