I was so intrigued by this book that I finished it in one day! I love stories within stories. It reminded me of those house of mirrors where the reflections go back and forth and deeper and deeper until you find the real one.
The author, Sulari Gentill, writes a story about Hannah, an author, writing a story and sending it to a fellow writer, Leo, for feedback. In Hannah's story, Freddie, who is also a writer, bonds with fellow library goers to solve the mystery of the "Woman in the Library" after they hear a frightening scream leading to a murder . I love how Gentill used the email conversations had between Hannah and Leo into the story about Freddy, making the stories intertwine a bit more. If you are looking for an interesting, unique thriller, this is your book! Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy!

I thought this book was such a good exploration of unique structure. Interspersed with the story was email correspondence from Leo, a fan, to the fictional author, Hannah. We learn that Hannah is sending Leo chapters of her novel WIP as she writes them, and he replies with feedback. Pretty soon we learn that Leo has some dark secrets of his own, and the subplot with him ramps up in time with the conflict in Hannah's manuscript. I loved the parallels there. It elevated this story beyond your typical mystery/thriller. There were some inconsistencies and not-quite-fleshed-out elements of the narrative, but you could explain that away with it being Hannah's draft. I thought that was clever as well as kind of an easy out. But it still worked for me. I would recommend this to anyone writing in this genre, as well as students of genre/contemporary literature in general.

📚—Book Review— 📚

Title: The Woman in the Library
Author: Sulari Gentill
Publisher: Poison Pen (Sourcebooks)
@poisonedpenpress
@bookmarked
Genre: Literary Mystery

Book lover’s have I got a story for you! What a clever, intelligent, tense and addictive story The Woman in the Library is. I guarantee this is unlike any other mystery you’ve read before. So unbelievable unique is this “story within a story” concept.

The book opens with very a chilling “Dear Hannah…” from a letter from beta reader Leo Johnson, to Australian author Hannah Tigone, a mystery author writer who cannot travel to Boston due to Covid restrictions. In this modern age of writing, of course author’s have “google” but there is no substitute for hands on information. Being a foreigner Hannah wants to make sure she gets the lingo and social commentary correct on current events happening now. Leo’s letters are sprinkled all throughout the book.

The other part of the book is the actual book Hannah is writing! How freaking cool. It opens up in the Boston library very quiet reading room with a woman’s terrified SCREAM! Everyone is told to stay put and suddenly a foursome at a table in this reading room becomes friends and scooby doo gang of sorts.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ solid stars! It was Colonel Mustard in the library with the candlestick! I kid. But it did feel a little like the game of Clue and I was all for it. I listened to the audiobook and it was so good! Very addictive. The @bookfriendsbookclub had the privilege of meeting with Sulari and she was an absolute delight. We could’ve talked for hours. It was like talking to a friend you’ve known for years. I can’t wait for your next book Sulari! Right here in Kansas!!! If you need a beta reader…hahaha…

Thank you netgalley + publisher!

A story within a story, within a story. A fascinating crime novel with so many layers, it will keep you guessing until the end.
Four strangers in the Boston Public Library hear a blood-curling scream, and it bonds them together. Then, they discover that the screamer was murdered - and the mystery commences. Hidden agendas, secret longings, and a whole lot of red herrings make this mystery a compelling one. Who murdered the woman in the library?
As the story develops, we also get a glimpse into the writing life of the author, and find that art might imitate life just a little too closely...
A great read for those mystery readers that want to shake things up a bit.

So different and engaging! I feel you can't properly convey how unique this book is without ruining its charm, so I wont, but believe me, it is great. Part mystery, part lit fic, part dual timline-ish-ness? Now I am making up words I think. But really, just read it, its so good! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

***Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
A story within a story. This was a twisty and clever mystery that had me guessing until the end!

This book had tremendous promise--a story within a story, the most unreliable of narrators--but ultimately, it didn't really stick the landing. I loved the setting, and several of the characters. I just wish it had a more satisfying final arc.

As far as a debut goes, this is definitely a solid read with great world building. The writing is binge-able, but as far as the mystery, it's pretty obvious who the murderer is from the second they walk into the story.

Definitely a fun read for people who are into the craft of writing and publishing. Having been in a writers group before I think Gentill nails that atmosphere. While I enjoyed the email component to a point, there is a series of events that get tacked on at the end that I just found to bloat the story.

Overall, really fun book, but a little cozier than I prefer to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an ARC of this title.

The last thing I want to do is tear apart someone's brainchild, so I'll try to be tactful in my critique of The Woman in the Library...

Firstly, the premise was gripping! I was so excited when I first read the synopsis months ago and I'd been eagerly looking forward to its release(I was thrilled to be selected to receive an ARC). A Woman is killed in a Library, four people hear her scream and one of them is the murderer? Sounds like a great mystery! For me the book, however, fell short in every aspect(characters, dialogue, plot). Great idea, poor execution.

