"The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections" is a cute little book that offers more than what it seems at first sight.

And what it seems at first sight is a mystery novel, a non-traditional one, but still a mystery novel: a very rare and expensive manuscript has disappeared from the university's library after the university paid an astronomical price for it. Liesl, who is filling for her boss, who has had a stroke, will try to find the book and, if it was stolen, the one who took it.

However, even if the mystery is... well, mysterious enough, Jurczyk doesn't seem to care so much about it as about the characters, their relationships and the world they live in. Liesl, her husband John, her former flame, Francis... There are an array of very interesting and easy to be with characters and they have a well developed inner world and easy to understand motivations. Because of that the novel becomes a charming little piece that is easy to enjoy and it never overstays its welcome. It is also a book that, well, people in love with books and libraries will enjoy a lot, with all the setting, the little explanations, and the depiction of a fascinating world (power structures, human relationships, etc...).

Nevertheless, even if, overall, I found the book entertaining, interesting and a fun read (one of those I recommend for a rainy afternoon) there was nothing that made me think it is a, sorry, rare and special book, one that stays with the reader after the last page. It might be because the development of the relationships is a little bit uneven and some characters (like the 'police officer') seem to be there just to create 'explanatory moments', which in a tongue-in-cheek manner might have worked, but here doesn't. Or it might be that the ending is stretched thin to give closure to so many little plot points. But there is, for me, something lacking to bring it to a higher level. But you won't regret reading it.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

An interesting mystery woven into the world of libraries and higher education. An expensive, rare manuscript goes missing, librarian Liesel is pulled back from her leave to manage the Rare Books dept. of a university and finds herself in the middle of a mystery.

I found this book to be a little of a slow start. The mystery does pick up and the book ended up being an interesting whirlwind. Anyone interested in the world of academia or libraries will enjoy the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book because I work in a library archives department. It is an intricately woven mystery, with a plot that would terrify anyone who loves rare books. I have recommended this book to my colleagues in the industry. However, I felt that many of the references were highly academic and perhaps too elevated for the majority of readers to understand, which may interfere with their ability to connect with this storyline. The plot moved slowly at times and at breakneck speed other times. The characters could have used a bit more depth--sometimes I found myself wondering why they were acting a certain way. I particularly struggled with Liesl's character because even while she had the depth I hoped for, I wanted her to be stronger and more clear-headed--instead she seemed a weak protagonist.

Rare books? A library setting? I was already on board. I was impressed by the accuracy of the descriptions of life in academia- the politics, the personalities, the egos. Liesel was a fantastic character and not just “nondescript plucky heroine who takes it upon herself to solve a mystery and outsmarts all the professionals for no clear reason.” This wasn’t quite “dark academia” but I feel confident dating fans of that genre are likely to thoroughly enjoy this.

I was really excited for this book and it lived up to expectations. The author does an excellent job making you feel like Liesl going through the story. You share in her struggles and grief while she is trying her best to keep her head above water. There are many different elements to the story that continually had me asking questions and wanting to read more.

I love reading books. I especially love reading books about books. THE DEPARTMENT OF RARE BOOKS AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS by author EVA JURACZYK is a novel about a university library in Toronto, Canada. Not just any library but one that specializes in rare and special titles along the lines of the British Library in London, England or U.S. Archives in Washington D.C. The collection is so vast that it is housed in its own building on campus.
Christopher Wolfe has been the Director of the Library for four decades but he has suffered an incapacitating stroke. His longtime friend and Assistant Director Liesl Weiss becomes the Acting Interim Director. Liesl is not ready for this because she is planning to retire shortly and is actually on a sabbatical to write a book on books. Not only that, but the Library is about to unveil its latest prize acquisition, the Plantin Polyglot Bible.
The donors who made the acquisition of this $500,000 book package possible want to see it. Unfortunately, when Wolfe’s safe in his office at the Library is finally opened, there is no book inside or anywhere else in the Library (actually, it is several volumes in red leather and several centuries years old). As the story unfolds, other discrepancies in the Library’s collection are discovered. One valuable manuscript, the Peshawar Manuscript (from the 9th Century A.DF.) is proven to be a forgery by use of carbon dating. Another valuable book on human anatomy by Andreas Vesalius is just missing.
Liesl Weiss and her staff are responsible for finding out what, why and how all this, and more, has happened. Among the staffers are Max Hubbard (a defrocked priest and religious book expert) and Francis Churchill (Liesl’s brief affair partner from a years back) and Dan Haberer (one of the Library’s “gofers”). Miriam Vivek, another employee and close friend of Liesl has a secret that she tries to convey to Liesl but goes missing before she can explain her concern. The university’s President is Lawrence Garber is more worried about the University’s reputation and its donors than about the missing people or books.
When Liesl finally calls in the police, Detective Peter Yuan is the investigator. He is a “missing persons” investigator who is going to try find Miriam. Theft is not in his job description. Rhonda Washington is a new professor on the campus and is a mathematician/scientist who does the carbon dating. They are other characters in the story as well who have minor roles but add to the storyline.
For your information, the three manuscripts/books featured in the story do exist. I am not sure if they exist in Toronto.
If it was possible to rate this story more than FIVE STARS I would but that is because I am a book person. The plot is full of twists and turns. There are a number of suspects. Liesl, in addition to her duties as a Librarian, is replete with personal issues. How she handles them all is amazing. It is an enjoyable look at the world of rare books. I came away feeling smarter. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
GO! BUY! READ!

Liesl is a great big mess, and the mystery kept me on my toes. I really enjoyed the story. There are portions of the book that feel slow, but overall the story flows well.

Looking forward to sharing it with our library visitors.

