This bookseller might have stumbled into her own mystery novel after finding a creepy note in one of her books.

A woman has shared the story of how she stumbled across a mysterious on the shelf of her shop that she doesn't remember putting there. Not only was the book clearly very well-used and not a brand new title that she would be selling, it also had a very strange note tucked inside the pages that explained exactly how the book got there - but still left the woman with even more questions.

Rosie Talbot, an author who also works as a bookseller, explained in a video on that she had been tidying up the non-fiction section of her shop when she stumbled across a "delightfully used" copy of 's 2022 book, Cinema Speculation. She said she had no idea where the book came from but didn't have to speculate for long because there was a piece of paper wedged between the pages.

Taking out the piece of paper and showing it to the camera, Rosie said she "appreciated the effort" of the mystery writer, but noted that what they had done was still a crime - as the person confessed to having taken a brand new copy of the same book and had left their tattered version in its place.

The note read: "On Friday, 20th September 2024, I was caught riding my bicycle in a rainstorm of magnificent proportions, and my beloved copy of Cinema Speculation, which I am only halfway through, got waterlogged! I hope it's okay [that] I am attempting to swap [it] for a fresh copy ... Best regards, JJH x."

In her video, a gobsmacked Rosie said: "While I appreciate the effort and the picture of this bike, which is the strangest bike I've ever seen, it is still theft. 'I hope it's okay, am attempting to swap for a fresh copy'? You didn't attempt, did you? You succeeded. And it's kinda not okay. You just ... you stole a book, mate, you stole a book. Please don't do this."

To make matters worse, the original owner of the waterlogged book had highlighted sections of the book for their own notes. So not only is the book completely unsellable due to its condition, the original owner now doesn't have their notes in their shiny new copy.

Rosie added: "I get that there's a certain je ne sais quoi to a perfect edition of a book, but personally, I like the ones that have been rained upon and are full of highlights and have a story to tell. So, in a way, it's their loss. But actually, it's genuinely our loss and please don't steal books. Thanks!"

Commenters on the video were equally baffled by the mysterious book thief's "audacity". Some other people who worked in various shops also shared their experiences of people trying the exact same trick.

One person said: "I work in a store that sells DVDs, and we have someone come in and do this! We'll find a secondhand DVD on the shelf, and the nice new sealed one is gone." Another added: "I hope someone figures out who they are and calls them out on it. This is insane behaviour!"

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