The Burning Library
On sale
29th January 2026
Price: £18.99
‘I inhaled this fast-paced, clever thriller. A race against time through ancient manuscripts where every revelation comes with a price and nobody can be trusted’ Claire Douglas, bestselling author of The New Neighbours
‘Blending academia, history and danger, this high-stakes thriller will have your heart pounding’ Woman & Home
For over a century two rival organisations of women have gone to deadly lengths to secure a precious scrap of fraying embroidery in the hopes of finding the original medieval manuscript from which it was torn.
There’s the Order of St Katherine: devoted to the belief that women must pull strings in the shadows in order to exercise covert control. And the Fellowship of the Larks: determined to amass as many overt positions of power for women as possible . . . while making sure their methods never come to light.
When trailblazing paleographer Dr Anya Brown is headhunted by the exclusive Institute of Manuscript Studies at St Andrews, she’s unaware that she is in grave danger – her new employers are the Larks, and they’ll stop at nothing to achieve their mission.
As Dr Brown is drawn deeper into this ancient web, events spiral beyond her control. To uncover the truth, and escape with her life, she must summon all her expertise to decipher a series of messages that have lain hidden for centuries.
An exhilarating and page-turning race against time, The Burning Library whisks you from the hallowed cloisters of Oxford, Cambridge and St Andrews to the stunning medieval Italian city of Verona.
‘Blending academia, history and danger, this high-stakes thriller will have your heart pounding’ Woman & Home
For over a century two rival organisations of women have gone to deadly lengths to secure a precious scrap of fraying embroidery in the hopes of finding the original medieval manuscript from which it was torn.
There’s the Order of St Katherine: devoted to the belief that women must pull strings in the shadows in order to exercise covert control. And the Fellowship of the Larks: determined to amass as many overt positions of power for women as possible . . . while making sure their methods never come to light.
When trailblazing paleographer Dr Anya Brown is headhunted by the exclusive Institute of Manuscript Studies at St Andrews, she’s unaware that she is in grave danger – her new employers are the Larks, and they’ll stop at nothing to achieve their mission.
As Dr Brown is drawn deeper into this ancient web, events spiral beyond her control. To uncover the truth, and escape with her life, she must summon all her expertise to decipher a series of messages that have lain hidden for centuries.
An exhilarating and page-turning race against time, The Burning Library whisks you from the hallowed cloisters of Oxford, Cambridge and St Andrews to the stunning medieval Italian city of Verona.
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Reviews
A beautifully written story of dark obsession and murderous ambition. Outstanding
A breakneck thriller with intellectual heft, if you enjoyed The Da Vinci Code you'll love this!
My favourite book of the year! I inhaled this fast-paced, clever thriller. A race against time through ancient manuscripts where every revelation comes with a price and nobody can be trusted, The Burning Library crackles with paranoia and tension on every page. Original, twisty and utterly gripping, this is dark academia at its finest. An outstanding read and Gilly Macmillan's best yet
Dr Anya Brown becomes an unwitting pawn between two secretive, warring, and dangerous factions of women in search of a priceless medieval manuscript. Fresh, fun, and full of thrills, The Burning Library is dark academia with a sly, feminist twist - deliciously entertaining! Highly recommended!
Macmillan's compelling blend of academic intrigue, historical mystery, and high-stakes suspense makes this a must-read for fans of Kate Morton and Elizabeth Kostova
Ingenious, inventive, highly imaginative. Crying out to be a Netflix series, with its telegenic locations - Oxford, London, Cambridge, St Andrews, Verona and Venice - and a plot which hurtles from one twist to another even faster than Anya and Sid
What a captivating book! Sophisticated, smart, and absolutely riveting. Two centuries-old secret societies battle to find a powerful manuscript - instantly a terrific idea. But the supremely talented Gilly Macmillian has created a total immersion thriller - relentlessly simmering, disturbingly plausible, and demanding you to turn the page. This is so much fun!
A fast-paced thriller sure to be the hottest read this year!
Thrilling, twisty, with embroidery - what's not to love? Reading this novel is like going on a high-stakes treasure hunt, laced with murder. A real page turner, beautifully written, I devoured it
A rip-roaring Da Vinci Code-style adventure about two groups of powerful women competing to unearth a priceless book...so much fun
Margaret Atwood meets Dan Brown in this innovative and propulsive thriller where two secret societies of women manipulate, scheme and kill in their search for an important book. Original, pacy and intelligent The Burning Library takes thrillers to a new level and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough
With its ancient manuscripts, beautiful libraries, and murder, this book is everything I love. I tore through The Burning Library!
A fast, fun, unpredictable feminist adventure full ofcode-breaking, clues and secret societies. The Burning Library is a story to get swept up inand it's completely unlike anything else I've read for a long time. I loved it!
Blending academia, history and danger, this high-stakes thriller will have your heart pounding... Narrators Rose Robinson and Steph de Whalley capture the tension beautifully, making this fast-paced, twist-laden tale irresistible in audio.
A dark, atmospheric and very filmic tale of academia, art and feminist history. I loved how the story zig-zags from location to location in a race against time, and the writing is never less than pin-sharp and evocative. A thrilling and chilling read!
The Da Vinci Code meets The Secret History in this atmospheric page-turner. Intelligent, assured and deeply compelling
Clever, fast-paced, complex. If you like thrillers with a heart stomping quest, this is for you!