Department of Rare Books and Special Collections

 

I received a copy of this release from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Title: The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections
Author: Eva Jurczyk
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Release Date: 1.25.22


Publisher’s Summary
What holds more secrets in the library: the ancient books shelved in the stacks or the people who preserve them?

Liesl Weiss has been (mostly) happy working in the rare books department of a large university, managing details and working behind the scenes to make the head of the department look good. But when her boss has a stroke and she's left to run things, she discovers that the library's most prized manuscript is missing.

Liesl tries to sound the alarm and inform the police about the missing priceless book but is told repeatedly to keep quiet to keep the doors open and the donors happy. But then a librarian goes missing as well. Liesl must investigate both disappearances, unspooling her colleagues' pasts like the threads of a rare book binding as it becomes clear that someone in the department must be responsible for the theft. What Liesl discovers about the dusty manuscripts she has worked among for so long—and about the people who preserve and revere them—shakes the very foundation on which she has built her life.



My Review

This review is going to be short, and not so sweet. My excitement grew with each phase of my exposure to this book. First, about a year ago, the cover and title caught my eye. I read the summary and instantly added it to my list of review requests. When I began reading it, I learned that the main character is a middle age woman and thought "this is going to be so great." 

If only. 

There is so much focus on the other characters' backstories but NOTHING HAPPENS. Maybe it's a slow burn of a book with great final scenes. I'll never know. I was bored and I gave up. I read almost 40% and just could not make myself finish.