I didn't know what to expect from this since I read it without even looking at the summary. All I knew was that there's a bookshop and black cats thanks to the cover. Anyway this follows four very different people as they enter the bookshop, buy a book that will give them the knowledge they are seeking, their lives improve for a while, until they end up having to pay for the knowledge. This has some genuinely creepy and terrifying scenes, but also a lot of humanity, heart, as well as some humor. I was interested in all of the characters' stories and motivations whether I liked them or not. I am really excited to read more stuff by E.M. McConnell.