This story within a story kept me guessing right to the end.
Hannah is a mystery writer in Australia during the pandemic who has a fact-checker (Leo) in Boston where her story is based. Their correspondence follows each written chapter of the book, and serves to explain some of the Australian terms which were in the chapter (such as jumper - rather than sweater/sweatshirt). However ,there wer several Australian spellings and term throughout the book which should have been caught by an editor (maybe the published copy will correct them).
I liked that the author told us at the start that one of the 4 main characters was the killer (of a Boston Brahmin woman who's scream signaled her demise).
The chapters race through each character's daily activities, and build their relationships. We also get background information which lets us know that people are not who they seem to be.
The author wove the story quite tightly and it did keep me reading far into the night.
I did not guess the murderer, but the reveal was a bit of a let down.
I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a Mystery thriller with a surprising twist looked at from multiple perspectives. I thought it was entertaining and a bit predictable at times. I liked the storyline, and the writing was good. I did not like the romance that was developing, I thought it could have been left out because it was too fast too soon and would have worked better with just an instant friendship. The characters were very interesting and somewhere very creepy. Overall, I had a good time.
Trigger warnings: Assault, substance use, gore, stalking
I received this advanced ebook, via Netgalley. This review is my own honest opinion.

I really wanted to love this book. The synopsis had me hooked- a bunch of strangers are together in the library when they all hear a scream, and someone is murdered. In the days following the group quickly become friends, but events continue to happen around them and it’s clear someone is hiding secrets, but who is it?

Unfortunately, this one just fell flat for me. I never felt fully invested in any of the characters or the storyline.

This book had a story within a story format and I was super confused at first, until I grasped the story line. (This could definitely be a me thing as I listened to this book on audio).
There was also a sub plot with someone who corresponds with the narrator of the story, which happen at the end of each chapter. I really disliked this part and felt it really threw me off as it added nothing to the storyline and lost the flow of the story.

I will say this was a very unique read and had a lot of potential.

Thank you @netgalley for an honest review.

The Woman in the Library is the longest I've ever spent reading a book as it very rarely had my engagement. Loved the concept and setting, and the idea of a Magpie Murders-esque twist enticed me. Unfortunately, the emails sent to the author became dull very quickly and added no value to the story. I also found our four primary characters pretty standard and uninteresting which was extremely difficult for a whodunit in which the murderer can only be out of so many people. So much of it felt pointless to me. The Woman in the Library had so much potential in concept but it had a very difficult time executing.

This book had me so confused for the first half as I tried to searate teh different stories going on. It was not neccessarily in a bad way but they definitely blended together on me. I also wonder if the book withina book concept was neccessary although the letters were interesting ad catching a seriel killer on the side was a different side plot. I think the insight into being an author was very interesting to me as it is something I think about often and how much research and work has to go into makign a book accurate. This book for me falls into a mystery and not very thrilling, but I am goods with that and had a fun time trying to piece tigheter the clues to figure out what happened to the woman in the library.

I started this book with high expectations because I always see this is my instagram. I liked the cover and the blurb that’s why I requested for this.

A scream in the library started the friendship between Winifred, Cain, Marigold and Whit. They were all united by the fact that all of them were near the place where the murder took place, and one of them is the killer.

The way this was written was different, having 2 storylines which threw me off at first but got used to eventually. The characters are all likeable and seemed innocent that I didn’t at first who did it. I said at first, because there was this one character that I kept going back to, so it was not really a surprise at the end.

The 2nd storyline was what creeped me out, and I must say, it’s a good diversion.

Even though I guessed who they were looking for, I still enjoyed this book.

Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the eARC.

The Woman in the Library is an twisty mystery / thriller which kept me guessing and uses the whole 'locked room' mystery device extremely well. I loved how the story unfolds and uses the library setting - which is what initially interested me in reading the novel and how it centers a key cast of characters who are entwined in ways they had no idea about previously.

I thought the main murder plot was far more interesting than the side plot we seem to get - in the form of correspondence between two people - an author and an overzealous fan whose rantings get more deranged as the story progresses. This secondary storyline didn't do much for me and I felt like it didn't have much space amidst the wider story, I feel like it would have fit better in a completely separate book or story.

Despite the secondary plot not quite working for me, I couldn't stop reading and I needed to know 'who dunnit' urgently enough to keep me reading well into the night. If that's not the signifier of a great mystery novel, then I don't know what is. I would definitely recommend this to fans of the mystery genre!

From reading the blurb, I had high expectations of this one but I didn't expect it to be a story within a story.

I kind of got confused - Was this a murder mystery or a character study?

So many other people have loved this book but for me it fell really flat. It just wasn't the murder mystery I expected but this could be right up someone else street!

The Woman in the Library was a good thriller and I really did not know where the story was going to go. I found it very enjoyable. I think the students would really enjoy this one. I will be purchasing copies for the library.

