The Quiet Librarian

A man enters the library in Farmington, Minnesota; he is coatless despite the chilly rain. Hana Babić, the novel’s protagonist, is a librarian, and she notices him because he carefully scans the faces of each person in the room instead of heading to the bookshelves or the front desk. She is shelving books and instinctively ducks into the history section to avoid his gaze. Although no one has come looking for her in many years, she remains vigilant. She does her best to avoid attention, choosing drab clothing and not speaking unless spoken to.

Hana is upset when she notices the man approach a librarian, ask a question, and then head straight toward her. Her heart is pounding when he asks if her name is Hana Babić. She answers in the affirmative, and he introduces himself as Detective David Claypool. He tells her that he has some questions for her, and she leads him to a conference room. He shares the news that her friend Amina Junuzović has just died under suspicious circumstances: An intruder tied her up and ransacked her home, and her young grandson,