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The Black Book of Secrets Kindle Edition

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 186 ratings

A boy arrives at a remote village in the dead of night. His name is Ludlow Fitch—and he is running from a most terrible past. What he is about to learn is that in this village is the life he has dreamed of—a safe place to live, and a job, as the assistant to a mysterious pawnbroker who trades people's deepest, darkest secrets for cash. Ludlow's job is to neatly transcribe the confessions in an ancient leather-bound tome: The Black Book of Secrets.

Ludlow yearns to trust his mentor, who refuses to disclose any information on his past experiences or future intentions. What the pawnbroker does not know is, in a town brimming with secrets, the most troubling may be held by his new apprentice.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for The Black Book of Secrets:

“Wonderful. Anyone looking for the next big thing has come to the right place. Higgins has created a uniquely grim fantasy world that more than holds its own with Dickens or Peake. Her characters are brilliantly realized and the story grabs at the reader with hooked talons.”—Eoin Colfer

“This polished debut from a British writer tantalizingly blends secrets and thick, evocative atmosphere . . . Higgins, framing her book as texts discovered in a hallowed wooden leg, expertly sustains the audience’s curiosity, revealing just enough information to keep readers riveted. And for all the grisly details, the novel gets at important themes about self-determination and trust. Original and engrossing.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“The story’s vaguely Dickensian atmosphere is exquisite . . . A tantalizingly revelatory ending leaves at least one thread dangling for future volumes (which are sure to evoke more picaresque oddities and nefarious tales), making this a smart, peculiarly thrilling book that is sure to appeal to readers ready to sidestep the goodygoody Harry Potters of adventure fiction.” —Booklist, Starred Review

“Higgins’s debut begins with a bang—on the streets of a London as dark as in any Dickens novel—and ends in a mysterious cave, with no let-up in pacing from start to finish . . . One of Higgins’s great achievements is the way she manages to convey a degree of innocence in Ludlow despite his harsh life surviving the city streets. Redemption emerges as a strong theme in the book, as she reveals the complexities of human nature, and she leaves open several mysteries (including the history behind a wooden leg and Joe’s prized pet frog). Readers can only hope for many more black books filled with secrets.” —Shelf Awareness

&...

From the Back Cover

“Grabs at the reader with hooked talons.”—Eoin Colfer

A boy arrives at a remote village in the dead of night. His name is Ludlow Fitch—and he is running from a most terrible past. What he is about to learn is that in this village is the life he has dreamed of—a safe place to live, and a job, as the assistant to the mysterious pawnbroker who trades people’s deepest, darkest secrets for cash. Ludlow’s job is to neatly transcribe the confessions in an ancient leather-bound tome: The Black Book of Secrets.

Ludlow yearns to trust his mentor, who refuses to disclose any information on his past experiences or future interactions. What the pawnbroker does not know is, in a town brimming with secrets, the most troubling may be held by his new apprentice.

Born in London, F.E. Higgins moved to Ireland at the age of seven. After attending university in Dublin, she returned to England, and now lives in a house that dates back to the 15th century in a small village in rural Kent. The Black Book of Secrets is her first novel.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B003R0LBOY
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Feiwel & Friends; 1st edition (July 14, 2010)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 14, 2010
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2193 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 239 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 186 ratings

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F. E. Higgins
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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
186 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book has an intriguing premise and exciting twists. They describe it as an easy, fun read with rich characters. The writing quality is well-written with clear fonts and descriptions that are not graphic. The book keeps readers hooked from beginning to end. Readers appreciate the vivid, tantalizing color palette.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

11 customers mention "Suspenseful"11 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's suspenseful and intriguing story. They find the details and twists engaging, keeping their attention throughout. The book offers an interesting world with rich characters and a compelling plot that keeps readers hooked.

"...is still really fun to read as an adult, it's definitely an easy but suspenseful tale perfect to read during short breaks...." Read more

"This book! What a wonderful tale. Deeply true and beautiful! Can’t wait to read the next one! Hope the whole series makes it to audio!" Read more

"THE BLACK BOOK OF SECRETS by F. E. Higgins has one of the most intriguing premises I've seen in a juvenile novel, or an adult novel, in a long time...." Read more

"This is a great book if you like suspense. There are a lot of secrets kept through the book and are not revealed until the end...." Read more

8 customers mention "Readability"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and enjoyable. They say it's a fun read for adults and perfect for short breaks.

