I remember the first time I was shown a book with a fore-edge painting (scene painted on the edges of the pages). I was blown away. At first glance, it’s a book with gold-tinged edges, but when those pages are slightly fanned, an intricate scene presents itself. The earliest of these paintings date back to the 10th century. Early designs were decorative or heraldic but by the 17th century artists were painting involved landscapes, religious scenes, and portraits. Books like these will likely be forever preserved in my mind. And that brings us to the setting for “The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections,” a debut novel by Eva Jurczyk. For every book—particularly rare ones—that has ever lined a bookshelf in libraries across the world, there are passionate people intent on sharing and preserving them for future generations. Rare Book Mystery When you are talking about rare books, the …