I'm disappointed that this didn't work for me. I even went in with tempered expectations after seeing mixed reviews. I just didn't find the story convincing, at all. The dialogue is stilted, the characters feel flat, and I figured out the murderer about a quarter in. Perhaps this was intentionally cartoonish, but it didn't feel like it was done well enough to justify that.

I thought this was original and interesting. I didn't predict the outcome and the style was unique and kept me hooked. I really enjoyed this novel!

After the initial pages, I found myself not connecting with the story or characters, so I decided to pass on this book. Did not finish

I finished it so it wasn't horrible. I did walk away still unsure what I just read.
I love a library. So a murder in a library how could I say no. I should have. This is a story within another story within another story. There were times I was confused.
I realize that my opinion isn't the popular one but that's ok. So I guess my best recommendation is try it out maybe it will be your cup of tea

Ummm, what? What was this exactly?

So, half of this book is a mystery book set in Boston that an unseen character, an Australian woman, is writing, and the other half is letters from her corespondent who's giving stupid advice about the "American culture" and about book-writing that no one ever asked for. He also gets pissy if his insights are not immediately taken as given.

Now, the 4 main characters in the mystery part of the book are so boring, stupid and unlikable that I have no words!
They are sticking noses into each others' businesses even when told not to, they are "investigating" this murder while the police is doing nothing, and falling in love with each other for who knows what reason.

This was so boring that I couldn't give a damn about any of them or the mystery itself. I wasn't invested in trying to solve it or anything. I just wanted for it to be over.

Anyway, if you like good mystery - looks elsewhere!

I really enjoyed this book! I liked the premise of having two separate mysteries going at the same time, with the book being written and the editing of said book. It takes a little while tog get into how the book is set up, but once you do, you will not see the ending or twists coming! I took off one star simply because I feel the ending was rushed and that there was a lot left unsaid for one character (Leo). Overall, this is a great read!

This was a mystery like nothing that I had read before. I enjoyed the layout of the book very much.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this advanced readers copy.

This was told by 2 characters in the past and present. That worked for me (usually doesn't), and I liked the setting. However, it was a little lack luster and a little slow (or it was slow, because of it lacking some oomph). Ultimately, just an okay read.

This book was really interesting! I was intrigued by the storyline and that's what initially drew me to this title. I also really love the cover artwork.

A fabulous read! What a book this is! I thoroughly enjoyed the setting, the plot and the characters. The writing was what made the book even more enjoyable. A delightful read for this year.

The Woman in the Library is a fascinating story within a story (inception)—the main plot is actually the events of a novel being written by an author. This book plot is the primary focus, and the only glimpses we get of the world outside the text is through written correspondence between the author and a man who is helping to review the book and provide research as the draft comes together. Many well-established twists and turns, and while I know the conclusion is likely controversial and up for debate, I found it ominous but satisfying. I couldn't put this down!

This was a DNF for me. Too many unlikable characters and too many of them woven all around.
I made it to about 35%, and hate giving up on a book, but it was just dragging on too much for me.

I was quite intrigued when I read this book back in summer. It was packing and I enjoyed the atmosphere and also the love interest part was interesting. The story lines though seemed a bit chaotic and it wasn't going directly and tried a lot at once and I think at least in the end the murderer was kind of predictable.
Also I am still not sure I loved or main character or if I found her pretentious. But that's probably connected to her writing a book in a book and her writing style being pretentious. Still the setting was enjoyable and it was experimental.
Overall a 3.5 for me.

For me, this book was a struggle. I think it was only a struggle because I hated that the read was like watching the story as it was being written. That bothered me. I felt it took away from the mystery that I wanted. I understood and appreciated the concept, it was an interesting idea. But, ultimately, it took away from the mystery. I would build up and get going on the mystery story that was happening and then suddenly be jerked back with a letter to the author that was outside the world I was just in. Then, I would be tossed back into the world again. This made me feel like I was never fully able to invest in the story the way I wanted to. For those who enjoy multiple storylines and narrators, this is fantastic. It's a wonderful concept, but I felt it was not well served in book form.

I will give it to the author that this book was very unique. However, a lot of it just rubbed me the wrong way. There was some super racist stuff said by one of the characters. I just found myself really annoyed by all the characters. I can see why someone like this book because it's very different. It's just not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Poisoned Pen Press for the gifted e-book! ❤️

A murder in a library, what fun! The story hidden in a story was an extremely creative way of bringing the mystery to life. The character development and original style made this book entertaining and enjoyable. This clever whodunnit kept me guessing until the unexpected conclusion. Thank you Poisoned Pen Press for my copy.

DNF @ 16%

Yall, this might be my fastest dnf in history. I went in with high hopes, and was left underwhelmed, disappointed, and honestly confused as to how this was published.

The characters are lacking, the writing style is immature, the plot leaves a lot to be desired, and the formatting while slightly experimental just ended up making both parts of the book feel like rough drafts rather than well thought out interwoven peices.

I went ahead and preemptively looked at other reviews to make sure I wasn't batshit crazy, and it seems as though every single 1 star review and dnf fully agreed with everything I'd been thinking so far, so I went ahead and decided to save my time for other things as well.

Hoping other people find more joy from this story than I did.

Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for providing me with a free e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book uses an interesting premise & structure. Hannah is the author writing about a fictitious Australian grant recipient who is currently in Boston writing a new mystery. "Freddie" is watching two men and one woman who are sharing her table at the Boston Public Library reading room when they hear a woman's scream. That scream results in unexpected friendships as Freddie continues to work on her manuscript and the four of them try to solve the mystery of the woman's murder. Each chapter ends with an American fan named Leo writing to Hannah with manuscript feedback and suggestions.

Didn't love the pacing of this one. Found it to be slow and dull, with one-dimensional characters who weren't worth investing in.

If there hadn’t been a scream in the Boston Public Library, Winifred, Cain, Marigold, and Whit never would have talked. The scream brings the four together as unlikely friends, but when it turns out the scream came from a woman who was murdered, they all become suspects, and hiding their secrets becomes more difficult. This story is told as a story within a story, shared between Hannah and a fellow writer for feedback, adding even more layers and complexity to the mystery.

I really enjoyed the layers of this book. While there were a few moments the structure of a book within a book left me confused, I felt that this was intentional and added to the suspense and shock at the end of the book. As a reader, I loved all of the book and writing references woven through both storylines and adored the library setting. The only thing I’m still not 100% certain if I loved was the ending. We were told everything, and I feel like being left with a few questions at the end may have made this book more powerful. Overall, I highly recommend this book!