The Shadow of the Wind (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books #1) by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Barcelona, 1945: A city slowly heals in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, and Daniel, an antiquarian book dealers son who mourns the loss of his mother, finds solace in a mysterious book entitled The Shadow of the Wind, by one Julián Carax. But when he sets out to find the authors other works, he makes a shocking discovery: someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book Carax has written. In fact, Daniel may have the last of Caraxs books in existence. Soon Daniels seemingly innocent quest opens a door into one of Barcelonas darkest secrets--an epic story of murder, madness, and doomed love.