Stolen Books, Naughty Librarians, & Bad Bosses

Book: The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections

Author: Eva Jurczyk

Published: January 25, 2022

Wine Choice:  Rubus Chardonnay or Rubus Zinfandel

Stand Alone, Series, or Other: Stand-alone

Type of book: Novel

Genre: Mystery/Literary fiction

How long did it take me to read this book:   Two Weeks

Rating: 🍷🍷🍷🤔🙃

Another book off my unread Kindle book list! YAY! I finally read “The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections.”  Liesl and her attempt to keep things in the library running like normal drew me in as the library director is battling a grave health condition. The more Liesl must run the library, the more mysteries occur. By the middle of the book, you realize nothing is what it seems. The main character, Liesl, spends considerable time hoping. Liesl hopes her boss Christopher gets better to fix everything, hoping the book magically appears or is overlooked, and hopes for a random miracle. As the story unfolds, her hope is an attempt not to accept the reality of the missing book. As the reader,  you understand why certain characters react in specific ways and how the clues of this unique mystery are always present.

The book is about a group of librarians working in a university’s Rare Books and Special Collections department. The department director, “Christopher,” suffers a medical emergency, and his right-hand person, Liesl, steps in to continue operations at the library. Liesl, although you can tell she is the best option for the library, uncovers a mystery, a book missing from the safe. As the story unfolds, you find the secret lives of all the characters are juicier than a missing book. Lies, deception, and forgery, but we also find out the librarians’ past lives were just as juicy: adultery, corruption, and deceptions.

I enjoyed the book, highlighting different generations and how they manage an ever-changing environment. The off-putting part of the book was the main character was obtuse with the clues in front of her. Just Liesl was always two steps behind what other characters would talk to her about and focused on Christopher’s legacy. Her unquestioning loyalty to her boss reminds her of a past ideal that older generations follow: she must protect at all costs, even though her boss is a scoundrel.

While reading this book, you, as the reader, have quite a bit of time jumping. It will be helpful to put together the mystery of the library. The time jumps are from 20 years to 10 years to eight years in the past. I do enjoy how the Author weaved diversity into the book. The ending was refreshing. All the loose story plots were tied up in a nice bow without feeling rushed or with a quizzical look at how we got here. I loved discussing retirement, why it is sometimes not an option, or the mental preparation needed to leave one’s career.

If you decide to read this book, you have two options. If you like White Wine, then pick up the Rubus Chardonnay. It has notes of Pineapple and Honey and light Oak notes, but they are not overbearing. Liesl would not like this; she hates Chardonnay, but it was her boss’s favorite wine. I feel like Liesel, a red wine gal, wants something vital and takes hold without being overly oaky. I would suggest reading this book with a Rubus Zinfandel; it has notes of black cherry and plum, with a bit of an earthy note, but it is not overwhelming. If you read this book, enjoy the mystery of naughty librarians.

My rating was three wine glasses. A curious emoji and an upside-down smiley emoji. It’s not your traditional mystery but all the bits needed for an enjoyable ride. With the right director and network, I can see this as either a Netflix Special or a Focus Feature Movie. The book has an unexpected spice that haunts each character and adds layers to the mystery of the missing books.

Until Next Time,

Che Michelle

p.s. Happy Holidays! Day 2 of posting!!!