The Bookshop of Buried Pasts by Sarah Clutton
Book Review | May 2026
Category: Early Bird, Fiction, Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945)
Book Format: paperback
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
ISBN: 9781761471483
RRP: 34.99
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(5/5)
Between the beautiful covers of this book, is a slow burn tale of family secrets, intrigue and the ties that bind us.
A beautifully written story that shows us that the past and present are entwined in ways that are beyond our control and understanding at times
(4/5)
What a fantastic read! From the first page I was transported into the lives of a fascinating and relatable menagerie of characters connected across continents by unpredictable circumstances and fateful decisions. The central character Phyllida, owner of a bookshop in the southern Highlands of NSW, unsuccessfully tries to end her life and leaves a note and request for her granddaughter, Lottie to discover, unravel and resolve her past.
With the help of friends and family, Lottie sets out to unlock the real story of Phyllida Banks and her son and Lottie’s father, David. They discover an untold story and, in the process, understand the ways we grow through grief and reshape ourselves.
I loved the layers of this story and how it weaved between settings, times and perspectives to provide a beautiful book about motherhood, family and the importance of fighting for truth and what is right. Everyone has a bookshop of buried pasts!
(2.5/5)
The Bookshop of Buried Pasts is a warm, engaging mystery that blends small‑town charm with long‑hidden secrets. When beloved bookshop owner Phyllida Banks unexpectedly fades away, her granddaughter Lottie is left with a cryptic letter that leads her from the Southern Highlands to a mirrored village in England. As Lottie uncovers a decades‑old mystery, Phyllida’s past slowly unravels and Lottie is left to make sense of the life and hardship her grandmother has faced throughout the years.
This book was challenging to begin with. There were multiple characters introduced and it wasn’t until half way through the book that they could be pieced together, and the story started to fall into place. Being written over multiple decades, through the eyes of different characters, did not lend itself to an easy read. It felt somewhat tiresome to keep track of who was who and the character point of view in each chapter.
Aside from this, The Bookshop of Buried Pasts was an enjoyable read. I would recommend it to anyone who likes multigenerational family mysteries with a bookish theme.
(5/5)
Love, secrets, mystery and heartbreak, this book had it all. Set between the 60’s, 70’s, 90’s and present time, with chapters devoted to each person or era, this book flowed smoothly. It was a pleasure to step into the pages and feel like I was spending time with family and their foibles, with the exception of one particular obnoxious individual. The twist was wrenching as was the fallout.
The book is set between Cambridgeshire and the Southern Highlands and also has interesting glimpses into Celtic mythology. The humour, warmth and mystery made this book hard to put down. I loved it.
(5/5)
Loved this book. Such a layered tale that draws you in from the first chapter.
Lovers of books and bookshops especially [and who isn’t] will enjoy the mystery of Phyllida’s interesting life and the mysterious English connection.
A great read!
(3/5)
The Bookshop of Buried Pasts is at its best when it evokes the charm of the Southern Highlands. The cosy bookshop, small‑town rhythms and gentle tone create a lovely sense of place, and Sarah Clutton captures that atmosphere with ease. The premise – a family mystery centred on an old bookshop and long‑buried secrets – sets up an inviting, comforting read.
I didn’t always connect deeply with the characters, and some of the relationship threads felt a little hard to hold onto. The light folklore elements may appeal to readers who enjoy a touch of mysticism, though they weren’t quite my preference. Even so, there’s plenty of warmth here, and readers who enjoy small‑town mysteries and bookshop‑set stories will likely find much to enjoy. For me, it was a pleasant three‑star read.
(4/5)
The story opens with Phyllida, a bookshop owner from a fictional town in the Southern Highlands preparing to take her own life. As the story unfolds, we discover the terrible secrets and trauma that have led her to this point. The narrative switches between characters and various decades as the mystery of Phyllida’s past are revealed.
I struggled at first with the changing timelines of this novel but after the first few chapters I got the hang of things and then became engrossed with the characters and the story.
I loved the Southern Highlands setting and as I have visited this area many times, I could picture places vividly and enjoyed engaging with an area I know so well.
The characters are beautifully written and as the story unfolds we discover that all have secrets and some are carrying a great deal of trauma.
