Thank you to NetGalley for the readers copy in exchange for a (very late) review.
To be honest, I don’t know what was happening. I loved the premise and it has an interesting format. This was a case of I loved the concept but not the execution.
Some of the mysteries and twists didn't land as well as I thought and I got a little lost at times. I think its strength was in its level of suspense throughout.
Also check the trigger warnings

I’m going to have to put this book down for now, I just can’t get into it.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publishers for giving me this arc in exchange for my honest review.

2.75 stars

The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill centers around four people who meet in the reading room at the Boston Public Library only to have the silence broken by a womans scream. As security takes charge and tells everyone to stay put, the four strangers begin to get to know one another as they sit together at the same table. Each one there has their own reason for being at the library in that reading room that day and one of them in a murderer. We also get to read correspondance between an author (in Australia) and a loyal fan (in Boston) who reads parts of the work the author is writing and offers feedback/research for her while she's in Australia. Are the four people at the table just characters in her book? Did the murder really happen or was it in the book? Is this a story in a story in a story?

I thought the premise of this book sounded great, but I was often confused and unless I was really focused on what I was reading it was hard to pick back up and continue.

I know this book has a lot of great reviews, so if you're in the mood for a puzzle and love Agatha Christie, you will probably enjoy this one.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I really enjoyed the audio version of this book, and as a frequent flyer of the Boston Public Library, it was fun to imagine myself in the story. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a quick but enjoyable listen.

I've been saving this book for the fall and have finally read it. I wish that I hadn't waited so long! I loved this book and its creative format - a book within a book. There were so many twists and turns and I absolutely loved the setting. I'm looking forward to reading more from Sulari Gentill.

This book was a great read for fall! In this literary mystery written by Australian author Sulari Gentill, one woman's scream traps four people inside the Boston Public Library while they are working on writing projects. What is really unique about this book is its story-within-a-story. Story one is about the four people in the library while story two is about the thriller story that Hannah (one of the character's is writing). This is a classic whodunit mystery with surprising twists at every single turn. I loved the writing style, the character building and the mystery wrapped up well even if it was slightly predictable. But, overall a great mystery to sink your teeth into especially if you love a more literary thriller.

I was very excited to read this book after receiving an ARC of it on NetGalley because it seemed like a great mystery. The premise was very interesting, about a woman whose scream is heard in a quiet library one day and in which one of the individuals at the library is revealed to be a murderer. I love reading mysteries but I have to admit that I didn’t quite love this one as much as I thought I would. I didn’t care for one of the plot lines of the book (in which someone is corresponding with the author of the story) and could have done without it. I think a lot of people will enjoy this book but I wish I liked it more than I did.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this novel!

A thriller about a murder set in a library? Yes please. This book was so good with twists you don’t see coming. A must read!

Amazing read! I was so absorbed into this book. The characters. The plot. The world building. Everything was amazing. I recommend this book for anyone who loves libraries/books with a twist.

This one ended up being a DNF for me. I was really enjoying the moody atmosphere and the setting, but I only made it about 2/3 of the way through, but ultimately it felt a bit too slowly paced to keep my attention at that point.

A group of people meet in the public library and bond when a woman dies there. A good book for a librarian. ARC from NetGalley.

A story within a story, each chapter of this book is seemingly a chapter in “Hannah”’s novel she’s writing, with an email from Leo at the end of each chapter offering feedback on the writing and any local knowledge. I agree with other readers in that I didn’t particularly take to any of the characters - which is a shame, as initially the premise of the story was hugely compelling. Cain has the most interesting backstory, but it was a bit hard to see how Freddie would blindly trust him.

After a while though, Leo’s emails start getting more demanding and possessive, and downright unsettling. I’m not really sure what purpose they serve, as each one would pull me out of the story. And as for this quote from one of his emails - oh the rage… “The reality is, I suppose, that I am a straight white man with no diversity or disadvantage to offer as a salve for the fashionable collective guilt that rules publishing. I understand that popular correctness demands that men like me be denied to compensate for all the years in which were given too much. I just wish I’d had a chance to enjoy a little of that privilege before it became a liability. Anyway, she said no. So there we are.”

I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review. Apologies for the delay in providing this.

There is a reason why this book was EVERY WHERE when it came out. I enjoyed it and felt that it was a good murder thriller. My best friend who is a librarian LOVED this book as well.

I usually don't read mystery novels, but sometimes I am rewarded for trying anyway.
This book is a story within a story within a story, and that gives a couple of extra dimensions and a level of meta-reading that made it quite fun and refreshing to read. The solution was the one I somehow didn't think of yet (although I want to tell myself that I might have, but that is in hindsight). Funny really, as at one point it felt like I suspected everyone, including the protagonist. The story really did keep me on the edge of my seat!

This book definitely left me with some questions that haven't been touched at all. The main story is good and although I didn't find the end that surprising, I had a good time reading it. I felt it was a little too obvious where the end was going.

What I was even more interested in was the side story. I wish that part was given more attention in the book. In the beginning I didn't see the point, but as we got further into the book some details grabbed my attention. That would've been a great story. To add to that the whole writing style was intriguing and not something I read a lot. The book consists of a story and the feedback to that and I enjoyed that, even though I needed some time to get into it and wasn't sure if I was going to like it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for this book. Twist and turns not knowing where it will end. good read

Beware the power of feedback. Aspiring writer Leo befriends successful author Hannah Tigone through flattering letters, diving into her mysterious new novel set in the Boston Public Library. Gentill's metafictional narrative blurs lines between reality and fiction, teasing readers to discern between author and protagonist. As Leo delves deeper, the story morphs into a psychological thriller, contrasting Hannah's buoyant whodunit with Leo's increasingly unhinged perspective. With characters like Freddie Kincaid reminiscent of Miss Marple, Gentill crafts a gripping hall of mirrors, challenging readers to unravel the tangled web of truth and fiction.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher/author for providing me with an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

OMG!!! This book was exactly what I wanted it to be! I loved it. I will make sure to check out other books by this author. When I requested this I was just intrigued by the concept of it and I loved how it turned out. This story had a great plot and if you have read this and enjoyed it, This was so much. It was such a great story. I would say give this one a try. I will continue to follow this author. Way to go to this author for not letting me down.

I highly enjoyed the narrator of the audiobook. Kept me listening.

I've tried multiple times to get into this book and seem to always hit a roadblock. It seems this one isn't for me.
The publisher generously provided me with a copy of the book upon request on NetGalley. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.

Thank you so much to Net Galley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book! The description of this book was so interesting to me and it did not disappoint. I fell In love with this book. I cannot wait to read more by this author!