This was such great fun to read - I read it in a single day, with a raging headache - it was just the medicine I needed. Clever but not too convoluted, with a sly wink at how fiction is created and 'edited'. No real crime is committed, but you get so absorbed in the whole story that you forget that.

Hannah is writing a murder mystery about a quartet of friends, and Leo is beta reading it. But even as the mystery within Hannah’s novel grows complicated, it becomes clear that Leo isn’t who he says he is.

I have been cleaning up the ancient dregs of my backlog on NetGalley, which unfortunately is a lot like panning for gold. And thus far I have been, alas, an unsuccessful prospector.

This book had a promising premise, a sort of locked room mystery, with a side of an ominous correspondence. However, these two parts don’t really mesh at all. I had expected for Hannah to leave calling cards for Leo in the text or something of that nature, to tie things together, but no – we just get a lot of gross commentary from him in that ghoulish, edge-lord manner that some aspiring writers seem to have.

The story within the story is just not engaging either. The characters are all flat, especially Freddie. The way Freddie, Cain, Marigold, and Whit become instant friends defies explanation – especially considering how emotionally intimate they become. There’s a handful of plot holes I noticed, particularly surrounding Whit’s mom – and I am not even a particularly close reader. And the way the mystery unravels in the end is just unsatisfying.

I think the problem is that there’s just not enough plot for either part of the story, so they feel as though they were slapped together to support each other. While there’s some interesting commentary about writing race and current events (i.e. the pandemic), ultimately this book fell flat for me.

Do not recommend.

Wow what a fabulously twisted and plotted story, a mystery inside a mystery inside a mystery. 4 strangers meet in a library, where they swap life stories and secrets. There's more that links them than originally suspected, and the story unravels and knits together in a satisfying way.

I thoroughly enjoyed this somewhat claustrophobic murder mystery novel - Sulari Gentill expertly plots out what could be a laborious idea (i.e. four strangers sitting around a table), resulting in a thrilling, twist-filled story. I always enjoy and respect a story within a story, as well. I would recommend this for traditional mystery fans, of course, but also for readers who enjoyed Anxious People. Four stars!

Another story within a story mystery. Reading reviews from other writers, I decided to give this a try. Unfortunately for those of us who are mystery readers, but not writers, all the discussions about plot development, naming characters and determining locations is just not particularly compelling. However the characters are fairly interesting and the writing good. Just not my cup of tea.

The Woman in the Library is a classic “whodunnit” mystery with a very modern spin. As four strangers sit in the Boston Public Library a scream of terror rings out. The group of strangers quickly bond together and become fixated on finding the truth behind the later-discovered dead woman. In the back drop of this storyline is a string of letters written as a critique of the chapters and sent to the author by a man named Leo who becomes increasingly unstable as the story lines progress. I enjoyed this book and the challenge of keeping up with what amounts to three intelligent storylines. I highly recommend you pick it up. I will be watching for the next book by this author! I received an ARC of this book, all opinions are my own.

I was hooked right from chapter one with this book. I loved the setting, especially the beginning at the library. As a book lover, libraries have always been somewhere I can go to be engrossed in the atmosphere of stillness and calm that comes with books, both old and new. So to have a murder take place in a library in the first chapter was a very intriguing way to kick off the story. The book was told with chapters alternating between chapters of a book and emails from the author's pen-pal. It was interesting to read the commentary by the Boston-dwelling fan alongside the main character experiencing the city as a new-comer. I liked the mix of perspectives and I was very intrigued to see how the two perspectives would eventually tie together.

I've heard a lot of criticism about this book from people who are avid readers of thriller novels. I, however, have not been reading a lot of thrillers lately so I was really excited for this one. I found the pacing was excellent and there was a good amount of pressure built up throughout the book to increase the stakes. Although I felt like the friendship/romantic bonds between characters were formed quite quickly, I still enjoyed following their stories. It seemed a bit unrealistic at times, but this didn't take away from the entertainment value for me. I really liked the creepy-factor that was introduced about half-way through and it made me fly through the second half of the book. A literary thriller that will keep you guessing until the end, this book is perfect for book lovers who are looking for a bit of a thrill, but without making you afraid to turn the lights off at night.

This isn't my usual story, but this is definitely a top mystery of the year with practically universal appeal for mystery readers

I enjoyed this way more than I expected to. I am a huge Agatha Christie fan and this sounded like something I would like. I loved it. I loved the book within a book vibes. I loved trying to solve the mystery, which I did, but that did not take away from my enjoyment of the story. I read this in about 24 hours. Highly recommend to mystery lovers.

I loved the format of this novel. The metacognitive format was so original and enabled the reader to think about the writer as the writer was writing the novel. So good. The narrative and character development were well created as was the atmosphere and pace.