This story was funny, sad and confronting all at the same time yet the author dealt with some fairly heavy issues in a sensitive and compassionate way.
I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.
(4/5)
For lovers of the delightful Alfie Bains of Sarah’s previous novel, this book brings more of the same warmth as well as intrigue!
Initially I was drawn to this book because of its setting in an antiquarian bookshop in the Southern Highlands of NSW, with links to a similar bookstore in Cambridgeshire, England. And then the prologue, with its rich language and narrated by the Bookstore itself, brought a smile as I anticipated the possible stories such a shop would hold!
The chapters were short and easy to read, each told from one character’s viewpoint. They crossed between settings, as well as time periods – each chapter tantalising the reader with another clue as to Phyllida’s Buried Pasts, and the identity of the mysterious Francis, whom she urges her granddaughter Lottie to find.
The author employs beautiful language and imagery, often using references to books, e.g. “She, the girl, is the spine of the story” and “trees straight out of an Enid Blyton novel”. The cast of characters, though quirky and likeable, is perhaps too lengthy, as I sometimes grappled to recall where some fitted into the saga.
A worthwhile read to be sure.
The Bookshop of Buried Pasts is a gentle, intriguing mystery that unfolds through a deeply personal lens. When Lottie’s beloved grandmother, Phyllida, vanishes from her antiquarian bookshop, she leaves behind a puzzling request that sets Lottie on a quiet but determined search for answers. What follows is a story that moves between timelines and places, gradually revealing a decades-old secret tied to her grandmother’s past.
There’s something immediately comforting about a novel set among bookshops, and this one leans beautifully into that charm. With its layered family history, atmospheric settings, and a cast of engaging characters, it creates a cosy space for the mystery to unfold. The story takes a little time to find its rhythm, but once it does, it draws you in with a steady sense of curiosity.
The twists are satisfying without being overwhelming, and the emotional thread at its heart gives the story warmth and depth. It’s a lovely choice for readers who enjoy stories about family secrets, small-town intrigue, and the quiet magic of books and the lives they hold.
(5/5)
If you love reading historical fiction, this could be a book for you. I enjoyed the mysteries involved in finding out about the past and what that meant to a number of characters. The connection between bookshops was intriguing and gave you a sense of loving books and collecting them as well. This book kept me thoroughly interested until the end, because the author made sure she entwined mystery to keep the past buried.
(5/5)
An enticing invitation. A welcoming hand. Sarah Clutton’s alluring offer in her prologue was all it took for me as a reader to be fully immersed into The Bookshop of Buried Pasts. Everything about this book is magical; the setting, pace, the quirky and lovable characters and sense of intrigue that kept me turning pages late into the night. The careful unravelling of past threads was tenderly unveiled, and on completion of the book, I feel a little bereft at no longer being enveloped by the characters’ rich lives and sense of kinship.
(5/5)
Phyllida Banks lives in the village of Brookbank, in the Southern Highlands outside Sydney. She is known for her curiosity, wisdom and antiquarian bookshop and adored by all. When Phyllida suddenly slips away, the community, including her granddaughter, Lottie, is left reeling. She leaves her granddaughter, Lottie, a letter with a request to ‘find Francis’.
Set to inherit a fortune, Lottie uncovers a trail that leads to a centuries-old manor house in Cambridgeshire, England, a forgotten second bookshop, and a mystery left unsolved for fifty years. Spanning decades and continents, this is the story of two bookshops, an abandoned boy, and the woman who refused to forget him.
I enjoyed this read very much. It certainly kept me turning the pages. I admired the strength of character of both the characters of Phyllida and Lottie. Phyllida for her protectiveness of her children at all costs, and Lottie for ‘sticking to her guns’ to do what she wants for her life and not what is expected of her.
I also loved the book cover and hope it does become the final cover.
(5/5)
A wonderful story. I had so many questions and raced through the book to find the answers.
(4/5)
This is a book you can judge by its cover. It is vibrant, calming, with a hint of shadows, and full of books!
