The Australian novelist Hannah Tigone is working on her new mystery. The book is set in Boston, and since Hannah is in Australia, her American acquaintance and fellow writer Leo Johnson volunteers to read chapters of her book to correct inappropriate terms and provide local background. The book begins with an email from Leo to Hannah. More emails follow, so we are constantly reminded that what we are reading is not real.

Chapter one of Hannah’s book then begins. Her book is about the Australian author Winifred (Freddie) Kincaid who is in Boston writing her new mystery. Freddie is sitting at a table in the reading room of the Boston Public Library when a woman’s scream is heard. Later, a woman’s body is discovered in the library. The incident brings together Freddie and the other people sitting at her table in the Library, the writer Cain McLeod, psychology student Marigold Anastas and law student Whit Metters. The four become fast (really, really fast) friends (we even get some instalove) and begin to investigate the murder. Freddie uses the murder as the subject of her new book. So we have Sulari writing a book about Hannah who is writing a book about Freddie who is writing a book about the woman in the library. Do you have that straight? It takes a fair amount of mental gymnastics. That’s a clever gimmick, but felt a little artificial. Nevertheless, I found the plot entertaining. At some point, I suspected each of the four friends of being the murderer (we are told at the beginning of the book that one of them committed the murder). Since the author (Sulari) withholds facts, it really isn’t possible to figure out the motive for the crime, and thus the murderer. So any guess is as good as another until everything is revealed at the end.

I received free copies of this audio book and ebook from the publisher.

When was the last time you've just finished a book and your first thought is, I should read this again... What a thrilling read this was and I can honestly say I've never read anything like this ever before.

I've always been a fan of the story within a story trope, but the subplot in this novel in the form of emails from a rather dodgy beta reading buddy (I have no idea if this is the correct term to use, please correct me if I'm wrong), does make this an amazing 3 dimensional read.

The story opens with Winifred Kinkaid, an Australian student who are working on her novel for the scholarship that brought her to the USA, visiting the Boston Public Library to get some in inspiration for said novel. Three random strangers share the same table with her. Being an observant writer, Winnie quickly creates personas around the three strangers and starts building a "plot" connecting the three: Handsome Man is a movie star; Heroic Chin, a fan; and Freud Girl his faithful bodyguard.

When a woman's terrifying scream echoes through the BPL, fate and circumstances does connect the 4 randomly strangers' lives in an intricate, but brilliantly crafted way. All in aim to find out more about The Woman in the Library and to uncover a murderer. Nothing bonds strangers better than a shared mystery. 

Not to confuse you too much, but we have a couple of "authors" in this book. Winnifred Kincaid (the author writing in the library) and the author of Winnifred's book, Hannah Tigone. We also have two Leo's in this book. Leo the deranged beta reader who provides the subplot through his corrective emails and Leo Johnson who is another scholar working on his novel and residing in Winnifred's building. And then there's Cain, one of the random strangers (Handsome Man) in the Library who wrote a best seller, semi-autobiography about his shady past.

"Words have meaning. I suppose who the author is, what he's done might change that meaning."

"Isn't meaning more to do with the reader?"

"No... a story is about leading a reader to meaning. The revelation is theirs, but we show them the way. I suppose the morality of the writer influences whether you can trust what they are showing you."

I have to congratulate the real author, Sulari Gentill, with this masterpiece. Not only did she create a whole set of fictional events and characters in one story, she did it in two stories with completely different voices and plotlines. I was wondering how and where all the lines are going to get crossed and I wasn't disappointed at all.

This was my first introduction to the works of Sulari Gentill, but it won't be our last encounter.

Freddie is an Australian writer on a scholarship in Boston. One day, as she’s looking for inspiration in the Boston Public Library, a horrible scream pierces the typical silence. The shock of something that unusual in a library causes Freddie to make small talk with three other visitors around her. The group quickly forms a friendship and when they find out that a woman has been killed in the library while they were just a few steps away, they can’t help but get pulled into the mystery. And the plot twist? Freddie and her friends are actually the main characters of a famous writer’s new novel. She’s sending chunks of the book to one of her fans, but despite their correspondence starting out as a friendly exchange of letters, it doesn’t take long for some very unsettling questions to arise.

On paper, this book was supposed to be everything I love - a murder mystery focused on writers and libraries, and a story within a story as a cherry on top? Unfortunately, a lot of this novel didn’t work for me. I liked the premise and the beginning, but sadly I quickly got annoyed with how childish and unrealistic some of the characters were. I felt like the story within a story aspect didn’t add anything to the book, quite the contrary - it was predictable and slowed down the plot. But I could forgive a lot of that because I really enjoyed a good part of the story - if it wasn’t for the ending. I found it to be foreshadowed in a pretty clumsy way, and I guessed the killer’s identity way too early to be impressed.

TLDR: The Woman in the Library could have been a thrilling, mysterious read, but unfortunately fell short, weighed down by unnecessary additions and predictable plot twists.

Name of Book: The Woman in the Library
Author: Sulari Gentill
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: June 1, 2022
My Rating: 3 stars!

I am a big psychological fan but I also love a good cozy mystery. We ‘Cozy’ readers know that a typical ‘‘Cozy’ has a female protagonist who is a Librarian, Book Seller or a Café Owner (in other words books and food), also our protagonist usually has a cat and there is a definitely ~ a murder~!
I knew this wasn’t a Cozy Mystery but was still hopeful it would be an enjoyable read.

Story stars in the ‘quiet’ reading room at the Boston Public Library, until a woman screams.
The Library Security guards tell everyone to stay in place until they investigate. Four strangers are sitting at the same table and strike up a conversation while waiting for the all-clear. They all have a reason for being there however — one is a murderer.
The strangers actually become friends stating it was bizarre as they seem to recognize each other - perhaps friends in a life forgotten.