The subplot of emails between Leo and Hannah was semi-original, but distracting and an annoying interruption to the mystery.

The characters....oh my. Honestly, I might have liked the book if all the characters were,well, not the characters. Everyone was either annoying, unlikable, or unrealistic. All characters are supposedly 23 or over, but act like teenagers with their whiny and immature dialogue.

I know that The Woman in the Library is supposed to be one of this summer's best New releases, but I found it to be hugely disappointing. 😔

Loved this book, really enjoyed the plot line and the characters. Very engaging for me it was a 5 Star read.

2.5

With thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publishers for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wish I could say that I loved this book. I wanted to, but it just didn’t grab me.

To demonstrate - I had issues with my reader app throughout my reading of this book and had to read after restarting my phone while on aeroplane mode to prevent it reloading and crashing. Which was not the problem - the problem was that the book didn’t hold enough pull for me to go through the actions required to read it.

The setting of the library was gorgeous, it made me want to visit both the BPL and my local gorgeous library. For me though, that’s kind of where my enthusiasm ended.

I might not want to read it again myself, but I also wouldn’t deter anyone else from reading it and I would read another book from the author.

I couldn’t finish this book simply because I realized I didn’t really care what happens. I was intrigued by the story within the story, but both story lines were very slow. The way the characters came together wasn’t believable to me either. I could see them getting together to discuss what happened at the library but their getting so tangled in each other’s lives seemed like a bit of a stretch. Also the second storyline took me out of the first and messed up the pacing. I also questioned the first author writing a story set in a place they’ve never visited.

I was intrigued by the concept of this book, but for me the mystery fell a bit short. The main driving point that kept me engaged was the Boston setting. I loved following the characters in the Boston Public Library and through the streets of Back Bay.

Perhaps this book just wasn't what I expected as I was hoping for more of a thriller. But as a fiction novel, it is just fine. I would love to read more by Gentill in the future as the writing was smooth and sophisticated.

Thank you Sulari Gentill, Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately another flop for the thriller genre! 😔 Everything about this book appealed to me. I can’t imagine anything better than a murder mystery set in the library. This book was so flat and felt very repetitive. The ending was incredibly uneventful and so unsatisfying. There are so many great thrillers out there so I would pass on this one. I know my book reviews haven’t been pretty negative lately but I promise I really liked the book I just finished!
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Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to give my honest review.

I love a good mystery and having spend many hours doing research in hallowed reading rooms, I was interested in both the setting and the unwinding of the who "dunnit". My attention began to wain as the characters stretched incredulity and the emails from Down Under didn't add much to convince me to finish the book. Apologies for my inattention and gratitude for the opportunity to receive an ARC.

Excellent suspense and mystery! I thoroughly enjoyed the main mystery of how the story unfolded. I think the letters interspersed are a little distracting from the other story but it’s a unusual device and I tolerated it. I liked the way the characters had their past disclosures in small doses and the author was a good writer to create suspense. I think the mystery is compelling and enjoyable. I liked how you aren’t sure who to trust and keep you guessing throughout the novel. I will definitely need to read other mysteries by this author. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher!

A scream pierces through the quiet of the library, bringing together four strangers. Who screamed? What happened? The four new friends want to discover the truth and find danger. But can you trust a stranger?

Hannah is writing a story about Freddie, an Australian writing student in Boston, who hears the scream and makes three friends – a story within a story. Murder, crime, friendship, and trust – an enjoyable and suspenseful story with plenty of twists to keep you turning the page.

A thriller about strangers who meet in a library due to a murder. The characterization and plot development kept me reading chapter after chapter. I enjoyed the dynamic between the four main characters, but questioned the swiftness of how close they became. Some of the relationships seemed obsessive, when that is not how they were to come across.

I would have loved this book if it weren't for the emails. The emails took so much away from the plot, interrupting the end of every chapter. The emails are a separate plot line that adds little to the book. After each chapter I was tempted to skip the emails, but I suffered through them wondering why they were even placed there. I probably would have given the nook 5 stars if they were not included.

I want to thank Netgalley, and Poisoned Pen Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review

I apologize but I was not able to finish this book. I was in a different headspace at the time of requesting / recieving this book and the time I got it.

This book by an Australian author of Sri Lankan origin suited me very well. I've loved all the reads I've done by this author and this one did not disappoint too.

Set in the august presence of the Boston library Hannah is writing a book and finding inspiration hard to come by. A book within a book genre if there is one. Hannah is Australian and she is inspired by correspondence by an American writer Leo. Hannah's character is Freddie and whilst in the midst of writing gets embroiled in a murder initiated by a scream. That initial scream sets off a series of horrendous events ending with another murder and the suspicion falling on this small group. The evidence against each one of them stacks up and the author very cleverly directs one in every which way which makes for
very confusing conclusions - all wrong!

The story was a little convoluted with several blind alleys, wrong turns for the reader but it ended very neatly.
Another good mystery novel from Gentill.