The first character we meet is the bookshop itself. We quickly warm to the human characters in this Southern Highlands town, like Lottie. Her mother, Miriam, and grandmother Phyllida are still grieving Lottie’s father, David, but he died before she was born, and she doesn’t really know him at all. But it’s another missing boy who drives the mystery in this family saga. Who is Francis? And why is finding him Phyllida’s dying wish? These secrets will all be revealed at another bookshop of buried pasts in 1960s Cambridgeshire.
This book isn’t challenging, but it is very engaging. The family secrets won’t be a thrilling mystery, but the way they make the characters feel is what is important.
(3/5)
This book is full-on and busy. Perhaps too busy!
It took me until nearly the middle of the book to settle into it. There are a lot of characters to get your head around, and right up until the very last chapter, new characters were introduced.
The storyline is busy with many threads and pathways, and while they were interesting, I feel there were too many.
While the chapters are clearly defined with the year they were set in and which character is writing the chapter, it’s not a book to pick up and read a couple of pages before putting it down. It takes a lot of concentration to focus on everything. There are 3 different eras with some characters appearing in them all.
The book title is rather misleading – the bookshop really doesn’t have a lot to do with the storyline.
The lifeline of the main character, Phyllida, is cleverly scripted from start to finish.
Personally, I feel it’s a book that needs to be read twice to enable absorption of everything.
(4/5)
Loved this book (what’s not to love when a book contains a mystery about a bookshop).
Phyllida is a wonderous older lady living in the highlands outside Sydney. Known and loved by almost everyone in the town. (Well, of course she would, she is the owner of a fabulous Bookshop). However, unbeknownst to them, Phyllida has a past that she would rather others not know about. Phyllida leaves a letter for her granddaughter to be opened when she is gone, but Phyllida ends up in a coma, and the granddaughter decides that she may as well read it now. What she learns sends her on a journey across the globe, and the knowledge that she has never really known her grandmother at all. On her journeys, she meets many people and finds links long buried.
This was a wonderful read and had a few twists that kept one guessing.
(5/5)
How can you resist a book with a title like The Bookshop of Buried Pasts! I always love reading a book about books and a bookstore, so I was in. Add to that family secrets galore, and the gorgeous Southern Highlands setting, and my weekend was all booked.
A slightly different book for me, not a crime or thriller, although you could say that there was a little of both in there. I met Sarah at a book festival last year, and it was lovely chatting with her. I was thrilled to receive an early copy of this book to read from Good Reading Magazine and Allen and Unwin.
I wasn’t expecting to get so emotionally attached to these characters. I loved Lottie and Phyillda so much. I felt for what they were both going through and all the secrets they had from each other. It was quite a roller coaster ride of laughs and tears. I love a good mystery, so this was right up my alley. And that cover is just gorgeous; it is going to stand out in the bookstores for sure.
I think this book will appeal to a wide range of readers, and I look forward to talking about it with others when it hits the shelves.
(4/5)
The Bookshop of Buried Pasts had me at bookshop (I adore books about books) and kept me with secrets, heartache, and the kind of mystery that makes you suspicious of everyone holding a teacup.
This is one of those stories that unfolds like opening drawers in an old desk, each one containing another surprise, another heartbreak, another clue someone really should have mentioned sooner. The shifting timelines are handled beautifully, layering past and present until everything clicks into place with immense satisfaction.
But for me, the real magic was the emotional core. Lottie and Phyllida absolutely made this book. Their love for each other sits alongside years of silence, misunderstanding, and pain, which made every reveal land harder. I laughed, I teared up, I mentally adopted several characters!
The Southern Highlands setting adds warmth and charm, while the writing itself feels thoughtful and quietly elegant. Yes, it starts gently, but once it gets its hooks in, good luck doing anything productive for the rest of the day.
(4/5)
Having read “The Remarkable Truths of Alfie BaIns” and loving it, as soon as I saw that Sarah Clutton had another book coming out, I knew that I had to get my hands on it, and luckily for me, I received a copy of it from Good Reading and Allen & Unwin!
The Bookshop of Buried Pasts was such a gorgeous read with characters that will capture your heart immediately. Told from multiple perspectives, this book follows Phyllida, Lottie, and Francis on their separate but entwined journeys, written in the past and present.