This novel really had me thinking. At first, I wasn't sure if I liked it - it seem more than a bit convoluted. I never was able to get a good grasp on it - I believe that is why I keep reading - it is just so differently written - containing a dualism of characters - I keep wondering who was real and who was a character within the novel within this novel. Confused yet - well right! About half way in, I started liking it a little more but I still felt confused - mainly about the Leo character and the novel within a novel structure. I was left with unanswered questions through out and especially at the end! But it was provocative and intriguing. I haven't yet decided if I will pick it up again to see if it gets any clearer the second time around but I might!

The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair all over again

The premise of this book is enticing. I imagined four strangers trapped in the library until the murder is solved trough their conversations. The story goes different, all right.
What I did not get until I actually started reading The Woman in the Library is that the protagonist is an author. I loathe this trope with a burning passion since the day I read The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair by Joël Dicker. Really popular mystery novel about an author. Absolutely exhausting and boring. I love reading, I highly respect authors but if I wanted to know about the writing process I wouldn‘t turn to a fictional novel to find out.

Let me say real quick that I really love the cover, it is so beautiful!
Aside from that, this is my first read by Sulari Gentill and I don‘t mean to be disrespectful but I have a hard time accepting that she is an award winning author. The writing in this book is unrefined and choppy.
I don‘t care for any of the characters, the twist of the main plot is half a page long and just so shallow. But what really drove my annoyance over the edge is the subplot. The idea of including two plot lines like this has a lot of potential but the execution is not great. You don‘t get the chance to go with the flow of the main plot because you get interrupted every three pages. I don‘t care for all the author-ception and I don‘t care for the turn the subplot takes.
I‘m thoroughly disappointed. Can someone please write the story I thought I would get?

This story starts with a woman’s scream in the Boston Public Library. Four strangers at a table start their adventure and friendships together here. One of the four is a murderer, and with dark pasts, stalking behaviours, and their own reasons for being in the reading room, they are banded together while trying to figure out who murdered the screaming woman.

I had high hopes for this one, but I wasn’t fully invested in the characters. I clocked who the murderer was early and it took me awhile to finish because there was something that was not clicking for me. What I did like was the setting and the subplot, though it didn’t feel fully cohesive. Perhaps there was too much going on for me and not enough interest on my part.

All of that being said, I do think this is personal preference and others would enjoy this book immensely.

This book hooked me from the description. I love libraries and I love mysteries. The characters were so interesting and I loved seeing their friendships grow over time. It was a unique story line of a mystery within a mystery and I really enjoyed how it ended even if it was slightly obvious. I highly recommend it though.!!

The second half of this book is really good. The first half however was extremely hard to get through. A Book within a book With emails about the book. It was all a little to much to explain in the first half. It felt like it took me awhile to get used to the format but it also feels like it took awhile for the author to get used to it also lol. All in all I liked it however I wouldn't recommend it.

I love meta! A character writing a book in the book. Yes, please.
It's a murder mystery that keeps you guessing until the very end!
Even though none of the characters were believable, they were so much fun it didn't matter. Think old movies.
I couldn't put it down and I am embarrassed to say I'm someone who figures it out early on I was really guessing up until the end!

2.75⭐ rounded up.
Since I work in a library I'm always down with plot that takes place in one. Unfortunately, this was just okay for me. I could not connect with any of the characters. I was not overly invested in the story, or the story within the story, but I chose to stick with it because I did want to know how it would all play out.

Currently, a, not terrible, 3.58 average rating on GR and 4/5 and an editor's pick on Amazon, so maybe you'll like it more than I did.

I was able to listen to the final version on audio as well, so I went back and forth reading and listening. Ultimately the e-book was better. Katherine Littrell did an okay job narrating for 8 hours and 58 minutes, easy to follow at 2x.

The novel has an interesting approach: 1) A mystery writer, Hannah, in Australia is writing a novel set in Boston. Hannah corresponds with Leo in Boston to get details of the city and locals correct. We get a chapter of Hannah's murder mystery and the next chapter is Leo's email replies which start to take a strange turn.

2) Hannah's actual manuscript is based on Freddie, a female writer, who goes to the Boston Public Library seeking inspiration for her book. After hearing a horrific scream from somewhere inside the library, Freddie and the three people she was sitting near strike up a conversation and eventually form an unlikely friendship. A few hours later a woman is found murdered in the Library. As their friendship solidifies, something is off among the foursome. But Freddie is getting seriously involved with one of the group.

It seems like this approach would be confusing, but it actually flowed quiet well. I was invested in Hannah's manuscript and got absorbed in that story, while the email critiques of the chapters were a slow burn and wouldn't have worked on their own.

This was cleverly plotted with a different approach to the storyline. The manuscript mystery was engrossing while the Hannah and Leo storyline sneaks up on you. This built tension while the Hannah's manuscript built suspicion as well. The manuscript characters where well written and Freddie was easy to like. I wasn't sure if I would like this story, but it hooked me and provided enough surprises in both storylines. I don't know that I would heap as much praise as I see some pouring on it, but it is certainly a superb mystery that I highly recommend. Some are labeling it "literary" but this is a solid mystery all the way around.

