*Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for sending me a copy of this arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are mine*

First of all, I would like to start off by saying that upon reading the description for this book, I loved the concept. I looked forward to devouring it and loving it from start to finish.

Unfortunately, from the very start, this book was a disappointment.

First of all, the description of this book was deceiving. I was going in expecting something completely different than what I read. Depending on the plot, this can be a complete setoff for the reader.

Secondly, I was not expecting the "story inside of a story" type of plot. This is not entirely a bad thing, however, it has to be done right. In this particular case, I found that it was done poorly. It didn't work with this storyline and had me perplexed and bored.

The characters in this novel were also unlovable. I found that they were flat, boring, and unoriginal. When the novel revolves around a set of characters and their interactions, it is crucial that one can like at least one of the characters. But seeing as I found all of them boring, I could not get into the story at all.

Now, imagine you're hating pretty much all of the book so far, you would need a pretty good ending to make up for what you previously read...right? Well, I decided to push through hoping for this imaginary ending. But by the time the murderer was revealed, I already had a good idea who it was. (there was a pretty big indication about halfway through the book). The ending was extremely anti-climatic and unfortunately not worth me pushing through.

In conclusion, this book was not for me. However, this is not to say that I do not encourage you to read this book. Just because it did not resonate with me, doesn't mean that it will not resonate with you. Personally, I say that if the description intrigues you, go for it. Just know that the format might be a little different than what you were expecting.

Review is also on my Goodreads,

The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill is a story within a story. Within a story. Think Inception but in book form and set in the Boston Public Library. Sort of.

The first layer: Leo Johnson is an aspiring author who, after multiple rejections from publishers for his book, is frustrated. But as he sits in the Boston Public Library's Reading Room trying to get some inspiration, his correspondence with famous Australian author, Hannah Tigone, is keeping him going.

As he describes the characters he sees in the BPL, Hannah begins to weave them into her own book, sending Leo chapters as they're completed. Every few chapters, Leo will send back a response, giving Hannah tips on how to use American lingo (as opposed to Australian), giving her ideas for locations around Boston, and sending the odd photo to help her fill in the details of her story.

Second layer: The main storyline is really the book that Hannah is writing. We follow Winifred 'Freddie' Kincaid, who is an aspiring mystery author, as she sits in the Boston Public Library Reading Room with three strangers: Freud Girl (Marigold), Heroic Chin (Whitt) and Handsome Man (Cain). As she starts to think about how these people in front of her would weave into a story, there's a pricing scream.

And suddenly the people in front of her, strangers before today, are thrown into her life as the four of them are wrapped up in a murder. As the secrets come to light, connections are made, and suspects are named ... Freebie tries to piece together the mystery of the scream and the murdered woman, all while trying to write a book of her own and not fall in love with a potential killer

My thoughts on The Woman in the Library

The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill was a wild ride. I have to say when I first realised the format of this book was a story within a story (within a story?), then I was put off. I outwardly groaned and the people in the room with me asked what was wrong. That's exactly how it went down. And that's because I don't generally enjoy inception-like stories, where what you're reading is fiction within fiction.

But!

A few chapters in and I was hooked.

Sulari Gentill does an incredible job of telling the story of Freddie and her 3 strangers-who-become-friends within the story of author Hannah communicating with author Leo.

The first level story is subtle - you only ever get information about what's happening through Leo's letters about Hannah's chapters and the odd other letter to Hannah. You never heard from Hannah, you never get a look into her life, you never 'meet' her. And yet somehow, you're routing her and her journey as an author writing her murder mystery about Freddie and the gang (great band name).

It's clever. It's very, very, clever.

And it keeps the reader on their toes. I read this over two days, and the only reason it wasn't done in one day was that I literally had to go to bed.

The Woman in the Library was a brilliant mystery read, and the first I've read of Gentill's. I'm definitely going to be checking out more of her work.

This is a delightful read that keeps you on the edge of your seat! The nested plot is a unique approach for a mystery like this, and it's hard to stop reading at any given moment. I read the entire second half in one sitting... Worth it!

A story within a story plot. Didn’t really work for me, despite my anticipation wanting it to enjoy it. I put it down too many times to count, and going back felt like a chore. Just didn’t click.

The Woman in the Library: A Novel
by Sulari Gentill
Poisoned Pen Press
June 7, 2022
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Four people sitting at a table in the Boston Public Library. Strangers to each other; they keep to their own illuminated spot on the table. Then, out of the quiet, a scream. A woman’s scream. And, the woman in the library is dead.

