The Quiet Librarian by Allen Eskins

Don't judge a book by its cover or its title! There are so many titles that include the word "library" or "librarian" or "bookstore". And there are also many book covers where a woman is shown from the back. In many cases, these novels are on the light side, appealing to those of us who love books, libraries and reading. When I saw this book and saw the high ratings, I was not prepared for this story.

Hana is a Bosnian war refugee who works in a library. She's known as the sweater lady because she deliberately wears drab sweaters and skirts to make herself invisible. One day a police officer comes to Hana at the library and informs her that her best friend has died and he is investigating her death. The rest of the book follows this investigation while also flashing back to the war in Bosnia and how Hana and her friend ended up in the US.

I realized when I finished this book that I'd read another book by this author just last year, The Life We Bury. Guess I'm now a fan!

I strongly recommend this one. - June