My Book Ended Up in a Hotel Library in Amsterdam (And I Couldn't Be More Thrilled)

Or: Proof that cosy mysteries travel well.

I received a message recently that I've read about five times now, because it makes me smile every single time.

A reader — let's call her a kindred spirit — travelled to Amsterdam with her husband and packed The Bride of Lilly Pilly Creek for the journey. She devoured it on the plane (always the best kind of compliment). While staying at The Library Hotel in Amsterdam — a hotel with an actual library in the lobby, organised by language — she decided to leave the book in the English section for a fellow traveller to enjoy.

Her plan was to retrieve it on checkout day.

It was gone by day 2.

She checked every day. Definitely gone. Someone had picked up a cosy mystery set in the Adelaide Hills of South Australia and walked off with it — in the best possible way.

She wrote to me: "I think we should now confirm that your books are enjoyed in Europe too."

Consider it confirmed. 🇳🇱

Why this story means so much to me

When I write about Lilly Pilly Creek — the rolling hills, the quirky characters, the ghostly mysteries tucked into an Australian country town — I'm writing about a world that feels deeply, specifically Australian. The Adelaide Hills. The kind of community where everyone knows everyone, and the past has a way of making itself known.

The idea that a reader in Amsterdam picked that book off a shelf and carried it away with them... it's everything. Stories travel. That's the whole point.

Want to start the series?

If you're new here, the Lilly Pilly Creek Ghost Mysteries series starts with The Ghost of Lilly Pilly Creek. You can grab a signed copy of Book 1, the eBook & Paperback Bundle, or browse the full Lilly Pilly Creek Ghost Mysteries series — including bundles covering all four books.

And if you're already a fan — thank you. Truly. You're the reason these stories find their way into hotel libraries in Amsterdam.

Book 5 is coming. 🌿

With love,
Abbie x