Once I started reading The Woman in the Library, I could not put it down! The two plots were intriguing and captivating. I liked some of the characters and liked the pace of the story. However, I felt the ending was rushed a bit and did not enjoy it as much as I would have liked. Still, this is an author I will be reading from now on.

Unfortunately this book just did not work for me. I thought the synopsis sounded so unique, but the story within a story and all the characters to keep track of was very confusing for me. Also, the ending made me wish I didn't stick with it because it wasn't anything special.

3 stars

A reverse locked-room murder mystery story within a story set in Boston (specifically the Boston Public Library). You’ll get some Agatha Christie vibes. The cover is gorgeous which drew me to it immediately. Overall there was good character development, some twists, a quirky group of friends, and dark moments.
The entertaining chapters are fairly short making it a quick read. I recommend to anyone who is looking for an easy, non-traditional mystery.

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Woman in the Library is definitely a plot in a plot. The main story is the chance encounter of the four main characters. Freddie, Cain, Whit and Marigold at the Boston Public Library. They actually meet when they hear a scream and there is a dead woman found. The second story line comes at the end of each chapter when we read the letter from Leo, an obsessed fan, of author Hannah, an Australian. Leo provides his input, suggestions and corrections of what happened in each chapter.

This was an interesting and quick read. It made me want to see if I caught not only the murderer but also what input Leo would have for the author. Definitely a good summer read.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy.

I tried to read this book 3 times. I really wanted to enjoy it at its full potential but I felt like I’m missing a big part that just wouldn’t stick with me. And I realised that it was the characters, none of them really hold my attention for more than 1 second somehow. Not even know why to be honest. I guess I just couldn’t connect with them the way I wished or expected.
It’s a suspenseful story that left me wishing for more in the end but unfortunately it wasn’t really a favourite or remarkable for me. It’s all on me at this point and I’m sorry for that.

Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy

This book was hard to put down. There's so many twists and turns, and it's a story within a story. Filled with many layers and depth not seen in other mystery stories. You think you're just reading about an author, some friends she makes, and her writing process, what you get is that and a whole lot more.

Hannah is an Australian author who pulls in her story writing skills with what's happened to new friends she's met. She interweaves fiction with reality and the story, like I said, is so interwoven that you have to pay attention to what goes on.

Still, a good mystery read.

With a slower start, this novel bends the reality of what's real with two sinister plots. It's very much a story within a story which was interesting, but ultimately a little anticlimactic.

I will admit I was not taken into the story right away. I found the mystery-thriller storyline slow and the letters between Hannah and Leo boring. You can tell this was written early 2020, which was interesting in terms of the implications it had on the novel. I would say things began to heat up as Cain/Abel's backstory was revealed and Leo's letters to Hannah become harshly opinionated and off-kilter. My favorite thing about this read was that it was jarring to read the un-related, yet related plots. It definitely serves the reader with misdirection because your feelings towards the characters are slightly blurred. Without the letters from Leo, parts of the novel Hannah is writing would not register as unsettling which to me was very clever.

A story within a story was such a unique way to tell this tale. I certainly wasn't sure who the murderer was until the end, but I was also pretty certain it wasn't going to be the obvious choice. You could also see the other murderer escalating in the other storing also. You have to watch out for him too! This book definitely keeps you guessing.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is a strong contender for my book of the year! I was hooked. I don't think I've ever come across a murder mystery quite like this: basically a story within a story. The plot thickens in both narratives and it's positively riveting.

The story mainly follows Freddie, an Australian writer on a scholarship in Boston. The splitting scream of a woman in the library allows her path to intertwine with three strangers seated nearby. Their developing friendship throughout the story felt like found family, and I enjoyed the banter, budding romance, and tension that arose the closer they got to solving the murder and other worrying happenings.

