The Burning Library

MacMillan (The Manor House) pivots from psychological thrillers to dark academia in this overstuffed Dan Brown riff. After translating a rare medieval manuscript as part of her PhD, Anya Brown has her pick of jobs, but her boyfriend and sick mother tether her to the U.K. When she gets an offer from the Institute of Manuscript Studies in St. Andrews, Scotland, complete with a cottage for two within traveling distance of London, it’s almost too good to be true. Anya immediately hits it off with her boss, Diana Cornish, who fails to mention her affinity with the Fellowship of the Larks, a shadowy group searching for an ancient manuscript that believes Anya is their best chance of finding it. They’re not the only ones looking. As bodies start to pile up, Anya and her boyfriend go on the run, seeking to evade the Fellowship and a rival gang with the help of a rogue detective. Tantalizing tidbits of medieval history aren’t enough to outweigh the book’s crowded cast of undermotivated characters or its frustrating refusal to tie up its core mysteries. This has more atmosphere than substance. Agent: Helen Heller, Helen Heller Agency. (Nov.)