"...The book is still really fun to read as an adult, it's definitely an easy but suspenseful tale perfect to read during short breaks...." Read more

"A good book with characters readers can relate to and an interesting story line...." Read more

"...It was a very good book. Enjoyed it from cover to cover. Would recommend it to anyone." Read more

"This is one of my favorite books. I've returned to it many times over the last couple of years and each time my sense of excitement is renewed. Love." Read more

4 customers mention "Character development"4 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's character development. They find the story compelling with rich characters and a unique time and place.

"...Her descriptions in characters are so animated that I could easily imagine them like real persons. Definitely recommend this book." Read more

"...The novel offers a compelling story with rich characters and a unique time and place that still stands apart from 19th century England in the same..." Read more

"A good book with characters readers can relate to and an interesting story line...." Read more

"Great characters! Well written... A little predictable, but it is a kids book... Enjoyed it WAY more than expected!..." Read more

4 customers mention "Writing quality"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the writing quality. They find the characters well-written, with an authority and confidence. The font is clear and easy to read, with generous margins and a thin, almost fragile style. The descriptions of violence and deaths are not graphic, adding to the story. Overall, the writing is spare and lean, not overly descriptive, and everything makes sense.

"...The book's generous margins, clear and easy to read font, and the thin, almost fragile feel, of the pages made me want to turn them...." Read more

"...It is a great introduction to quality writing." Read more

"...there are incidents of violence and some deaths the descriptions are not graphic and it adds to the story..." Read more

"Great characters! Well written... A little predictable, but it is a kids book... Enjoyed it WAY more than expected!..." Read more

3 customers mention "Attention span"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging. They say it keeps them hooked from beginning to end.

"...The narrative pacing is well done - it obviously kept me glued to the book and turning pages till I reached the end, and I'm not always an easy..." Read more

"...The author does a great job of keeping your attention and pulls you through the book with elaborate details and exciting twists...." Read more

"...I was hooked from beginning to end. Just wonderful!!!" Read more

3 customers mention "Color palette"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's color palette. They find it beautiful, vivid, and evocative. The cover is described as curious and brightly colored.

"This book! What a wonderful tale. Deeply true and beautiful! Can’t wait to read the next one! Hope the whole series makes it to audio!" Read more

"...But the book's designer is fantastic. The only real bright spot on the book's cover is that curious and brightly colored frog...." Read more

"...reviews - unique, different, gothic, interesting, delicious, macabre, vivid, thrilling. How is that for making an impression on readers?..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2020
    I first read the translated version of this book as a young teenager, and thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it. After several years, this book popped in my mind and decided to read again but in English, to fully absorb its story. The book is still really fun to read as an adult, it's definitely an easy but suspenseful tale perfect to read during short breaks. Her descriptions in characters are so animated that I could easily imagine them like real persons. Definitely recommend this book.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2022
    This book! What a wonderful tale. Deeply true and beautiful! Can’t wait to read the next one! Hope the whole series makes it to audio!
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2008
    THE BLACK BOOK OF SECRETS by F. E. Higgins has one of the most intriguing premises I've seen in a juvenile novel, or an adult novel, in a long time. A quiet man of questionable means moves into a neighborhood where everyone is being bullied by a man who owns everything worth owning. The quiet man, Joe Zabbidou, opens a pawnshop and starts buying what is basically worthless junk from the poor people who live there. Then, shortly after acquiring a young, homeless thief as his apprentice, Joe begins buying the darkest secrets of anyone who will sell them to him during the midnight hour.

    I read about the book in a forthcoming announcement and wanted to think about it before I just purchased it. I was in Minnesota over the holidays and stopped in at a bookstore. THE BLACK BOOK OF SECRETS sat on the NEW ARRIVALS shelves. Immediately fascinated, I picked up a copy.

    The packaging is as compelling and intriguing as the story's premise. The covers, front and back, are a flat black with the illustration and the back cover copy on them. My eye didn't catch the designs worked into the book until I felt them. The most eye-catching part of the whole package, though, was the black gilt that framed the pages all the way around. I've never seen a book like that. The treatment made the book feel almost...dangerous. And certain foreboding.

    I was mesmerized, really. Whether the trade dress (publishing term for how a book looks) was really that good or I was just a soft touch, I don't know. But the book's designer is fantastic. The only real bright spot on the book's cover is that curious and brightly colored frog.

    When I opened the book, I found the inside was just as different as the outside. The book's generous margins, clear and easy to read font, and the thin, almost fragile feel, of the pages made me want to turn them.

    I read the opening chapter, a short but very intense five pages, and was instantly gripped by poor Ludlow Fitch's predicament. Ludlow lives in the City, but it can't be any other city than 19th century London, and the mean, downtrodden existence he leads is properly Dickensian. His lowlife parents have taken Ludlow to a foul dentist to sell the teeth right out of his head. They strap him into the dentist's chair and the dentist, Dr. Gumbroot - another nice, Dickensian touch, grabs a pair of pliers and latches onto one of Ludlow's teeth. In that scene alone, I was as hooked as Ludlow.

