THE DEPARTMENT OF RARE BOOKS AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS by Eva Jurczyk is a debut work which seemed to move a bit slowly for me, but which was yet another a LibraryReads Selection for January. Professional reviewers tended to enjoy it as well, with Kirkus describing this mystery story as "The perfect gift for librarians and those who love them—and doesn't that include just about every reader?"

As the story begins, Liesl Weiss has assumed responsibilities as acting as head of the Department and soon discovers that a recent rare book acquisition has gone missing. Was it somehow mis-shelved or stolen? The university President actively discourages police involvement while requiring a reluctant Liesl to "schmooze" with the donors. Soon a fellow librarian goes missing and theft looks more likely as the donors apply increasing pressure. Poor Liesl struggles to gain respect and find the valuable text. Book groups might well enjoy debating her predicament in the face of ageism and male chauvinism.

Jurczyk's characters are all delightfully "off"--which makes for great fun in trying to determine whodunnit. The setting is also particularly well-drawn: a large university rare books room where the staff are all dedicated and proficient at procuring important and unique books, but not so adept at dealing with people. The pressures of academia--in particular the constant drive for fund raising, the need to cater to wealthy donors, and an incompetent university president--all make for a fascinating (and often wryly humorous) mystery.

I wanted to like this book. I'm always going to want to read something about books/libraries/academic libraries. This book did not work for me, at all.

But I had to stop reading this. 25% of the way through. This book was making me not want to turn on my kindle.

I work in academia, I have a more than passing understanding of how higher ed administration works. This book does not represent that world in any kind of accurate way. A university president who only spends his days training for the Ironman? Nope. (And then blames Liesl for not trying harder to make an appointment with him, are you kidding me?) A half million dollar artifact goes missing, and he says don't call the police? No freaking way. Characters who gaslight Liesl, and are guilty of insubordination, and harassment of same? Oh no no no, that's a quick call to HR to sort out.

One of the things that drove me crazy throughout the part I did read is how no one actually talks to anyone about anything. They just sort of talk around the problem, or not say anything at all. Honestly, a few come to Jesus meetings would sort things out pretty quickly.

Now, let's talk about characterization. It is so cliche. Liesl has spent a considerable amount of time being the deputy to the director of this library. Yet apparently all she's done is pay the bills and write some catering orders? Seriously? No! She doesn't get to that position without at least a Master's degree, and she doesn't get that without an actual knowledge of the library. I know these things! So when she becomes the acting director, everyone reminds her of how little she knows, how she's not the Director. The men in the book are quite terrible to her, they put her down, remind her she's not in charge (when actually she is), belittle her, and she just sits there and takes it. She does try to push back once or twice, but it's half-hearted at best.

I honestly couldn't do this anymore. I was looking for reasons to do anything but read this book, including cleaning out my kitchen cabinets.

I love books. New books. Old books. Owned books. Borrowed books. Common books. Rare books. I love the smell of books... even the old moldy ones. Eva Jurczyk might not have set out to do this, but I could smell the books on every page (even though I was reading on my Oasis)! I could smell the library, the basement stacks, the grease of the rolling shelves (yes we use them in pharmacies!), the falafel cart, the noodle scenes (why does Liesl eat noodle so much??? tell me more!), the wine, the whisky, the damp umbrellas, the faculty club $38 salad, the overpriced aftershave on on a pompous millionaire, the melancholy, the despair, the regrets, and the burning ire of when secrets are discovered. This slow-burn bookish mystery is not a book for everyone. If you need a fast pace thriller or happy endings, there are other books out there to satisfy your needs. If you love slowly revealed mysteries and self-discovery with a hint of feminist values, I invite you to snuggle in on a rainy/snowy day and delve into the secrets within the #deptofrarebooks. Thank you NetGalley and @poisonedpennpress for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

In this novel, it seems everyone has secrets. Even Liesl. Especially Liesl.

The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections is not the most gripping book I've read so far in 2022, but it has an allure to it nonetheless. There are mysteries in the story—misunderstandings, conspiracies, secrets—that you badly want to unravel. The resolve of these are mostly satisfying. Not every secret is laid bare by the end (even though the reader knows the truth of them), but that's realistic.