I was very intrigued while reading this, a little confused a times but felt like i really wanted to get to the end so i could figure out who done it. However i was very disappointed when the ending came, i literally thought it was someone else or i was hoping it would be BUT that did not happen. I felt like the ending was rushed and just not what i was looking forward to.

I would say it would be predictable for some but for me i was half i wanted it to be someone totally different but sadly that did not happen. I enjoyed it to a point where i was able to finish it.

I liked the story within a story angle, i mean the writing was pretty great.

The characters were suitable, i mean the friendships went a little to fast for me but i did love the layout of each character.

Hmm…. the romance, i did enjoy it but i mean again pretty fast past and i kept saying how much they needed to piece together before maybe moving forward??

Enjoyable mystery. Suspenseful and easy to read. Bought into the character.s and their quirkiness. Interesting to watch their relationships develop.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a free ARC of this book.

Honestly, as much as I tried, I could not finish this book. I think I read up to 40% of the book until I DNF'd.

It was an interesting concept at first, which is probably why I kept reading. However, NONE of the characters or the plot interested me enough to keep reading.

I thought that this book would be set in the library the majority of the book. One of those, OOH someone got murdered so now the police are keeping everyone in one place to figure out whodunnit. But no, most of the book is just the characters meeting up at odd places, drinking, and somewhat learning about each other. Also, was I the only one who found it odd how attached the characters got, in like, two seconds? And the insta-love, yuck. The characters were pretty two-dimensional, a disappointment since this book is labelled as a character study.

Also, where was the mystery? The sense of murder in the air? If the main plot of the book is that someone gets murdered and the murderer is someone in the group, you would think that there would be more intrigue in solving the case. But nope! I could care less who the murderer was. Especially since its so obvious who it was with only three possible suspects the whole book.

AND WHAT WAS THE WHOLE, A BOOK INSIDE A BOOK THING? Did I give a shit about Leo criticizing the author of the whodunnit mystery every chapter? NO! I could care less about the wording, accuracy of setting, and whatever else Leo had to say. It brought myself out of the book, especially since I was really not expecting it the first time. Also, him mentioning stuff in the real world, like the Australia bush fires was weird. Like why, as a reader, should I care that there are bush fires in Australia? I get that the author was Australian but it was not something I vibe with.

Not much else to say since I DNF"D the book.

x

4 strangers in the library hear a woman scream. They later find out that there has been a murder and try to find out who did it. The 4 strangers then start to suspect each other and don’t know who to trust.
I liked that I didn’t figure out who the murderer was until the very end. However, it dragged a lot.. I felt that something exciting would happen, then it would die down for to long. Loved the story within a story.

I was so excited to read this book- the plot was interesting and I love a good murder mystery. I was more excited when I started and it seemed to have a second storyline intertwined. However, this book sadly missed the mark for me. The secondary story line about Leo was unnecessary and lacked a true climax. It was a distraction from the true storyline and made it difficult to keep track of the characters that were based on real life. I found it hard to enjoy the book because the parallel was too convoluted. I enjoyed the ending and was not able to figure it out, so that improved my rating of the book, but it was painful to work through the rest of the book.

A very interesting read. This book actually has 2 stories in one. Or, at least 2 narratives. The, shall we say smaller narrative takes place in current times between a successful author and a man named Leo with his own ambitions to become a published author. In between chapters you read the correspondence between the two with letters from Leo. Hannah, the successful author, is sharing her manuscript with Leo as she is sharing it with us. And Leo's letters are comments on her writing. This split in the book finds the readers voice sometimes shared with Leo but quickly realize that may not be a voice you wish to share. There is development with Leo's letter writing as his criticism becomes more harsh. But again. This is the smaller narrative. The main story, that we know is written by Hannah, is about 4 people in a library who brought together when a scream is heard, and found later, a young woman who has been murdered. The mystery of whodunnit brings the 4 together who find kinship, some romance and suspicion between them. Well written and a good solid mystery. I know the inspiration for this book came from the Sulari Gentill's own correspondence while writing and sharing a manuscript. But the main story of the 4 in the library was enough to hold my attention. The addition of the Leo narrative definitely enhances the story, especially with the progression of Leo's criticism and the ending of the manuscript. Myself, I am use to reading series. Although I know this is not part of a series, the ending left me to devise the next novel in my head. I give this book a solid 3.5 stars. I had to deduct 1/2-1 star due to myself to still having questions that I know won't be answered in a 2nd book. I personally needed more of a Jessica Fletcher moment where I could ask some of those questions to know why and how the whodunnit, did it. But overall, well written and engaging. Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the eARC version of this book . I recommend the read for anyone who loves classic mysteries, thrillers and writing.

A story within a story as a writer writes to another (aspiring) writer about some aspiring writers . . . .

HOW META!

It all starts in the reading room at the Boston Public Library. A woman screams, a group of strangers form an odd common bond due to the experience. But one of them just might be the killer.

“It’s a bit like a locked room mystery, in reverse.”

