Eva Jurczyk’s debut novel offers a good mystery but characters without much appeal. A challenging read, the story requires commitment to finish.

Book Review: The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections by Eva Jurczyk

Imagine a book that combines a good stolen object mystery and rare books and voila here we are. I really liked the whodunnit aspect of this book as well as the big reveal in the end. I live anything set in a library since, well, I work in the library, but this felt unique and from a different angle.

Also forefront in the book is Liesl's struggle with authority as the interim director. She's doing everything right but somehow she's still not filling the shoes because she's not a man.

Who took the rare book? Is it recovered? And can Liesl prove that she has what it takes to run the Department of Rare Books and Special Collections?? Find out when it releases on Jan. 25th, 2022!!

Thank you #PoisonedPenPress and #NetGalley for this ARC!

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This one was a bit of a struggle for me. I really didn't enjoy the characters, and I couldn't connect with them and enjoy them. I was really excited for this murder-mystery, and I wasn't expecting it to be more focused on the life crisis of Leisl. The plot was really slow-moving, and it felt disjointed as it jumped to different time frames or POVs.

Liesl Weiss lives the life of a quiet librarian, working in the rare books department of a large university. She spends her time behind the scenes, making sure the department runs smoothly. But, unexpectedly her boss is hospitalized with a stroke and Liesl is expected to keep things running. it’s easier said than done. She discovers a rare and recently purchased manuscript is missing and, only a few days later, one of the librarians in the department stops showing up for her shifts. Now she must deal with a theft, keep the donors happy, and find out what secrets the other employees are hiding.

The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections is a debut novel by Eva Jurczy. While it had promise (love the idea of rare books, libraries, etc) the story just didn’t resonate with me. The characters were unappealing and unsympathetic. I so wanted to like Liesl but for someone who is experienced and approaching retirement, I expected her to be more forthright and assertive – especially when it mattered to the reputation of her department. It was a relatively slow moving story and the transitions between timelines were a little jarring and sometimes difficult to follow.

There were times that the writing shined, with descriptions of rare books and literary references. I give this book a 2.5 *s but will bump it up to three because there were some moments that I truly enjoyed the story. I just wish there had been more moments like that.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

Liesl Weiss is just about to enjoy a year-sabbatical from her job at the university’s rare books department when she’s called back to work because her boss has had a stroke and she must take over as (temporary) director. It should be an easy job, but right away, weird things start happening: the newly purchased and absolutely priceless rare book they’ve just purchased is missing. As Liesl tries to keep her donors happy and the department running, a librarian goes missing. And things go from bad to worse.

Sigh.

This was a book that I should have DNF’d.

Right from the beginning, with the awkward first chapter that just launched into problems and relationships without any context (and then did not really go into any context until much of the way through the book), to the writing style and immediate fatphobia, there were red flags.

This was another book that I wasn’t expecting. I had wanted a plucky murder-mystery within the rare books department of a university (which is what the blurb and cover indicate, btw), and got instead the mid-life crisis of a whyte woman who has spent her entire career in a position of power but refuses to look at it because she’d rather focus on being a victim of the patriarchy.

Yes, exactly that.

I had a very hard time with the writing style and the way the story was told, as both just did not jive with me at all, and I really, really hated Liesl, who went the entire time whining about things instead of trying to change them (when she had the power to change them) or acknowledge her own role in the reason things were so awful in her department.

I could kinda see where the author was trying to go in trying to make Liesl a sympathetic and complex character with flaws and whatnot, but quite frankly, I was not having it. Liesl kept her head down, ignored the issues and stayed in her lane so thoroughly (and judged and isolated the woman she should have allied with) that she saw absolutely nothing until it was too late. Not to mention how horribly she treated her husband and her emotional affair with a coworker (while judging the other woman for a situation that was sketchy as fuck at best).

And I really did not like how the book ended. (mild spoiler to follow) I’ve noticed this trope in a couple of other places, and at first it seemed oooh yes this is how we fix things that are broken, but really, it’s taking the easy way out and then making a woman of color come in and try to fix everything with even more odds stacked against her, no matter how accomplished or connected she is.

Unrelated, a show that I’ve been really enjoying handles this (and other things, but the root cause is whyte feminism and whyte woman highlander syndrome) in a much better and more nuanced way is The Morning Show. There is practically no similarity to them aside from that, though.