The characters are particularly notable for their dimension. Each person has a history, flaws, and reactions that make them unique, singular. I would not say that Liesl, the main character, is particularly likeable. At least to me, the secrets she has chosen to keep make her less than sympathetic. That aside, she's an interesting main character, if only for the uniqueness of her perspective. It's nice sometimes to have a heroine who is not a 20- or 30-something old at the cusp of obtaining their dream career, isn't it? But I did spend half this book cringing at Liesl's meekness and her incompetence, the other half glad when something in her finally clicked.

Rare Books builds a definitive mood; it's like a cloud hanging over you. The negativity of Liesl's situation, that spiral of bad news after bad news until you're no longer able to see the good—that is relatable and is addictive to read. I'll admit I flew through this book, as I often do with any plot resembling a thriller. All that said, unfortunately, though there was an abundance of drama, there was no real shock. I'm not sure there was supposed to be, and that's fine. Still, I'm not sure how long this one will stick with me.

I really wanted to love this book. It had all the elements that I love - a bit of mystery, a strong female character, an old library, and BOOKS. The first couple of chapters had me intrigued, but that was about it. I had a really hard time getting into the story and getting through the book. I almost DNF, but pushed through because I wanted to get to the resolution of the missing books. The ending was good, and what I had hoped, which was good.

Overall, I will say the premise of the story was interesting. While it wasn't the most exciting thing I've read, I know it will appeal to someone out there.

3/5 stars

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Liesl is unexprctedly appointed interim director of the university Library the current library director, Christopher Wolfe, suffered a stroke. She’s been Christopher’s right hand for years, doing ALL the administrative and “boring” things Christopher has never wanted to do, making sure things ran properly.

The library just bought a very rare set of books, and there’s some worry because Christopher left the books in the library safe without leaving the combination anywhere, and the volumes need to be assessed for insurance. Also, Liesl finds the staff upset about a variety of things, including Christopher’s condition, and Liesl finds them not terribly supportive of her being interim director.

Then, if things weren’t already tough, Liesl opens the safe to find no books, followed soon after by a missing, longtime staff member, and to Liesl’s dismay, another rare book missing from the stacks. The university president remains adamantly against involving the police, for fear of upsetting rich donors and the flow of money to the university (and the library). Liesl finds herself undercut by the president and her staff, drinking too much to deal with her stress and longtime questions about her marriage.
The only bright spots in Liesl’s tense and increasingly unsupportable days are a new math professor who doesn’t seem phased by the personalities of the donors or the president, and a chance to add to the library’s collections when an interesting and hard-to-find item appears in an upcoming book auction.

Eva Jurczyk knows libraries, and the types of people and concerns they have. I’m assuming she has firsthand experience, as the conversations and in-fighting and deep love for rare and ancient books felt so real, including her sadly realistic characterizations of the type of men, primarily, involved at the higher levels of management in institutions with their privilege, and misogyny, racism and homophobia.

The mystery of the missing books wasn’t hard for me to figure out, but getting there was fun. The tension and somewhat unhinged conversations Liesl had with the university President were great, and I liked that Liesl didn’t always make the greatest decisions about how to handle staff, but I liked how she grew into the interim position, and how she resolved the missing books situation.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.

When Liesl Weiss’s boss has a stroke, she must take over running the Department of Rare Books and Special Collections. First order of business, find the missing, very expensive book. With uncooperative co-workers, a demanding college president and the ever-present entitled donors, Liesl’s job just went from satisfying to stressful.

In every job I’ve had, the more trying the situation, the more people knuckled down and worked together. Not the bunch at this library. Avoiding blame and placing it seem to be everyone’s strategy. Sounds like politicians. The result was a bunch of characters that left me unsympathetic. Which means I didn’t get engaged in the story. Liesl, the heroine, struggles through the entire book to gain my sympathy, but always falls short – as a manager, as a wife, as a friend. I’m not saying that heroines have to be strong and nearly perfect. However, I would have enjoyed Liesl a little more if she had a bit more backbone.

Not everyone who reads this book will feel the same way. Others might get excited about university politics and departmental infighting. Some might be into rare books. I prefer accessible books. Other readers may really like solving the mystery to find the thief. Half-way through the book, I knew who the culprit was, so there wasn’t even much of a puzzle.

There were a couple of themes that the author put out there. One of the side-stories was about mental illness. There was also the subject of good old boys doing things their way while those that disagree (women) have to find a way to work around them.

This was a disappointing book for me, though was good enough to read to the end. And in the end, Liesl did the right thing.