Fantastic book for rare book lovers. While the mystery aspect of the story was not especially difficult to solve before the character did, it felt like walking into a classic Agatha Christie novel where it's not so much about the crime as much as the people involved in the crime. A little slow at times, but overall a great read.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read an advance reading copy.

I've spent my whole career working in academic libraries, and my first library job was as a grad assistant in the rare books and special collections department at my university. To say this book hit close to home would be quite the understatement. We never dealt with theft or death within the department, but the author's descriptions of the library and her characterization of each player, from the university professors to the wealthy donors were so wildly accurate.

It took until about 30% into the book for me to really feel gripped by the story, maybe because that first bit really touched a nerve. I'm not sure how much someone who hadn't worked in an environment like this would enjoy it, but for me it was wonderful! The author did a great job of tying up every loose end and reminding me what I love so much about working in special collections.

I'd like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. Here is my honest review.

I love a good book about books, and this one falls neatly into that category. Set in a distinguished university library, a mystery unfolds involving the disappearance of a priceless text. As Liesl undergoes an investigation, different threads of the lives around her unravel, revealing secrets and subtexts beneath.

I was intrigued by the mysterious disappearance from the get-go, but as the story progressed, I thought the culprit was a bit obvious - but apparently only to me. This didn't hinder my enjoyment of the story, however, because there were other things happening to keep me engaged. These side-plots were a bit muddled and messy, but I felt that was a fair reflection of life itself. Things are never tidy in actual life, and it can be frustrating when fiction doesn't represent that. This tendency towards sub-plots and side stories did slow down the pace of the story. I was in the mood for something slower-paced, so I didn't mind. I know this may be a deterrent to other readers. Consider yourself warned if those stories aren't for you.

My favorite part of the book was the main character. Partly because she's an older woman, near retirement. I rarely find a book whose protagonist is female and in that age range. She's not a meddling older woman who solves crime (Miss Marple, Jessica Fletcher, etc) and she's old enough to be past her mid-life crisis. I love reading stories with older women who aren't falling into the aged spinster trope. Often we view women of that age as having dull lives, and they fade into the background, written off by society. It was good to see someone that age living a full, complicated life, still able to grow past their flaws.

I also enjoyed the moments that felt like an absolute love letter to books. There was an appreciation for all the little things that readers love - the smell, the texture, and the way they can connect you to the past. I liked being able to see how a library of that nature works - the acquisition of new books and how they were bringing science into the mix. (Whether the science aspect was true or not is beyond my knowledge, but I was along for the ride.)

Overall, it was a fun read, but it wasn't anything that I found I had particularly strong feelings about.

In a job where people are already doubting Liesl in her first days, she unfortunately realizes a priceless piece of literature is missing. Her boss had a stroke and she was thrown into running a high stakes department at a library.

I did read the description of this book expecting the mystery of the missing book and librarian, but things started very slowly. I was honestly pretty bored toward the beginning of the story, until the identity of someone crucial to the events seems to be called into question.

As a big fan of Agatha Christie type mysteries, I think the book could have ended way sooner, the chapters after the crime is solved don’t add much to the book. I also thought there were a number of sections that were stocked with filler content just to make the story longer, which just detracted from how good the plot could have been. Overall it was a fine book, but it’s not the best I’ve ever read.

Good story as I've dealt with rare books, too.... My issues are: the variation in descriptions - sometimes detailed, sometimes less so, making the flow a little jumpy.; and, it's sometimes hard to follow what day it is in the plot. Would make a good book club title.

It seems like cozy mysteries set in museums and libraries are a bit of a trend right now, and I'm not complaining! This very sweet and wholesome book is perfect for readers of women's fiction and those who enjoy a bit of a puzzle.

I am always excited to read a book about books and enjoyed a behind the scenes look at a University’s library. Unfortunately, this book just wasn’t for me. I thought the main and supporting characters were very unlikable and the pacing too slow. Although, I did really like the small side character of John (Liesl’s husband).

Thank you Net Galley and Poisoned Pen Press for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #TheDepartmentofRareBooksandSpecialCollections

A mystery set in the present time with flash backs to earlier years. Liesl is a Librarian working as Assistant Director for Christopher Wolfe at a University. Liesl is getting ready to retire and takes time off to work on a book she is writing. She is called back to work and take control of Special Collections and Rare Books when Christopher Wolfe has a stroke and is unable to work.

Everything in the Department is in a mess, only the Director knows the password for the safe and he is unable to provide the password. A rare book is missing. It was due to be displayed at a meeting of very important people who regularly donated money to the University Library to purchase rare books.

Liesl is expected to run the Department and locate the rare book. While doing her investigations she discovers more missing books.

I loved this book. It was full of descriptions about rare books and manuscripts and the workings of a Special Collections Library. I loved the descriptions of the people working in the library and their backgrounds.

While it is not the most quick-paced books I have ever read, I did really enjoy the peek behind the scenes in the world of academic libraries and the management of their collections. The book was well written and researched. I was surprised in a way when the culprit was named, I expected it to be someone else. This is a great book for anyone interested in the inner workings of a library or the world of book collecting.

An enjoyable book about books that is fun to read and well crafted. The mystery plot is lacking but overall a fun book to read,

Love this book! As a Librarian, a lot really hit home for me, but any reader of this book will appreciate the characters, the nuances of the storyline and the mystery of the story.

Unfortunately this was a DNF (did not finish) for me. Bad relationships all around plus a mystery I just wasn't that into made this very difficult for me to become invested. Maybe just the wrong book at the time, but there was no draw to make me attempt it again.

Interesting insight into the world of academia and the competition for funds. Good mystery. There were some details in the setting that made it seem more American than British.