Having the book set in the atmospheric Southern Highlands gave the book a mysterious yet cosy feel, which was perfect for a story that involves long buried family secrets.
Clutton has written a book that is full of heart, which does touch on some heavier themes and also touches on some mysticism and folklore, which I know is not to everyone’s tastes, but is balanced out beautifully with humour and a mystery that will keep you turning the pages.
(4/5)
The Bookshop of Buried Pasts explores a journey of identity for Lottie and the rest of her extended family. Lottie’s life is not what it seems, and while Phyllida is in hospital, Lottie learns about her grandmother’s life as well as that of the rest of the family. The mysterious surroundings of this keep the reader engaged whilst the story develops.
The book is set in the Southern Highlands of NSW as well as Cambridgeshire, England. The author has perfectly described the villages with attention to detail.
The past and present have been finely weaved by the author throughout the book. The reader can then put together the pieces of the family puzzle.
Overall, it is a very enjoyable read that keeps the reader engaged, wanting to know more about Phyllida’s background and what that means for Lottie and the rest of the family.
(4/5)
In The Bookshop of Buried Pasts, Sarah Clutton introduces a quaint bookshop with its whimsical owner, Phyllida, before journeying back to 1965, Cambridgeshire, England. Through this, the story explores complex family dynamics and the pressures of a patriarchal society. I especially loved the sudden romance at the end, which gave a satisfying sense of closure.
I really enjoyed this book as it kept me on the edge of my seat, and I couldn’t put the book down! With each chapter, I found myself second-guessing everything I had already learnt. The mystery unfolds gradually, and the secrets within the story are revealed in a way that keeps the reader engaged.
Overall, this book highlights how quickly secrets can unravel and to what lengths people will go to keep them hidden. I recommend it to readers who love historical fiction, romance, and a great mystery. The Bookshop of Buried Pasts is a fantastic story to be cuddled up with a cup of hot chocolate under a blanket!
(5/5)
“The Bookshop of Buried Pasts” is an utterly delightful read, and Sarah Clutton had me from the opening line. Clutton’s descriptions were thoroughly enchanting, and her characters were richly developed, deeply nuanced, and very relatable.
This book made me laugh out loud and made my heart ache, race, sing, break, and mend. It took me on a magical adventure to fascinating places near and far, and also inspired an introspective journey through memories of my childhood.
Clutton weaves a spell-bindingly beautiful narrative as she deftly navigates serious subjects that speak to the human condition (birth, death, love, loss, parenthood, family and community relationships, home, financial security, health, youth, and ageing) with a masterfully light touch.
I loved that this book reads like a period romance/modern drama but was every bit a comedy/mystery that had my brain working overtime to piece the clues together faster than I could turn the pages. This is a book I will read again and again, and I would love to see a movie adaptation of it one day!
(5/5)
The humour got me hooked straight away, the characters came to life, and the suspense kept me going. A page turner that had me smiling and guessing as I went along. It was beautifully written and very deeply moving. An amazing story told in such a brilliant manner that it had me awestruck. A story of how the bonds of love stay with us, and time and circumstances do not change that. The past is always intertwined with the present.
(5/5)
This was a slightly different read for me. I usually stick to crime and thrillers, with the occasional Australian fiction – especially mysteries – mixed in.
I had a bit of trouble getting into the book at first (entirely due to a very busy period), so I went back to the beginning and started again. That’s when everything clicked. From there, I was completely hooked. I loved the richly drawn characters, the layers of secrets, and the compelling pursuit of the truth.
Phyllida’s journey is an emotional rollercoaster. Heartbreaking at times, yet deeply moving, culminating in a beautiful reunion of sorts. A wonderfully engaging story that stayed with me long after the final page
(4/5)
The old saying says you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover, and since The Bookshop of Buried Pasts arrived with a sticker saying “Not final cover,” it’s just as well that I didn’t. I did select it by its title, though, and it proved to be a good move. What started out to my mind as a family history story threw in a twist or two and even twists on twists as the true story of the family is revealed. Like a good story, it builds from a beginning to a conclusion, and while there are opportunities for the author to delay the progress to that conclusion, possibly even to expand it to a series of books rather than just one, she doesn’t take that route. I’m certain that whoever picks up this book will enjoy the time spent amongst its pages.
