Book cover of The Black Book of Secrets

Book description

Perfect for teaching:

multiple narrative perspectives
stories within a story
theme of moral dilemmas.

Waterstone's Children's Book Prize Shortlist.

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked The Black Book of Secrets as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

This book won a few awards and it is easy to see why. It has a brilliantly written plot of old-world small country European nostalgia of the Dickensian spirit. It twists and turns and is told from different perspectives. Deliciously sinister and greedy and secretive. Wonderful to read by the fireplace. The story creeps and flows to a heart drumming climax and Ludlow is a wonderful character. You have to love a book about an awful broker type that trades in people’s secrets! 

Highly recommended – hard to believe it was a debut novel by the author as well –…

If you love The Black Book of Secrets...

Book cover of The Twins of Auschwitz: The inspiring true story of a young girl surviving Mengele's hell

The Twins of Auschwitz by Lisa Rojany,

This is the Inspiring true story of a young girl surviving Mengele’s hell. This is an incisive, harrowing, and touching memoir of Eva Mozes Kor and her twin sister Miriam, who are sent to Auschwitz only to be torn from their parents and given to Josef Mengele, "The Angel of…

Want books like The Black Book of Secrets?

Our community of 13,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The Black Book of Secrets.

Browse books like The Black Book of Secrets

Book cover of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Book cover of Ancient Appetites
Book cover of Mortal Engines

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,395

readers submitted
so far, will you?

📚 If you like The Black Book of Secrets, you might also like...

Book cover of My Real Name Is Hanna

My Real Name Is Hanna by Tara Lynn Masih,

“Hanna’s story...uncovers an astonishing, rich vein of hope in a world gone utterly dark. Both timeless and timely.”

—Elizabeth Wein, New York Times bestselling author of Code Name Verity

Hanna Slivka is on the cusp of fourteen when Hitler's army crosses the border into Soviet-occupied Ukraine. Soon, the Gestapo closes…

Book cover of The Time-Jinx Twins

The Time-Jinx Twins by Carol Fisher Saller,

Twelve-year-old identical twins Ellie and Kat accidentally trigger their physicist mom’s unfinished time machine, launching themselves into a high-stakes adventure in 1970 Chicago. If they learn how to join forces and keep time travel out of the wrong hands, they might be able find a way home. Ellie’s gymnastics and…

5 book lists we think you will like!