Welcome to the World of the Bookbinder Mystery Books
Birth of the Angel
BOOK ONE
Artemis Bookbinder, a quirky academic with an NYPD background, has an obsession for an unsolved case: the robbery of the Gardner Museum in Boston. A painting is found - alongside a very dead body. Artemis, a lifelong germophobe, must navigate the outbreak of the pandemic as he and his young son, Silas, investigate a dark world of cults, drugs, and an all too powerful TV news outlet. What they discover will shatter the foundation of everything they believe.
BRAND NEW SECOND EDITION!
RELEASE DATE:
Jan 18th, 2026
Available for Pre-Order
I do not normally read murder mysteries but this one came highly recommended so I decided to give it a try - and I’m glad I did! Based on the famous and true Gardner Museum art heist which took place in 1990, it is now 30 years later and one of the stolen paintings has been found along with it’s murdered “owner”. The story builds as Conal O’Brien introduces us to a complex web of relationships that make the characters come alive. I don’t want to reveal much more but once you’re drawn in there’s no turning back. This is a two-book series and I’m anxiously awaiting Book Two.
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I am a very slow reader, and rarely reach for fiction, but this book was recommended to me so I gave it a chance. Once I was into it, there was no looking back! I love the plot, and as a New Yorker I love all the locations in the book (many of them are familiar)—it's very timely and feels like it could be happening right now, right down there on the streets of NYC. The end of the first book has a huge surprise, one I was totally not expecting, and I love the character arcs. Can't wait to read book Two, and I JUST got my copy so here we go....!
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Birth of the Angel is a great read. Conal O'Brien does a fantastic job of casting different lines out for the reader and then subtly reeling you in. The gallery of characters is quite diverse and O'Brien's unique way of drawing you into their lives makes you want to know more. Especially interesting is the main character Artemis Bookbinder as he tries to do right by his family and deal with the coming pandemic. When I reached the end of the book I was both pleased and disappointed; pleased the story was so engrossing, but disappointed that I have to wait for the sequel to know what comes next!
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