When I tell you I have never clicked 'request' on an ARC as quickly as I had upon reading the description of this book on NetGalley, I'm not lying. Books, libraries, museums, and special collections- literally right up my alley. My excitement, unfortunately, was fairly short-lived. Three months and a half-dozen attempts to pick up this book and start reading hasn't led me anywhere good. Like other reviewers are said, Leisel is a hard character to like. The writing style of this book is very heavily literary, and it may be because I've rotted my brain with YA mysteries, but I just could not get into this book.

I'll give it another try in a few months, but I'm not terribly optimistic.

I enjoyed reading this book - for the library references and the authors love of books. I am also one of those readers that needs to connect with at least one character - and I just didn't with any of these! Too many flawed people in one place!!

I could relate to Leisl being left the position at the end of her career and just not having the energy left to do what needed to be done. I just couldn't deal with her attitude with the rest of her life! Though she did grow toward the end and parts of a likeable character were starting to peek through - it was too late!

My eagerness to readthis book based on the description was slowly but surely squashed as I slogged through the first couple of chapters. I admit that I am a reader who prefers to *like* at least one of the characters in the book I’m reading. Unfortunately in this one, every single character got on my last nerve. I found the writing disjointed, with groups of sentences describing one thing jammed in the middle of paragraphs about something else. This makes me suspect the ARC has some formatting issues, which could account for my dislike of the book. I plan to give this one a try in print when it’s published and see if the experience is different.

Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the chance to read The department of rare books and special collections by Eva Jurczyk. I really tried to like this book, but after almost DNFing it at 35% I put it down, and read something else. Then I tried again and still had issues. I couldn't connect with the characters, and didn't like how it jumped around. While I am sure some will enjoy it, this book was not for me.

News flash if a librarian says a rare book is missing most likely stolen you should believe her. I enjoyed this one. However it made me mad that no one believe Liesl. I was rooting for her from the beginning.

I had to read this book because it was a book about books and a mystery. However, it was a dull reading experience with some characters I did not care for including the main character, who is judgmental AF. TURNOFF! Yes, I understand she has to step up quickly after her boss is hospitalized, but she really does not change as person by the end of the book. JMO. The only part of the book that had any real action was a missing extremely rare manuscript. The timeline was shit, and I do not mind dual or multiple timelines, but it did not work here.

Overall, just an okay read and disappointed.

Thanks to Netgalley, Eva Jurczyk, and Poison Pen Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 1/25/22

Thanks to Netgalley, Poisoned Pen Press and the author for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Liesl, a librarian in the Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, is looking forward to retirement so she can dedicate her time to her husband and writing her own book when her charismatic boss has a stroke and Liesl has to step up to his job.

As much as she deserves the promotion, it means that she has to deal with a lot of responsibility, including her prickly co-workers and important donors. Then, when a newly acquired and extremely valuable book goes missing, Liesl must find it before the donors find out or risk damaging her reputation and the library's funding.

I was in the mood for a mystery and a bookish mystery seemed just the ticket. This book is so beautifully written that I found myself reading passages aloud just to hear them - the sentences just flowed.

The title could as much be describing the characters in the story as the department Liesl works with. Each one with their own histories and mysteries and quirks requiring special handling. Liesl most of all is a complex, fully realised person who is quietly compelling. The other characters are just as complex - her colleagues, her husband and her superiors all have their own complexities which make them so interesting to read.

It's darkly funny, poignant, cerebral without being pretentious, and the mystery draws the reader in. I had to look up the word 'panopticon' (no, I am not telling you what it is). I love it when I learn new words!

This was a wonderful read.

The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections by Eva Jurczyk
Posted on January 10, 2022 by Carol Early Cooney

Dear Fellow Reader,

Why is it I end up so behind on reviewing books? I have a stockpile of books to tell you about. I will admit that I have read a lot of cozy mysteries lately, but I think that is just to avoid doing other things.

Today’s book will be published on January 25, 2022. I was given an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

In contrast to most of the books that I review in exchange for a review, this book is a mystery. I’m not sure why I don’t generally get mysteries since that I what I read most of the time. But I have a mystery for you today.


The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections by Eva Jurczyk introduces us to Liesl Weiss, who has just been elevated to acting director of the Department of Rare Books and Special Collections at the university library where she has worked for many years. Her boss has had a stroke and she suddenly has to step in. The first thing that happens is that a book that the library just purchased is missing. This is a problem not only because of the money spent but the money had been raised from donors who are anxious to see the book. Where is it? Liesl was on sabbatical when the book arrived, so she has never seen it. She wants to call in the police, but the University President tells her not to that they will have to have an internal investigation – i.e. Liesl should find the book first. She doesn’t feel that he is right but does try and find the thief herself. While she is looking for the thief, we get to meet the other library staff with all their quirks. In this process, we find that another book is missing AND a library staff member commits suicide.