    I picked the book up. Due to the work load I've got, I couldn't get back to it until yesterday. I started it to take a few minutes at lunch. Instead, I ended up captivated and read the entire novel. At 260 pages, it's fairly short by today's standards.

    But I was swept away through the dirty streets of that neighborhood, got to know all the broken dreams and lost hopes of the people that came to Joe Zabbidou's pawnshop to sell their darkest secrets, and became even more curious about why Joe was buying them. I also discovered that our hero, Ludlow Fitch, wasn't the most reliable person Joe could have trusted.

    I'm torn over calling this a children's book or an adult one. I think it plays equally well for both. The novel offers a compelling story with rich characters and a unique time and place that still stands apart from 19th century England in the same way that Joseph Delaney's THE LAST APPRENTICE books do. In some ways it breaks the tenets of juvenile books because it spends so much time with the adult characters. But it never discusses anything inappropriate about their lives or motivations that the 9-12 year olds won't understand.

    The building sense of mystery and dread is fantastic, but I have to admit that when everything was said and done, I was somewhat disappointed. After all the tension that was raised, I really expected more at the end. Still, everything made sense and it satisfied.

    This is F. E. Higgins's first book, but that doesn't show. Her writing is spare and lean, and not overly descriptive. The narrative pacing is well done - it obviously kept me glued to the book and turning pages till I reached the end, and I'm not always an easy audience. She writes with authority and confidence, and I liked her characters quite a lot because they were so real.

    One of the best parts of the book was being a voyeur and listening to the secrets those townspeople came to tell. Each one of them seemed almost like an Edgar Allan Poe short story, filled with twists and turns and surprises.

    I don't know yet if the book is going to be a series, but it could. Each Black Book of Secrets could be about a different place, with different secrets. Given the nature of people's curiosity about other people's secrets, I think this is a hook that would make a series work for a while. If Higgins can keep up this kind of quality, I'd definitely read another book or two about Joe and Ludlow.

    Higgins does have a second book coming out in March 2008. It's called THE BONE MAGICIAN and sports a blood-red cover with a skull. I'll be picking that one up when it comes out.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2012
    This is a great book if you like suspense. There are a lot of secrets kept through the book and are not revealed until the end. The author does a great job of keeping your attention and pulls you through the book with elaborate details and exciting twists. I'll be reading more from this author!
  • Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2009
    I read this book out loud with my son, one or so chapters a night. It is complex without being difficult to follow. There are stories within the story, but then everything comes together nicely in the end. It is not straight forward everything is not black and white, the good guys have a touch of gray. It is scary and suspenseful, but not enough to keep a young one awake at night. Looking forward to more from this author.

    Other books that we have read out loud recently: Mysterious Benedict Society, Hobbit, Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Here Be Monsters, Leon and the Spiting Image, The Somebodies, The Nobodies, The Anybodies.
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2012
    Look at these reviews - unique, different, gothic, interesting, delicious, macabre, vivid, thrilling. How is that for making an impression on readers?