What helped me fly through the book, other than appreciating a carefully unfurling plot, was the writing style: concise but laced with clues. Maximum intrigue, minimum clutter. There's a purpose to the format with its seemingly slow pace. The suspenseful build-up had me suspecting nearly every character and becoming increasingly disturbed as red flags ushered in a rather chilling revelation, taking the overall story in an unexpected direction. Mystery aside, I enjoyed the comparisons between Australian and American culture, as well as the various characters' perspectives on writing and books. The themes were thought-provoking, involving loyalty, bias, perception of ex-convicts, representation in literature, and the pandemic's place in literature. The climax was interesting but the big reveal was not as complex as I'd expected—though the OTHER storyline delivered amazingly. An enjoyable, thrilling read I will not soon forget. Highly recommend.

I requested this arc because I knew it involved libraries, murder, and writers. I imagined a fast-paced thriller in which a writer is trapped inside a library with three other people, one of whom would be a murderer. So, it’s partially my fault that this book did not meet my expectations. Turns out, it is very slow paced and only a tiny percentage of the book actually involves the library.

The plot follows four people, two of which are writers, who become friends after hearing a scream in the library which they later discover is a part of a murder. Despite the slow pacing I was intrigued by the who-done-it narrative especially since you know from the first chapter that someone in the group did it. What really hurt my enjoyment of the book was the added edits at the end of each chapter. The novel became a story inside a story about a mystery writer sending manuscripts to a friend who would then provide feedback. One minute I’d be reading about a lead on the murderer and the next I’d be reading critique over word choice. I held on hoping that the narrative and the commentary would interweave into something brilliantly unexpected but that was not the case.

If you like slow burn mystery plots with a touch of romance, that has you questioning who to trust and you don’t mind being interrupted every chapter with edits, then I would wholeheartedly recommend this! It definitely has a nuanced style and interesting character development that I know others would enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley for an e-ARC!

This novel features a story within a story, letters to the author from a beta reader following each chapter of a manuscript in progress. Hannah, our Australian author, relies on American beta reader Leo to determine the authenticity of her location because she can not travel to Boston. The story Hannah is writing revolves around four people who meet in a library, united by the sound of a woman screaming. Winifred, or Freddie, the protagonist, is an author working on a mystery novel of her own. Marigold is a psych major. Whit is a law student trying to fail out of the program. Cain is an author as well, with many secrets of his own. One of them is a murderer. As Freddie's story develops, so does Hannah's.

While I admit the format of a story within a story threw me at first, I actually ended up enjoying it. I also loved the plot development and the misdirection that went on. Freddie's story is a much tamer mystery, while the emails between Hannah and Leo provide a darker contrast. I really liked this!

I'm pretty new to the mystery genre, I pretty much dable in romance. So I feel like its not always obvious to me who the killer is. It's hard to talk about this book without spoiling the narrative. I will say I was completely wrong in most of my thoughts concerning the whodunit. The emails at the end were nice and I appreciated the way that Hannah incorporate or choose to ignore her beta readers suggestions. This was my first read from Sulari Gentill and cannot wait to say what the next one has in store for me. She's definitely on my authors to watch for sure.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishers for this ARC.

DNF.

I thought this was going to be like No Exit by Taylor Adams with its "the killer is among us" vibe, but I found this to just be too much of a slow burn and the plot was just too drawn out. When we already know that the killer is one of the MCs it would be better to get to the point so that the action can carry the plot. I felt that the suspenseful build up wasn't necessary. Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an e-ARC in exchange for my review.

I was so excited for this one, but I made it 20% of the way through before giving up out of boredom. I think I needed a little bit more info about the characters to actually care about them. And the plot didn't keep me. Also there was a lot of telling what americans do or say compared to Australians and as an American, I didn't find them all true. I found that annoying.