Will she be able to solve the crime, or will the police be called in to help?

With this book review, we have something that doesn’t happen very often. As you may know, I do not generally review books that I don’t like. I know that the author has worked very hard on their book and I don’t see any reason to say that their hard work wasn’t worth it.

I did NOT like this book. I thought Liesl was a horrible character. I didn’t like anything about her. She was so insecure and selfish. I can’t recommend it. Harsh, huh? I know and I don’t like to say it but there are other books that are more enjoyable. I did finish it, which I guess says something because I have taken to not finishing books if I don’t like them. (too many books, so little time)

So, I will leave it up to you, fellow reader. If you read the book and think that I am completely wrong, please let me know.

Thanks for reading!

From the title of the book I wasn't expecting it to be a mystery. Rare books have gone missing and Liesel is responsible for finding them. The search is complicated by all of the secrets her colleagues are keeping. Chris, the department chair has had a stroke and is in a coma in hospital, Miriam is missing and found dead, and Dan, Frances, and Max are accusing each other and jockeying for power. Even College President Gerber doesn't want Liesel to bring in the police. the mystery is overshadowed by the misogynic of the men she works with and for. They are all horribly self-serving. Even her husband was an unsympathetic character. I just wanted to shake Liesel and tell her to stick up for herself. I enjoyed the setting of the campus special collections library, the mystery was intriguing, but the characters were unlikeable.

This book was not for me. I wanted to appreciate the book’s older main character and her struggles to be taken seriously at work, but she was so negative and judgmental of all the other characters that I had a hard time being drawn in. Other characters in the book were fleshed out just enough to create a world of unlikeable people. I don’t know how realistic the depiction of the academic library environment is, but I didn’t care about the stakes of the crime (mostly that the all-powerful donors would be angry). Descriptions of the rare books were colorful and showed the author took time to research. Maybe this would be good for someone who wants a mystery/crime book with a slow pace and without much violence.

This wasn’t the book I thought it was but it still took me on a journey. I like a good mystery but this was a really slow start for me which made it hard for me to get into.

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for an advanced copy of The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections.

Unfortunately this book wasn't for me. I had a really hard time getting into it. The beginning is very slow and the timeline jumps around so I was confused what was happening.

Eva Jurczyk’s The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections brings Liesl Weiss back from a recently started sabbatical to fill in for the collection’s director, Christopher ___, who lies unconscious in the hospital following a stroke. An older woman looking forward to retirement and largely invisible throughout most of her career, Liesel quickly finds herself over her head. The large Toronto university has recently spend a half-million dollars from donors to purchase a rare six-volume Plantin Polyglot Bible, believed to have been secured in Christopher’s office safe pending insurance. Donors are demanding to see what their money has bought, and only the unconscious Christopher has the combination, or so Liesel thinks.

When Christopher’s wife shows up with the combination, Liesl’s relief is short-lived. The safe is empty! What has happened to $500,000 rare books? Were the volumes accidently shelved? Did someone steal them? Why does Miriam, another of the librarians, fail to show up for work?

Liesl wants to notify the police but is ordered not to do so. As occasional brief flashback chapters fill in background information about other employees, readers see the number of suspects widen. Another rare book is discovered to be missing. Page after page, what would once have been her dream job goes from bad to worse.

Publisher’s Weekly labels The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections “an unflinching appraisal of the personal and professional effects of a woman's aging into invisibility." "Filled with characters that resonate, glimpses into the reality of libraries and academia, and enchanting descriptions of rare books,” the Library Journal comments, “this debut from a librarian will captivate bibliophiles."
Whether you enjoy women’s fiction, books about books and those who love them, or an entertaining mystery, add Jurczyk’s debut novel to your 2022 reading list.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an advance reader copy.

More of a romance than I expected

Not the literary journey I had hoped for.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

As a librarian I was intrigued by this title! It proved to be an interesting read as I hve never worked with rare books, however as I do not usually read mysteries I was somewhat disappointed to discover it was a mystery. I do think it was an enjoyable read and will be especially enjoyed by mystery lovers