But the strangers don’t know that; they are speculating amongst themselves as to what is happening. There’s Cain, a handsome writer; Marigold, a tattooed psychology graduate student; Whit, a privileged young man trying to drop out of Harvard Law; and Freddie, an Australian author in Boston on a writing fellowship. They quickly become friends and embark on the mystery of the woman’s scream.

Gentile’s characters are easily likeable and are casually developed and revealed as the tensions of the story build. She likes to drop bombshells in the last sentence of a chapter. I rather enjoy that technique. It kept me reading longer than my back wanted me to. But the pain was worth it! The story is brilliant. Oh yes, the email exchanges are wonderful.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to #NetGalley and #PoisonedPenPress for the eARC. In exchange, this is my unbiased review.

I ate this book up. Seriously, it takes a lot for me to finish a book in under 24 hours nowadays, especially while I'm juggling classes. The Woman in the Library is genius- honestly, I don't know what other way to put it. I will admit, I found a story inside a story, inside of another story (sort of), quite confusing at times. As the novel progressed, I found my flow, and was quite impressed by the twisting plotline.
The Woman in the Library follows the construction of a story where intricate friendship exists between four people who meet at the scene of a crime. Each of them are unique, beautifully portrayed, and slightly maddening. It's a race to preserve love, and to put a serial killer in the ground before they shatter the most important thing of all- life. It's all slightly confusing because as a reader its easy to interpret the main character's novel as reality, and confuse the two plots. Though, the main character Hannah, encapsulates the very little aspect of her real life given to us, expertly.
This mystery is brilliantly created and drove me almost mad. I just wish I could say so much more in this review, but the allure behind this story is what you do not know. Read it, read it, read it!

I started this book yesterday and read it in one day. It gripped me from the very beginning. The style of writing was really unique in that you would read a chapter of the book and then it would follow with emails from a fan of the author so that I sooned realized that the chapters I was reading were actual parts of a fictional book that an author was writing and sending to a fan/friend named Leo for his feedback. This was such a unique spin on a traditional book layout to me! The mystery book that our fictional author is sending in chapters to her friend is about 4 people who seem unrelated to one another who all experience hearing a startling woman's scream while they are all in the library sitting near each other. A lady's body is found later and so the real mystery begins as to who is telling the truth, who has things to hide, who knows more than they are telling and how are they all connected. Added to this mystery, you start to see how the emails from the authors fan are getting more and more disturbing and strange... It's all in all a very good book that I loved reading not only because I became invested in the characters but because I wanted to find out about the author / fan situation and how it would turn out. I will say that one part of the ending confused me... the very last page of the book, the last few lines of the book, really have me wondering what I've missed but other than that, I would highly recommend this book!

Looking for a mind-bending murder mystery? This one is for you. Four individuals--two men and two women--are at the same table in the reading room of the Boston Public Library when a scream rings out. The four start talking, and before you know it, they are all involved in what turns out to be a murder investigation, and one or more of them just might have a connection to the crime.

As the reader soon discovers, what we are reading is actually a book within a book, being written by an author named Hannah. It would easy to forget this clever conceit if it were not for a series of emails to Hannah from a writer friend, Leo. Apparently, Hannah (an Australian writing in Australia) has been sending Leo her chapter drafts as she completes them, so Leo (an American living in Boston) can advise Hannah on how to make the language sound more American and the local color more authentic. Any more detail would be spoilers.

In a well-written and suspenseful book, the plot is the star, as it should be. The characters do not have a lot of depth, nor is there much character development, but this is the rare mystery that doesn't need it.

My thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for affording me the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of the book.

This is one of the best books I’ve read so far this year! It’s primarily about 4 people - Freddie, Whit, Cain and Marigold, who meet in the Boston Public Library. When a woman screams and is later found murdered, the 4 of them are brought together by experience, as well as the desire to figure out what happened.

Inserted into the story is regular correspondence with a stalker fan, who is writing to the author that is writing the story of the 4 people in BPL (confused yet? :)). This is an excellent addition to the book, as his letters get more and more unnerving. It adds an interesting layer to the plot in that it makes the reader think hard about bias, motives, etc. He has strong opinions about who the killer is and how the story should be written, which basically works to set a counter-opinion (since the stalker fan (his name is Leo) is so unlikeable).