Four seemingly perfect strangers–Cain, Whit, Marigold and Freddie–all find themselves in the Reading Room of the Boston Public Library when a scream is heard, startling not only them but others in the library. As the mystery surrounding this scream develops, so does a friendship between these four very different individuals. Soon the four friends find themselves involved in more strange, and potentially deadly, occurrences as the truth begins to come out about not only the scream, but about themselves and their pasts. Can this new-found friendship survive the woman in the library?⁣

The Woman in the Library was a novel that I really wanted to like, and at times I did, but by the end I found that I was left a bit unsatisfied. I really like the structure of the novel, consisting of chapters from a manuscript with letters thrown in. The narrative itself and mystery was pretty good as well. The conclusion, however, left a few too many holes open for my tastes. There were events that needed more explanation, and others that didn’t make sense or were too convenient. There were also certain aspects of Leo's letters that I found irritating, which also took away from my enjoyment of this novel.

This is a multi-layered complicated mystery. There is a woman murdered in the Boston Public Library, and 4 young strangers hear her scream, and all become involved in the story. There is a book within a book, and sometimes it is hard to separate the two. A definite page turner yet I feel unsure of exactly what happened in the end.

I’m such a fan of the book within a book concept and add in a fun library setting, this one had so much potential! While the story within a story was incredibly clever and extremely well done at times, it also slowly became one of my least favourite things about this read as I found myself often confused and constantly questioning what was happening and what story I was in.

I applaud how difficult this one must have been to write as it was extremely multilayered with some intriguing and complex characters. I enjoyed the whodunit aspect and found the twists and turns entertaining.

I think this one’s worth checking out but go in in the right head space and ready to pay very close attention to detail!

What can I say? This book captured me with its mystery, personalities and twists. I haven't read anything by Sulani Gentill before, but I certainly will now. I always knew you needed to be quiet in a library, but in the Boston Library you also need to be careful who your desk companion is! A Really Great Story!
Thank you NetGalley for providing this copy. The opinion in this review is solely my own.

I really like this kind of book. Someone is murdered. All characters have an alibi. But do they? Someone must be the murderer, right? And then the side twist of the author “writing a book and the creepy fan” —it’s delicious! Fun summer mystery! Loved it! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy. I will recommend this to friends! 4.5 stars!

This review was originally posted on <a href="http://booksofmyheart.net/2022/06/09/the-woman-in-the-library-by-sulari-gentill/" target="_blank"> Books of My Heart</a>
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<i>Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i>

<strong>The Woman in the Library</strong> did not have a lot to do with libraries, other than an initial murder taking place there.  It did have a lot to do with books and writers though.   It is also a story within a story.   Each chapter is a piece of a famous author's manuscript following a letter from her American friend who lives in Boston.  Boston is the setting of her book.  The friend comments on various aspects of the manuscript as to location, American typical phrases, and his thoughts about plot.

The story takes place during Covid and that is not part of the book she is writing; it is set in 2019.  The friend thinks it should be incorporated, and also thinks the character's races should be revealed.  The question of race does not come up and I'm uncertain as to the race of any of the characters really.  The main point of view, is the author, Hannah, and in her book, the main character, Winifred, called Freddie.  Freddie is an author, as are two of her male friends in the story.

The letters from the friend become increasingly bizarre.   He is more demanding about her changing things according to his thoughts.   I wonder how she became friends with him in the first place.  Apparently they have never met, but she wrote him to make some inquiries about the Boston setting.

In Hannah's book,  the story begins as four people sitting at a table in the library hear a scream.  They get to talking and become fast friends.  Over the following weeks, they come to know each other further.  As writers, they have some interests in trying to solve the murder and aspects of it which don't quite make sense.  There are continued attacks and there seems to be a connection between them, which put Freddie and her new friends in the watchful eye of the police.

I wondered about various characters as the killer but never really put it together.  There were some creepy aspects like a lost or stolen phone calling Freddie with weird screaming or texting her pictures of people's doors including her own.   There are romantic elements between the characters to add another layer of emotion.  I enjoyed the unique way this story was told.