Sarah Clutton ● The Bookshop of Buried Pasts

Date Started : 25 February 2026

Date Finished : 26 February 2026

Star Rating : ✨✨✨✨✨

Thank you to Sarah (author), NetGalley (book source), Allen & Unwin (publishers) for the chance to read this amazing, fun, unputdownable story. I was a little nervous at the start as this is a genre book I haven't read before google told me it is "domestic fiction", I'm not to sure if it is accurate or not but I have to admit I really did enjoy this book!

Phyllida Banks (main character) lives in a tiny village of Brookbank, which is nestles in the Southern Highlands outside Sydney. She is adored by other locals where she lives and is admired for who she is and her personal characteristics (curiosity, wisdom, kindness and loving), she is also known for her antique bookshop that she owns and runs which is where the community love to visit.

When Phyllida suddenly disappears she leaves a note for Lottie (her granddaughter), telling her that she has to "Find Francis", The whole town comes together as a community to be there for Lottie during her hard time. Lottie then uncovers a fortune which then leads her to England, and into another bookstore similar to her grandmothers. 

Lottie's character is amazing, I love her! She is perfect and fits so well into this book. And the other characters are bloody amazing as well, they show how a community should be sticking together and always being there for one another. 

Coming across a mystery that has even the authorities (police) confused over for the last 50 odd years, can she solve this mystery and work out what it is she is suppose to be finding out? With a past and mystery being kept hidden and buried, her Grandmother seems to be one of the key points of it. Will she be safe? Or will she be in trouble and in danger? I know these answers but that is something you need to find out for yourself. 

Eeek following this mystery has been amazing, and so much good fun. I sat there with my Kobo (page turner & kobo pen) highlighting and annotating and using my iPad with Goodnotes to start some notes to see if I was going to have my own thoughts correct or incorrect.

This book with the plot, the characters and the story is so well written, everything fits in together and just works. This story line keeps you hooked into it and always keeps you mind going "oooo" and "yay" and also "ohhh, I wonder" and so many other thoughts you'll be thinking. 

Without a doubt I'll be honest I did wonder if I would struggle or not, but I didnt and this was unputdownable for me. I started at about 4.30pm after my other half had gone to work, my child was settled down either reading, drawing and/or playing on her own tablet. So I was able to enjoy this while she was infant of me and also while I had sorted out her dinner, how did I manage to read my kobo while cooking dinner? 

Well that is because of the brand "Strapsicle" this brand I learnt about in the middle of 2025, and since then my collection is now huge and I have so many colours and also different clutches that I store my kobo/kindle in and also well anything and everything else. These straps make holding your reader so much easier and comfortable, and also I don't drop it. If you search "Products That I Swear By" you'll find the blog with products that I use and love, and also a link and the discount to get your own straps at a discounted price. 

Back to the book anyway, I don't think I had much sleep last night. I think I got to sleep at about 3am after I finally finished my story, I just didn't want to stop reading I was that hooked. If you haven't yet looked at this book on amazon or wherever, I recommend that you do look at it and preorder it cause you really won't regret it.

Thank you once again for letting me read this book, and I cannot wait to read some more of you're work.

Love Cathy x0x