The character development in this book was expertly done. I don’t want to share any spoilers, but how the characters interact and how the plot unfolds makes the reader feel curiosity, frustration, determination… all without giving anything away.

Overall, a truly wonderful book. I absolutely loved it and hope to see more from this author soon. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a unique murder mystery story. It was fast paced and kept guessing until the end. I really enjoyed the ending! Looking forward to reading more from this author.

Wow! It's not often that a story sucks me in and refuses to let go. But I loved how unique this whodunit is.

"Draft" chapters were interspersed with feedback from a beta reader, making for an unusual story structure. And the mystery itself was complex and intriguing. Just as I thought I'd figured things out, a new detail would appear that left me questioning things again.

All in all, this was a great mystery novel that stands out from anything else I've ever read.

Thank you to Sulari Gentill, Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

It took me several chapters to get into the idea of a book within a book. But, once I “got it”, I really enjoyed The Woman in the Library. My initial reaction was this is a 2-star book, then it was between 3.5 and 4 stars. By the time I finished I gave this book 4- stars. This is a brilliantly written thriller with so many twists and turns it was often hard to keep up with who said what to whom.

I’m sorry to say that I didn’t relate much to any of the main characters - Freddie, Whit, Cain and Marigold, - four strangers who meet in the Reading Room of the Boston Public Library. At times, I was frustrated with what I viewed as Freddie’s naivety and Marigold’s obsessive personality. But, if I had to chose a favorite it would be Marigold.

I don’t know how Sulari Gentill wove two separate story lines together at the same time but she did so masterfully. Just when I thought I knew who committed the murder I turned the page and changed my mind. Just when I didn’t believe Cain’s explanation of events something happened and I changed my mind. And, then, to make it even more confusing…I started not believing him again. Oh my!

I dislike “spoilers” or giving away too much about a book in a review. I would be remiss, however, if I didn’t mention the two Leo’s in this story. One is a disturbed guy who commandeers the story within in the main story. Watching his personality develop was a bit scary; the validity of his email exchanges with the author writing the book was hard to accept. The other Leo seemed to be a gentle soul and lived in the same building as Freddie. However, by the end of the story I wasn’t sure about him at all. He, too, took on a rather disturbing tone.

I had no idea that The Woman in the Library would end as it does, which is why my 3.5 rating turned into 4 stars. The book is well written and fast paced. I didn’t want to stop reading until I found out who committed the murder. This, for me, is a sign of a book I will recommend to others who like mysteries, thrillers and complex plots.

I want to thank NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a unique read from the shifting perspectives to the author bringing the reader along from start to finish on creating this story. The characters were memorable while the plot kept me entertained and on the edge of my seat. I really enjoyed everything about this book.

The Woman in the Library is a story within a story.
Hannah Tigone is a bestselling Australian writer who is working on a mystery set in Boston. Due to the pandemic, she is unable to travel to America and properly research the Boston area for her novel. That is when she enlists the help of Leo Johnson. Through email correspondence, he reads her manuscript and gives her notes on her writing and insight into the Boston area and Americanisms. However, Leo’s ‘advice’ turn dark when he starts sending actual crime scene photos to her. Their relationship turns into 'Misery' very quickly, and Hannah is left terrified.
The bulk of the story is the manuscript Hannah is having Leo proofread. The Woman in the Library centers around Freddie (also a writer) who creates a bond with three strangers she meets at Boston Public Library after they hear a woman scream. They later find out that someone was found dead in the library and a murder mystery involving the friends ensues. (And, of course, Freddie decides to writer a book about her new friends and the mystery they’ve found themselves in).

I’m a fan of meta commentary. When it’s done well, it’s clever, edgy and fun. (Think Scream and Deadpool). When it’s not, it’s convoluted tripe. While The Woman in the Library isn’t a bad book and I did find it a quick and fairly enjoyable read, it’s not as clever as it thinks it is. (And based on the book within a book within a book concept, I can only assume it thinks it’s Inception).

I’m going to break the story down based on its parts.
The correspondence between Hannah and Leo was the real knockout and what made me keep reading. In fact, I raced through the main story just to get to the email exchanged. Leo’s obsession and need for control became darker and darker as the story progressed. It was unnerving, and I was waiting for the moment he completely snapped. That being said, we’re only privy to Leo’s emails. Hannah is a background character in this book, and we’re not clear on who she is as a character outside of Leo’s emails and her writing style. I would have liked to know her more since the book is in essence about her. I still don’t really know who she is, and I found the conclusion of her and Leo’s journey to be anticlimactic.