I repeat myself quite frequently that right place/right time is often what should get the credit or the blame when it comes to books that end up as 2s or 3s for me. And then there are the ones that just suck me right in. The perfect place/time for this one would have been today – rainstorms and Fall-like temperatures hovering in the upper 60s. Luckily it mattered not one bit that the sun was out in full force and the temperature was over 100 degrees when I read this. I got pulled in to this story immediately, invested in both the mystery as well as all of the characters (especially Leo) and snarled at anyone who attempted to speak to me the entire time I was reading it.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

A woman screams in the library and startles everyone in the area. The next day a woman's body is found in the same library. Four strangers develop an unlikely friendship after experiencing this strange turn of events together. It seems like a coincidence that they were all there at the time of the scream, but is it? How well do these people really know each other? And is one of them a killer?

This book was an enjoyable, if unrealistic, mystery. I liked the backstories that were given for each character and how they were revealed one piece at a time. I found the immediate closeness of the four main characters to be a little off-putting because it didn't seem at all realistic.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC of this book.

A book from the “what I read on my summer holiday” collection. I was fascinated by the blurb of this story, four strangers in a Library when a murder takes place – one of the four is a murderer but if the four were sitting at a table then how can one of their number be a killer?

Well it isn’t Sulari Gentill who will tell this story it is Hannah Tigone (Okay it IS Sulari but let’s give Hannah her place too). Hannah is writing about Winifred, Marigold, Cain and Whit – four strangers who are in a Boston Library. They are sitting at a table togegther when a scream is heard – the four are forged in a new friendship and Hannah will write her novel about these new friends and the steps they will take to discover more about each other and, more importantly, about who may have killed a woman in the library.

As Hannah writes she gives her readers a background into each of these four players in her story. They all have secrets, they all have a reason to keep them secret and Hannah is going to spin out the tale and deliver a whip-smart whodunnit. But between the chapters about the friendly four and their strengthening bonds Sulari Gentill is also telling her readers about Hannah’s life away from the story she is crafting. Hannah is getting feedback from Leo – he is reading her early chapter drafts as each chapter is completed and providing his own observations and feedback. Leo is a bit of an enigma and does seem to enjoy a bit of mansplaining but he also has thoughts and opinions of friendships, secrets and he seems remarkably well informed about murder too.

All very mysterious and very nicely put together. At approximately 270 pages in length I found The Woman in the Library a sharp and well exectuted murder tale (no puns intended here). Hannah’s story gives a satisfying murder tale with a seemingly impossible pool of suspects and Sulari’s story about Hannah is darker and more perplexing – reading to see how that plot unfolded was very much the reason I zipped through The Woman in the Library in just two enjoyable sittings.

I enjoyed the very different approach to the story telling here and this is a book I’d recommend readers look out for when it hits the shelves next month.

“I am a bricklayer without drawings, laying words in sentences, sentences into paragraphs, allowing my walls to twist and turn on whim…no framework…just bricks interlocked…no idea what I’m building or if it will stand…no symmetry, no plan, just the chaotic unplotted bustle of human life.” — Sulari Gentill, The Woman in the Library.

The ornate reading room at the Boston Public Library is quiet until the tranquility is shattered by a woman’s terrified scream. Security guards take charge, instructing everyone inside to stay put until the threat is identified and contained. While they wait for the all-clear, four strangers, who are sitting at the same table, pass the time in conversation. Australian author Winifred “Freddie” Kincaid, writer, Cain, psych graduate student Marigold, and failing law student, Whit, all have a reason for being in the reading room that morning. When they find out a body has been found, they work together to solve the crime. Freddie uses the incident as the start of her work-in-progress. Each chapter of Freddie’s book includes a letter written to famous Australian author Hannah Tigone by a dedicated fan, Leo Johnson, a fellow writer who offers to be her beta reader. So… Hannah is writing the story of Freddie Kincaid, who’s writing the story of the murder in the library. Confused? I guess you’ll have to read it!

The Woman in the Library is just the type of book I used to stay up all night reading, but now I am too old to manage it! Cleverly imagined, it is metafiction at its finest. Metafiction? What are you talking about, Amy? Basically, it is an innovative literary technique wherein an author writes about another author. It’s a book within a book, a mystery within a mystery. Gentill’s novel combines two of my favorite things: a library and a mystery. It’s an off-beat, tense whodunit with epic twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end. The friendships between the characters are complicated and messy—part of what I enjoyed most about this book. At one point, I suspected each one of them of being the murderer. Although I had a hard time getting into the groove at first, especially when listening to the audio version, the author rewarded my patience with a surprising ending. 4 stars.

Publication Date: June 2022
Genre: Mystery, Metafiction
Read-alikes: The Decagon House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji; The Verifiers by Jane Pek; Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz; The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections by Eva Jurczyk; The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie, The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley.

** Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary review copy of the book. The opinions are entirely my own.