Through Netgalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I always see books about libraries but it is usually after they've been out for a while and the hold lists is long at the digital library. Many of them are historical fiction or have elements of fantasy or magical realism. I saw The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections and accepted it for review but when I started to read it I had forgotten what it was about so I expected it to be like the other recent books about libraries. But it wasn't it.

I don't think a year was actually given, but the story is set in present-day with a few chapters flashing back to the past to give some background on the various characters. No name of the university is given, but it is in Canada. Though it could be any large, research university. I pretty quickly ruled out historical fiction, but still, I wondered if magical realism would be included. Especially when all the characters seemed a little odd. But it is because they are all hiding secrets and not due to any tropes of fantasy or magical realism. The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections is a character-driven mystery. While I enjoyed the book, I'm not sure I actually liked it.

It starts off with Liesel being called back from a sabbatical that has just begun because the director has had a stroke and as the assistant director (I'm not sure what her actual title but it was something like that) she must lead the department. She has handled the administrative tasks - invoices, budgets, shipping, etc while the director Christopher has been the public face - glad-handing donors and handling acquisitions. Liesel is a bit out of her element as she steps into this new role and it doesn't help that the other employees don't think she can (or should) be the interim. Things quickly go downhill when a newly acquired book goes missing. And everyone at the library becomes a suspect.

I didn't particularly like any of the characters. I didn't totally dislike them either. They are all hiding something which made them hard to get to know which is strange for a character-driven story. Some of the secrets are fully revealed while others you have to read between the lines to figure out. At times, the mystery of the missing book took a position on the back-burner as we devel into the personal lives of the characters through flashbacks, which is typical with a character-driven story.

As I work in academia, I could identify with the setting. Particularly Liesl's sentiment, "The students interfered greatly with Liesl's enjoyment of the campus." We have a special collections library at my university and while we are proud of it, I'm not sure it plays as big of a role in fundraising as the library in this book. Perhaps at the more Ivy league-type schools, they do.

I enjoyed the mystery. About halfway through I suspected a particular character which in the end I was proved to be correct. However, I didn't get a satisfying answer as to why the person did it.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. Each time I picked it up I was immediately pulled into the story and got lost in the pages.

My review is published at Girl Who Reads - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2022/01/the-department-of-rare-books-and.html

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections by Eva Jurczyk is a wonderful, library-based mystery that will appeal to bibliophiles everywhere. The story revolves around Liesl, a librarian working in the rare books department of a large university. One day, she discovers that an expensive manuscript is missing. Then, a colleague goes missing. Is the missing woman connected to the missing rare book? Liesl will have to solve the case!

Here is an atmospheric excerpt from the beginning of Chapter 3:

"She sat staring at the screen, listening to the library go quiet around her as the voices retreated one by one into the elevator and back onto the street. First the clinking Sancerre glasses at the donor event ceased, then readers went quiet, then the rumble of book trucks as materials were packed away, and finally the voices of the staff went dim and Liesl was left alone in the darkened building with only the hum of the air conditioner to keep her company."

Overall, The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections is a dark academic mystery that will appeal to book-lovers everywhere. One highlight of this book is the setting in the rare books department of a university. I was captivated by the lovely setting, and I enjoyed reading about Liesl's everyday routine as much as I did the mystery. I did take off 1 star, because I was expecting the mystery to be a bit more exciting. Instead, this felt about the same as a cozy mystery. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of books about books, I recommend that you check out this book, which is available now!

I love quick banter. Those back and forth conversations you can watch like a tennis match, those are my favorite.
And the tale of this little (big) library's missing, priceless, historically significant books, has plenty of that to go around.

As a theatre lover, I instantly imagined every conversation as a stage show. The tossing of verbal wit between two familiar co-workers, more like family members, was both hilarious and smooth. It felt like a real conversation, things being stated and ignored by the other party with no follow up, no closing the gap. It was raw and emotional and our main character, Liesel, was the queen of it all.

I enjoyed learning about the everyday drama this library holds and its equally priceless employees and how their lives circle around each other just as much as their daily duties to their books do. The mystery of both the missing book (books?), the sudden disappearance of one of their own, and a fearless leader on their deathbed, all makes for an intriguing plot line that delivers a fun ride.

A lively read that grabs the reader's attention from the first page, and holds it throughout... especially if that reader is a librarian. I have already ordered this for my library's collection and expect it to be often-borrowed.

3.5

A steadily paced look through the stacks of a university library housing thousands of priceless tomes. Liesel is thrust into a position of authority when her boss falls ill. Unfortunately Liesel must also contend with fundraisers, donors, missing manuscripts and a possible thief in their midst.