Rating: Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now and put this author on your watch list

The cover artwork, premise, and title all screamed that this would be a book I loved. I was so excited to get an ARC and read it, but the book completely stalled for me.

Things I loved:
- The story within a story (within a story) concept. I did enjoy peeling back layers on the different paths the book took us.
- A murder mystery in a library?!? Brilliant.

And unfortunately, that was it for me. I struggled to love the characters, and while I am all for flawed realistic people, I found myself utterly uninvested in these characters' journeys.
I also didn't agonize over the mystery elements. I was slightly curious to get to the conclusion but not enough to finish the book the first three times I picked it up.
There was lots of potential there, but I found the book to be just fine.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A book about authors writing books within a story of authors writing books. A bit meta.
Hannah is writing a book in Australia and sends sample chapters to Leo an aspiring author in Boston, MA. Hannah's book is set in Boston and Leo tries to give Hannah pointers about time, place, setting, and some other pointers about phrasing that would be different in the 2 countries.

Hannah's book is about 4 people who meet in the Boston Public Library while hearing a woman scream from the other room as they share the same long table in the main reading room. One woman is an author from Australia who is staring at the ceiling procrastinating at the time of the scream. She had been taking in the ambiance of the room and the people seated at the communal table mining them for writing inspiration. The second woman at the table has tattoos and is reading Freud so Hannah dubs her "Freud Girl". The 2 men are good-looking so Hannah nicknames one, Handsome Man, and the other has a square jaw and a cleft chin so she names him Heroic Chin. At the time of the scream, the four strangers all begin to talk at the same time as do others in the usually quiet reading room. They learn that Handsome Man is also a writer who was getting descriptive inspiration from his tablemates. After sharing their names and a bit more about themselves they decide to leave together to get some coffee. The chapter ends with Freddie, the Australian author stating that she had just had coffee with a murderer. With that, we are hooked.

As both stories progress we learn of the murder in the library, another nearby, a stabbing or 3, a phony doctor, and the lengths people will go to for love, lust, admiration, and attention. Hannah's story is told via Leo's emails and a few other pieces of information woven between the chapters. In Hannah's book the story is told From Freddie's first person perspective.

The writing about writing was interesting and whether you need to declare the character's race and if it matters and why it sometimes matters. We learn of twisted minds, twisted tales, and the dark places people will go. The process of observing others was beautifully described in one section:
"The Young woman next to me has divested her jacket to reveal full-sleeve tattoos on both arms. I have never been inked myself, but I 'm fascinated. The story of her life is etched on her skin,,,She's like a walking book. Patterns and portraits and words. Mantras of love and power. I wonder of much of it is fiction. What story would I tell if I had to wear it on my body?"

There are lots of twists and turns on the rollercoaster of Hannah's book and in her exchanges with Leo about notes for the book and Boston. I usually can predict the murderer early on but in this one I hadn't put the pieces together. There are hints, clues, red-herrings, and alleys to the mystery of who is the killer and who is in the wrong place at the wrong time.


Thank you Net Galley for an opportunity to read this book in return for an unbiased review.

3.5/5

I received an ARC from NetGalley but failed to read and review this book before its published date :(

Nonetheless, I read this book before i went to sleep yesterday night and turns out i didn't sleep at all because i just can't put this book down—a page turner!

When you first read this book, you'll find a letter from someone named Leo to his friend who's a famous author. And so the whole story about the mystery of murders is a manuscript written by the author in question, which she sent to Leo as her beta reader.

The author's story is about a writer named Winifred, usually called Freddie, who met 3 person at the library; Marigold, Cain, and Whit. Long story short, a murder of a woman in the library binds them together. But little did they know that the murderer is actually one of them.

So this book is a story inside a story inside a story (yes, it contains 2 plots). One is the author's manuscript (the author's name is Hannah) and the other one is Leo's letter to the author.

Leo's letter is a little bit boring and it kinda distract me from the tension of the murder story, but you can't skip it because somehow it still contains a different story. In the end it'll intertwine with the main story, tho (a good plot twist, i'd say).

The murder story is good, i love the tension it builds, i also love the pace. But i have to say that I HATE THE MURDERER'S MOTIVES it feels so forced and weird and wrong on so many levels. I also feels like so many unnecessary things that written in the story that when i realize that's UNNECESSARY, that makes me question things that left unexplained.

As for the Leo's story, well.. it's so boring that at first i thought it got no plot, so when the letter suddenly reveals its 'mystery'.. i didn't see that coming. It'll be better, actually, if the author gave us more details on it so the tension will also keep up with Hannah's manuscript.

So.. 3 stars for the story, 0.5 stars for the page-turner.