3.5 stars, rounded up to 4
I wonder if Eleanor Roosevelt really said that a woman is like a teabag—you don't know how strong she is until she's in hot water. I struggled with this book for the first half of it. Liesl was just too nice and too gentle to be in her assistant director position, filling in for the charismatic man who was felled by a stroke. Liesl knows it too, as she is browbeaten by the male members of her staff and harassed by the slimey president of the university (he, at least, is portrayed quite accurately). Her boss is unconscious in hospital, a priceless acquisition has gone missing, and the donors are circling, demanding to be able to admire the rare thing that their largesse has procured for the institution. She should be demanding that everyone account for their part in the ordering and receiving processes, but she too busy apologizing and pleading with her staff. You don't get that far up the hierarchy without being tough and willing to do what it takes to deal with problems.
Liesl cannot convince all the arrogant men that they should contact the police about the theft. They are convinced that no one would ever donate again. Then a female staff member goes missing and they give Liesl the same song and dance about her. It's at the point where Liesl goes off script and calls police that I was converted to liking her. I watched as she developed an understanding with the detective, as she quits drowning her sorrows with wine, and actually starts to use her excellent brain. She is assisted by another female academic, who I immediately liked. Who says women don't help each other?
The answer about who dunnit surprised me, but pleased me. It was suitably subversive and I hope that similar changes are happening all over academia. I loved that Liesl grew a backbone and dealt smartly with all the pushy men. The pleasure of the last hundred pages convinced me to round up my stars from 3 to 4.
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