I feel like this book perfectly encapsulates what it means to work with books. It's kind of a steady, albeit slower paced story. As when reading, oftentimes you become enthralled within the story, and even though there are books that you can read quickly, I always kind of like the ones where you take your time to become fully immersed. It's not exactly full of stop-you-in-your-tracks twists and turns, instead things feel brought on in a more methodical way.

I loved the descriptions of the Department of Rare Books and Special Collections and seeing this group of people who have worked together for literal decades. With all their secrets. Especially I liked that Eva Jurczyk writes from Liesel's point of view. Liesel who is near retirement age and was supposed to be on sabbatical writing her own book is called back after her boss suffers a stroke.

So we have this woman who has kind of put up with a lot in her job over the years and has certainly experienced her share of sexism in the work place. She's gotten to the point where she was happier in the background taking care of the more mundane things, but now she's front and center. And to top it all off, a recent library acquisition has just gone missing.

Liesel's the type of person who cares deeply, but you also get this sense that she's tired. She's ready to be done with all the day-to-day of the Department. She's ready to retire. She knows what's right and what should be done, but receives pushback from those in higher authority than her wanting to preserve the university's reputation. I love when we get to the point where Liesel just doesn't really give AF anymore. It certainly makes for some very satisfying turns toward the end.

Overall, the story is very languid. I wish there was a bit more mystery about the whole thing, but nothing truly comes as a shock. Like a classic book it kind of follows a pattern.

With that being said, however, I'd happily spend more time amongst the stacks of the Department of Rare Books and Special Collections.

*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The name of the book tells you a lot that you need to know. Reading about libraries always makes me wonder if I should have gone that way. Working with books always sounds so good. And then you read on and realize this does not sound like a great place to work. This is a place of secrets. A lot of affairs. A lot of dishonesty.

The story is mostly told in the present timeline, but there were interesting flashbacks to the day each main character started working in the library or college. Every time I hoped to find something that would lead to why the thefts of the priceless manuscripts took place. Some of the secrets were pretty obvious in the beginning. Some were hinted at but unsure. Nothing was really much of a surprise and there were times I got into the story only to get pushed out again by minutia.

The book was good and it was kind of light considering the subject matter.

I did not like this book as much as i hoped i would. Like all readers, I love books about books, but I found all of the characters unlikeable. The mystery was interesting and is what kept me reading.

While I adore novels about books and readers, The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections was outside my typical read. I was drawn in by the unique title, and the illustrated cover design. I wanted to know what this department was about, who the lady on the cover was. After looking over the premise, I was officially hooked.

Leisl has worked in the department for decades, and until recently, handled the majority of administrative work while her boss managed acquisitions and the tedious professors and donors of the university. But when Christopher falls into a coma, Leisl must pick up the reins and step into the spotlight. Her boss has left big shoes to fill, not least because most people tend to overlook her or doubt her competence. It's clear from the get-go that no one believes she can handle the department. Even more so when the university's most recent and highly prized acquisition has gone missing.

The mystery behind the missing book kept me reading, even when we hopped back and forth between past and present, and occasionally a different perspective. I especially loved reading Miriam's brief point of view and would have loved to delve deeper into her side of the story. Unfortunately for me, the majority of characters while very human, were not likable or enjoyable. Everyone in The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections has secrets they'd prefer to keep hidden. Some are only hinted at, and the majority glossed over. I had a love/hate relationship with our main character, Leisl. On the one hand, I wanted her to prove them all wrong and to come out on top in classic underdog fashion. But on the other hand, Leisl tends to be selfish, bitter, and only willing to see things from her preferred perspective. We do see growth in her character as the events in the novel push her boundaries in often painful directions. Yet I also felt like the story ended as it began. Leisl makes what is to her the unselfish choice at the end, but it also feels like she's still sweeping things under the rug. Many of her personal problems are really solved, but she chooses to be content with her life anyway.

Expertly crafted by the very gifted Eva Jurczyk, The Department of Rare Books is perfect for fans of books, history, and a slow-burn mystery. No one is exactly as they seem, and everyone has something to hide. While I struggled to enjoy the story at times, I found much value and fun in the little hidden tidbits and the idea that even stodgy librarians may have led exciting lives, once upon a time.

