The Secret Christmas Library by Jenny Colgan is a wonderful novel about finding a missing book that may save a family. Mirren Sutherland, a character from a prior book, is known for finding a rare book last Christmas. She is approached to help find another missing book this year. She is reluctant, but her boss forces her to go (in a kind of weird way).
On the train (great ride) to Scotland, she realizes that Theo Palliser is also on the train going to the same place. He is a person who is hired to find rare books. He also was in the last book and seemed to be a person of interest with Mirren, but he never called her.
Together Mirrin Sutherland and Theo Palliser make it to Scotland and meet Jamie McPherson who has hired them. The castle they are working in decrepit, unheated, and full of books stacked everywhere. This is where Jamie, the Laird of his clan, shares the clues to help find the missing book that might save the laird and his home. The clues are obscure at best and everyone has to work together to figure it out.
The explanation of the book hunt in the book and the clues are fascinating. Having Jamie’s sister show up and help just adds to the challenge. Then there is a fire, a snowstorm, a water leak and all sorts of cold rooms full of books to explore.
The book ended in a way I didn’t see coming but a great way. I enjoyed the writing and was able to enjoy the characters in the book. The story moved right along and kept my attention. The Secret Christmas Library by Jenny Colgan was a good read.