    I don't know why the Higgins books have not made it into the mainstream, or why they get so little buzz, but I congratulate you on having found this site, and encourage you to give this book a try. It is a great introduction to quality writing.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2012
    This book suffers from an intense case of target audience confusion. A large amount of the book seems to be written for a younger audience. The slow moving story spoon feeds you the character's emotions while constantly shoving unwanted life lessons down your throat. Then, when the reader's mind has slowed to a sluggish coma, Higgins hits you with gruesome and murderous scenes, that by contrast seem almost inappropriate. A younger reader will probably be scarred for life while an older reader will most likely fall asleep, leaving this book in a strange limbo...read full review at theofficebooks.blogspot
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2021
    Read this a while back when I was a bit younger and enjoyed it. Looked it up curious to see if it held up and it honestly did. Cool world. Cool story. Would recommend.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • C.E.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Schön schaurig
    Reviewed in Germany on August 18, 2016
    Ein spannendes, unterhaltsames Buch. F. E. Higgins hat einen angenehmen Schreibstil, der die leicht dunkel-gruselige Stimmung gut rüberbringt. Die Art, wie die Geschichte aufgeteilt ist, verleiht ihr noch ein bisschen mehr Charakter, ohne beim Lesen hinderlich zu sein. Nachdem ich mit dem Buch fertig war, habe ich mir direkt die Fortsetzung geholt.
  • Butler baboo
    5.0 out of 5 stars Splendid
    Reviewed in India on October 25, 2014
    Excellent writing. The author conjures a great gothic atmosphere. The story is intriguing and is a fine coming of age tale for a young boy.
    Read it if you like old style, fireside reads.
  • Laurence Paul
    5.0 out of 5 stars A yesteryear’s whimsical malevolence and redemptive tale for youngsters, and grown-up youngsters too!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 24, 2014
    F E Higgins must be one of the most natural writers out there. This is a dark historical narrative that flows and smells just as rancidly as does the River Foedus itself, as it divides The City, where an unusual pawnbroker, Joe Zabbidou , arrives and offers his clients an even more unusual, and very personal mutual trade. Joe also offers a renewed life to young runaway Ludlow Fitch, and between these two characters a storybook masterpiece takes shape. The book beguiles and tempts the reader with every page turned. The plot is, I suspect, born out of nostalgia, possibly even a yearning for, a simpler way of life and death, and the yarn is brought to life brilliantly by many richly-drawn characters who all prove compelling. This book’s eeriness ought to be transformed into a quality, British-made TV dramatization, possibly shown around Christmastime, as Dickens’ works used to be. This quirky and unsettling little story is far too good to be left exclusively to youngsters alone and I will make a point of reading the author’s other works. I’d love to meet and speak with the author, who retains a most unusual perspective on life and all it can offer. This gripping tale is a worthy testament to that fact. Buy the book!
  • manvi
    1.0 out of 5 stars Second hand
    Reviewed in India on October 15, 2020
    The product seems to be a second hand one. The binding also came off.
    Customer image
    manvi
    1.0 out of 5 stars Second hand
    Reviewed in India on October 15, 2020
    The product seems to be a second hand one. The binding also came off.
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  • Amazon Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Sympathisch
    Reviewed in Germany on April 18, 2014
    Ich bin irwann mal drauf gestoßen und nach langem Überlegen fand ich den Plot dann doch ganz interessant UND dann habe ich mir gedacht: Du wolltest doch eh mehr auf Englisch lesen, hol dir das Buch auf Englisch. Ist eh günstiger (JA, ich schädige die deutschen Verlage mit ihrer blöden Buchpreisbindung – danke Amazon, dass du mir das ermöglichst).

    Zum Buch:
    Ludlow Fitch hat echt Pech. Seine Eltern sind Assi, schicken ihn auf die Straße klauen, behandeln ihn wie den letzten Dreck, saufen und schließlich und endlich schleppen die ihn zu einem Menschen, der geschäftsmäßig Zähne zieht (da man diese ja verkaufen und zu gutem Geld machen kann).
    In dem Moment, in dem es ihm ans Leder geht, flieht er. Zu seinem Glück kann er sich an eine Kutsche hängen und kommt des Nachts im verschneiten Dorf Pagus Parvus an, wo ihn Joe Zabbidu in seine Obhut nimmt.
    Joe ist ein Pfandleiher, allerdings kein normaler Pfandleiher. Er kauft Geheimnisse. Und er zahlt gut, was Ratchet, dem die Dörfler alle ein ordentliches Sümmchen schulden, natürlich überhaupt nicht gefällt.
    Doch bald reicht es den Einwohnern von Pagus Parvus nicht mehr, sich von ihren schlechten Gewissen befreit und ihre Schulden abbezahlt zu haben. Sie erwarten von Joe Zabbidu, dass er etwas gegen Ratchet unternimmt…

    Mh. Ob das Buch jetzt spannend war? Ich glaube… ich weiß nicht xD auf jeden Fall war’s nicht uninteressant. Ich fand besondern die Geständnisse einfach genial. Jeder hatte eine Last, die er mit sich geschleppt hat und die ihn nachts nicht schlafen ließ. Mich haben vor allem diese voran getrieben.
    Wenn ich so im Nachhinein überlege, was das für ein Genre ist… ein Krimi? Ein Verschwörungskrimi? Ich hatte am Anfang irgendwie auf mehr Fantasy getippt, was aber dann doch nicht war (was nicht unbedingt schlecht ist).

    Für Zwischendurch mal wieder nette (idR – wenn man nicht sooo viele andere Sachen zu tun hat -.-) schnelle Lektüre, die einen dann doch in eine träumerische Welt entführt.

    P.S.: Auf Deutsch heißt das Buch ‘Das schwarze Buch der Geheimnisse’. Weitere Bücher von Higgins auf deutsch übersetzt sind ‘Das Gift der Schmetterlinge’ und ‘Silbertod’

    by Elektrohase (auch veröffentlich auf [...])

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