(4/5)
What a fantastic read! From the first page, I was transported into the lives of a fascinating and relatable menagerie of characters connected across continents by unpredictable circumstances and fateful decisions. The central character Phyllida, owner of a bookshop in the southern Highlands of NSW, unsuccessfully tries to end her life and leaves a note and a request for her granddaughter, Lottie, to discover, unravel, and resolve her past. With the help of friends and family, Lottie sets out to unlock the real story of Phyllida Banks and her son, and Lottie’s father, David. They discover an untold story and, in the process, understand the ways we grow through grief and reshape ourselves.
I loved the layers of this story and how it weaved between settings, times, and perspectives to provide a beautiful book about motherhood, family, and the importance of fighting for truth and what is right. Everyone has a bookshop of buried pasts!
(5/5)
I had not read anything by Sarah Clutton prior to “The Bookshop of Buried Pasts”, but this was such an absolute delight that I dived into another of her books, “The Remarkable Truths of Alfie Bains” as soon as I could get a copy! (Also highly recommended.)
What a treat of a writer. From the opening chapter, I felt swept up in the storyline, never a spectator. Perhaps it is the turmoil that the world is in at present, but I relished the quietness, warmth, and wisdom in her turn of phrase, the moments of humour, and ‘meeting’ all the village characters, so vividly portrayed. Even at the saddest or most traumatic moments, there was a sense of safety and optimism that all would be well in the end.
It has certainly been one of the highlights of my ‘reading year’ so far, and was just the tonic this reader needed – I hope it may be the same for you too!
(4/5)
How can a reader not be involved with a beautifully crafted story of intrigue, an antiquarian bookshop and characters of a generational mystery.
Warm characters who span years with very complex backgrounds all bought together by love and two bookshops on different continents.
The Bookshop of Buried Pasts endures with love that breaks all barriers of decades of time and it tells of the heartache of a mother aching for her lost child
A story of how our history always comes back to us with many surprises.
Sarah Clutton has given the reader a wonderfully written, page-turning story.
(4/5)
A delightful and enjoyable cosy mystery.
I have not read anything from this author before, and so initially I found this book to be a bit slow to get going and a challenge due to there being such an extensive cast of characters as well as the jumping between different timelines. However, it was worth it to persist. Sarah Clutton’s writing is just gorgeous, and the characters were so well written and believable that I soon became immersed in the story and, despite a somewhat predictable plot, I didn’t want it to end. The story drew me in, and at times I found the writing glorious, deeply moving, and haunting.
(4/5)
This was an intriguing, mysterious, and emotional story that transcends time and continents. The interwoven stories were beautifully written with the mystery of the characters’ pasts slowly unravelling. The Bookshop of Buried Pasts means every book has a past, but so too do people.
(5/5)
This book has the most interesting book title, ‘The Bookshop of Buried Past’, which alone would make me want to pick it up and read. I really enjoyed this book and thought the author, Sarah Clutton, created a great mystery and beautiful characters.
Set in New South Wales, Australia. Phyllida Banks lives in the small town of Brookbank, in the Southern Highlands, and runs a bookshop. Phyllida ends up in the hospital unconscious and near death. Lottie, her granddaughter, finds a letter asking her to find ‘Francis’, and so the mystery to find this mystery man and, in doing so, discover Phyllida’s hidden past begins.
I love the style in which she writes, with the chapters told from the voice and perspective of the individual character. It helped me to feel more connected to each character and have a strong sense of who they were. I loved that she did it in a way that the story still flowed perfectly from one chapter into the next.
The book was a real page turner, unravelling the mystery over many decades, full of lots of twists and turns. Thank you to Good Reading for the opportunity to review this book.
(5/5)
I adore books that pull my heartstrings because they pull me in deeply to not only the story, but the characters themselves. I love the love and binds that bind. Set in a bookshop screams my name even more. Even the name Lottie is whimsy personified, and I felt right inside the heart of The Southern Highlands. Recommend this book completely, just navigate this one with your heart firmly cared for and tissues nearby. An epilogue that satisfies as well, and the characters were so firmly in my heart by then.