The Quiet Librarian - Allen Eskens

Allen Eskens is hands down one of my favourite authors. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy of his latest - The Quiet Librarian.

Hana works as a librarian and she keeps to herself. She dresses to hide, always with a sweater. When a police detective shows up and asks to speak to her, she knows that her past has finally caught up with the here and now. Someone knows who she is and what she's done.

Eskens interviewed survivors of the Bosnian War of 1990 who came to Minnesota as refugees. Their stories are woven into Eskens' fictional characters as well as time and place. 

Eskens excels at storytelling. The concept, the setting, the history and ... Hana. The mystery was so well drawn - I was truly on the edge of my chair. The book is told in now and then chapters, guaranteed to keep up for 'just another' chapter. And no word of a lie, I had to put the book down many times as the danger overwhelmed me. I wanted a certain ending for Hana. Did I get one? You'll have to find out yourself. A brilliant read!