Description A debut novel full of magic, adventure, and romance, The Book of Doors opens up a thrilling world of contemporary fantasy for fans of The Midnight Library, The Invisible Life of Addie Larue, The Night Circus, and any modern story that mixes the wonder of the unknown with just a tinge of darkness.
Cassie Andrews works in a New York City bookshop, shelving books, making coffee for customers, and living an unassuming, ordinary life. Until the day one of her favorite customers—a lonely yet charming old man—dies right in front of her. Cassie is devastated. She always loved his stories, and now she has nothing to remember him by. Nothing but the last book he was reading.
But this is no ordinary book…
It is the Book of Doors.
Inscribed with enigmatic words and mysterious drawings, it promises Cassie that any door is every door. You just need to know how to open them.
Then she’s approached by a gaunt stranger in a rumpled black suit with a Scottish brogue who calls himself Drummond Fox. He’s a librarian who keeps watch over a unique set of rare volumes. The tome now in Cassie’s possession is not the only book with great power, but it is the one most coveted by those who collect them.
Now Cassie is being hunted by those few who know of the Special Books. With only her roommate Izzy to confide in, she has to decide if she will help the mysterious and haunted Drummond protect the Book of Doors—and the other books in his secret library’s care—from those who will do evil. Because only Drummond knows where the unique library is and only Cassie’s book can get them there.
But there are those willing to kill to obtain those secrets. And a dark force—in the form of a shadowy, sadistic woman—is at the very top of that list.
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In contemporary portal and speculative fantasy fiction, stories centering on magical books and instantaneous travel across geographic boundaries offer readers immersive escapes. Gareth Brown entered this genre space with his debut novel The Book of Doors, which rapidly achieved international popularity and bestseller status.
Born in Falkirk, Scotland, Gareth Brown harbored ambitions of becoming an author from a young age and completed his first manuscript as a teenager. Before establishing himself in publishing, he spent twenty years writing in his spare time while working full-time in the United Kingdom Civil Service and the National Health Service. His dedication borne from decades of practice culminated in the release of The Book of Doors in February 2024, published simultaneously by Bantam in the United Kingdom and William Morrow in the United States.
Brown utilizes an organic writing approach where plot elements, emotional arcs, and complex character dynamics develop fluidly as the narrative progresses. The core concept behind his debut originated from a long-standing desire to craft a portal fantasy mechanism, which crystallized during COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns as a wish to travel beyond his study walls. His work combines grounded human relationships and suspense with high-concept magical mechanics, exploring themes of travel, time manipulation, and the ethical burdens of secret powers.