I REALLY enjoyed this debut literary mystery by Canadian librarian Eva Jurczyk!! Set in the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, Liesl Weiss is suddenly called in early from her sabbatical to fill in for the Head of the Department who has had a heart attack. Reluctant to return, Liesl finds herself in a mess as an expensive and rare book has mysteriously gone missing and no one wants to call in the police.

What follows is an in-depth and insider look at academic politics and inner workings of a Rare Books Library and the investigation into what actually happened to this priceless artifact.

What I loved:

-A wine-loving main character who is a mature academic librarian with a secretive past
-All the local references (hello Harbord Bakery!) and UofT landmarks
-The glimpses we get through flashbacks of Liesl's academic career from budding Librarian to seasoned academic
-The twists and turns that kept me guessing till the end

While not an edge of your seat thriller, this was a quietly satisfying and nuanced mystery that is sure to delight all the library lovers out there. Already selected as a Library Journal Top Winter Debut, and an Indie Next, Library Reads and Loan Stars top pick! Kirkus Reviews has called it “a valentine to librarians that doesn’t shy away from their dark sides”.

HIGHLY recommended from this Librarian who spent considerable time herself in the Fisher Library as a Grad Student Assistant. Definitely one to add to your TBR. Much thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Press for my advance review copy!

A book about a library. That is what drew me to read this book. The blurb sounded exciting and intriguing and so I went into it with big expectations.

So with the mystery of a prized lost manuscript discovered after the boss has a stroke Liesl Weiss now has to find out what is going on as she is now in charge. And now the librarian is missing too! So what is going on?

So although this is a mystery, it is story of Liesl and how she fits into this world. It did have all the twists and turns of a good mystery. Unfortunately I did find the conversations a bit confusing and I sometimes found it a be on the depressing side but I did like the dual timeline of the story.

A good book all in all and luckily not to long and drawn out.

3.5, rounded up.

As a librarian, I am always looking for books set in libraries. I like seeing the different ways authors can portray them. The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections is set at a university library, and it’s been a while since I’ve read a book set in a university library. Eva Jurczyk, the author, is a librarian in Toronto, so you can tell that she put a lot of love and work into this book.

For decades, Liesl Weiss has been working in the rare books department at a university library. She has spent much of this time directly supporting the department head, Christopher, by making him look good for the university president and many donors. But just at the beginning of her year-long sabbatical, Christopher has a stroke that leaves him unable to work. Liesl steps in as the interim department head and soon discovers that the library’s most prized acquisition has disappeared.

Liesl wants to contact the police and launch a full investigation to track down the missing manuscript, but the people within her department discourage any sort of investigation that could inform wealthy donors of the missing manuscript. Once a librarian within the department goes missing, Liesl begins to panic. Secrets begin to unfold and Liesl realizes she may be in over her head.

The pacing of this book is slow, and although it is a mystery, it leans heavily toward the literary fiction side. It was refreshing to read from the perspective of a woman in her sixties. This also means that she held a few beliefs and made a few judgments that I vehemently opposed, but it also made her a believable character.

One scene that stood out to me was when Liesl had a panic attack. She calls her spouse for support and the spouse specifically asks if talking will help or make the situation worse. I rarely see things like this when I read books featuring anxiety. People often jump to conclusions when they’re trying to help and it doesn’t always work.

This book wasn’t bad by any means, but it wasn’t the ideal book for me to read when I read it, so I blame some of my frustrations with this book on timing. I think plenty of other people will love it and I can see why it has received some of the early praise that it has. It was just difficult for me to read more than a chapter at a time.

If you are well-versed in mysteries and want something set in a library that moves at a slightly faster pace, I can’t fully recommend this. I was also not even a little surprised about most of the revelations toward the end.

If you like books about books and especially enjoy some of the politics behind academia, I think you’ll enjoy this book. I also recommend it for fans of literary fiction with a mystery at the center of its plot.

With many chapters set in a library where a very important book has gone missing, this mystery is perfect for people who truly care about books and looking after and preserving them. I thought it was really good to have an older woman as the protagonist of the novel too, because as a YA lover, most books I read have young people as the main character- it was different for me! Though the book is aimed at adults, it's fine for YA readers to give this a go too, and I think it will appeal to anyone who is passionate about books and feels they should be respected. However, there are some very serious themes, including a suicide, so please be aware of this when deciding whether to read.

I would say if you are going to read this, get a physical copy as I think reading a digital version can take away from the fact this book is all about books! It's the sort you definitely want to hold, I think. Happy publication day!