After losing his job in the Great Recession, Clay Jannon takes a position as a night clerk at Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore. However, something is odd about this particular bookstore. The customers are sparse and never buy any books. Instead, they "check out" obscure large volumes written in code stacked on perilously high shelves. When Clay's curiosity gets the better of him, he finds a secret society determined to solve an ancient mystery that promises eternal life.

More The DaVinci Code than The Magicians, Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore is an enjoyable tale full of quirky characters. With little character development and overly used tech talk, the story never dives below surface level. You'll either be completely charmed by the imaginative setting or find this to be a completely forgettable read.