As for the bulk of the story….the “locked room mystery in reverse” library murder….I personally didn’t find it all that interesting. The relationship between the four main characters seemed forced rather than being organic. They meet in a library, hear a woman scream, go to a café together afterwards and suddenly their BFFs? It just didn’t ring true to life. Likewise, Freddie’s whirlwind romance with someone she just met was another forced relationship. The relationships between these characters was pivotal to the plot, but I wish it had been done in a way that wasn’t disingenuous.
I did like some of the social commentary peppered through the story: The plight of homelessness, rectifying the mistakes of your past and not judging someone based on the mistakes of their past.
The mystery, for the most part, was engaging enough for me to keep reading (although I was more eager to read the emails than the manuscript). But the ending wasn’t great. It was rushed and, like much of the rest of the story, forced.

This isn’t a bad story at all. I did enjoy the nonlinear narrative and some of the thought-provoking topics it raised. I do feel like the plot could’ve been tighten up a bit and the characters needed a lot more depth. This is a unique read, though, and I recommend it to anyone who is looking for a nontraditional mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of The Woman in the Library. I would first like to say that I really enjoyed the book being set in Boston. There were recognizable places such as the Back Bay, Harvard, and the subway. I enjoyed going through the story and hearing about these places. The story starts at the Boston Public Library in the reading room. There are four strangers there who hear a scream and become friends. Throughout the book, you learn about the friendships of these four people and that one of them may have murdered the lady who was screaming. I enjoyed this book and wanted to know who killed the lady. If you like mysteries, this is not one to miss. You can get your copy on 6/7/2022.

I'm conflicted on this one, because I had pretty high expectations after I read the beginning, and was a little bit disappointed with the way everything turned out. I really like the premise, and the framing narrative of the author getting (unsolicited) advice from a 'friend'. I was gripped throughout, and read the book fairly quickly because I wanted to know what happened. I did think that Freddie was slightly annoying and I didn't totally buy her whirlwind romance, but enjoyed most of the characters. I just thought the way everything resolved was a bit disappointing, and I was expecting more from the plot involving Hannah and Leo, but I felt it was a bit of an anti-climax. I did enjoy my reading experience, though, and would consider picking up more of Sulari Gentill's work.

I loved the mystery throughout this book as the author introduces various characters that are linked together through a murder in the Boston Public Library. The book keeps you guessing almost up to the end as to who the real murderer is and how they did it. I was a bit disappointed in the ending as it felt very abrupt, letting the reader know who committed the murder but leaving the main character dangling as to how this would affect her life in the future. Maybe setting us up for a sequel?

The woman in the library
Thank you NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and Sulari Gentill for giving me this arc in exchange for a honest review.
This multilayered book consists of :
- An author's manuscript which is been sent to a fan/friend Leo (as emails) for Australian/American word suggestions and landmarks ,but as the story progresses he grows more demanding and ominous.
- When Freddie an aspiring author hears a scream in the library it unites her with 3 other people. The scream first ruled as a false alarm which later turns out to be a murder.
As the friendship develops and they start to being interrogated one by one and suspicion rises amongst them that there may be a killer amongst their midst
This was one of my anticipated arcs and it did not disappoint me. The story gripped me right from the start and suspecting who the killer was at first a little hard because each had a motive but as the story progresses it was quite easy to guess who the killer was so yeah I loved the book.

*Thank you Net Galley for the e-ARC*

Thank you Sulari Gentill for writing an exhilarating mystery novel that helped me break out of my reading slump! To be honest, I don’t remember requesting a copy, but I’m so glad I did and got the chance to read such an amazing book. I used to study at the BPL often when I used to go to university in Boston, so I could envision the setting and it helped me immerse myself into the story. I did get an inkling of who the murderer was from the beginning, but it did not play out as how I imagined. When I usually read a mystery/thriller novel, the pacing is super slow, but the pacing of this book was perfect. I ended up sitting on my couch for hours just reading. Can’t wait for everyone else to read The Woman In The Library when it’s published in June!

I would give this book 4.25 stars if allowed, maybe even 4.5; but I can't quite round it all the way up to 5 stars.

Any complaints are pretty minor; some of the characters and their actions felt a bit unrealistic from time to time, and there were a few loose threads that I'd have preferred were wrapped up. Otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed "The Woman in the Library". It's probably one of the better mysteries I've read in quite awhile. It felt very original, and kept me guessing until the end.