In the First Chapter when Freddie ~ Winifred Kincaid sees the three at her table, she gives us a description of each and gives them the following monikers: Handsome Man, Heroic Chin, and Freud Girl. (Freddie later uses these monikers in the story she is writing.)
Each discloses their real names: Handsome man is Cain McLeod; Heroics Chin is Whit Metters; and Freud Girl is Marigold Anastas.

In addition to these characters, there are a series of letters written by Leo Johnson to Hannah Tigone. Leo is a beta reader for Hannah but it also a frustrated writer.
(Why not? ~ It seems everyone in this story wants to write a book or is writing a book!!)

I cannot say this was a wow read for me. One reviewer described it as very clever. However, it was taking me a lot of time to make sense of it.

On the positive side, I always enjoy the author’s ‘Acknowledgements’. This book also includes A Reading Group Guide and ‘A Conversation with the Author’ which was very interesting

Want to thank NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for an honest professional review.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for June 1, 2022.

"And so we go to the Map Room to found a friendship, and I have my first coffee with a killer."

Overall, I liked this book. The story within a story format was unique and enticing.

The first begins when Freddie, an author who has won the opportunity to live in Boston, goes to the Boston Public Library. There she meets Marigold, Whit, and Cain after the four hear a scream. She then begins writing her book using these former strangers as inspiration for her novel.

The second story is an Australian author, Hannah Tigone, communicating with a fan, Leo Johnson. Hannah sends Leo her latest work chapter by chapter. Leo does some fact checking and provides his own suggestions for the last chapter with each email.

The pacing of the book is stead, and it keeps the interest. Plot development is great, and the plot is the star of the book. The character development is somewhat lacking, but it isn't needed because the story within a story aspect is what you're reading for.

The running commentary within Leo's emails regarding the pandemic, racial prejudice, class differences and homelessness should have been fleshed out more. As they weren't, they felt a bit biased and unnecessary to the overall plot development.

i love boston and the boston public library, so i was beyond excited to read this book, but unfortunately it didn't really work for me. i found it to have the pacing of a cozy mystery, but a lot of gore and graphic images and tough topics, not to mention social issues, that didn't fit with that. i definitely didn't hate this book but it wasn't for me!

I loved the format of this book - the book with the book and initially set in the library. Truly after a librarians heart with that! It was a bit slow, but really kept me guessing right up until the very end. I’d rate it 3.5 stars. Really good read.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for an honest review.

I was REALLY looking forward to this one... a mystery set around a murder at the Boston Public Library is right up my alley. But this was a flop for me pretty much from the start, I did stick with it to see it through hoping the end would redeem the things I was having issues with, it did not.

So first off, this is a story within a story... within a story composed of letters being written by an American author (who is a racist and there are a lot of problematic things in those letters) to an Australian author giving "real time" feedback on the chapters of the book they are writing about a group of strangers who were in the reading room of the Boston Public Library when a murder happens. One of those characters is an author who uses the people in the reading room as inspiration for the book they are writing. Still with me? Yeah. I enjoy plenty of books that are a story within a story but the had just one too many layers in it. The feedback letters completely pull you out of the reading experience so the suspense is gone with each plot reveal. Who the killer is and why it happened wasn't shocking or surprising. Honestly, by that time the red herrings were so heavy handed that I wasn't invested in the mystery at all.

You win some, you lose some. This was my first highly anticipated 2022 release that didn't come close to meeting my expectations.

Got this gem from netgalley - they had me at the title / cover and I was so excited to get this!

Sulari does not disappoint and you def get a lot from one book- this is like a story in a story in a story there a a couple subplots going - the emails, the book, and then the book she is writing in the book ! I had it pieced together about 80 percent through but it still played out nicely and keep me in it and the pages turning!

I honestly loved Freddie and Cain - Marigold and Whit are a hot mess but likable … well kind of at times lol don’t take my word for it you read it and tell me who you would trust and who you would be friends with I am betting with the exception of Freddie it was change depending on the chapter!

I think Mrs Weinbaum could and should get her own spin off - I absolutely am obsessed with her and we barely know her really

There is so much to say but I also do not want to have spoilers so I guess I can say this is relatable to the recent news about Nancy Brophy the author who wrote about killing her husband and then actually was found out to have killed her husband- here I was thinking man the sub plot here is so twisted but really given recent news maybe it isn’t to far fetched for authors and screen writers …. Makes you think

I loved the way this story addresses (what I imagine) many writers struggle to address , speak to , incorporate etc and I’m sure something they have to consider constantly when starting their stories / journeys(ie the Pandemic and race )

If you like murder mystery books this is for you! If you like psychology and crime - this is for you. If you are a people watcher you will love this story! Honestly just get it already

I had the chance to review an Advanced Review Copy from #NetGalley and am glad to see this book getting some good press. The structure, which makes it difficult to determine what's the story and what's the story-within-a-story, was not something I had encountered before and kept me guessing. There is an Aussie author corresponding with an American fan named Leo while writing a novel about an Australian author on a fellowship in the US with a neighbor named Leo. If you are familiar with Boston it is also easy to picture the places and characters.

This book was just so much fun! One 0f those quick reads where you're super eager to find out what happens, but also don't want the book to end. I'm taking off one star only because I would have loved to see the author do a little bit more with the framing (letters from Leo to Helen) -- I found myself wanting more, whereas I thought the main story-within-a-story had just the right amount of ambiguity.

I think fans of Anthony Horowitz, Peter Swanson, and Alex Pavesi's the Eighth Detective will really enjoy this one.

I could not put this book down! The Woman in the Library immediately drew me in with vibrant characters and cliff-hanging chapters. The "story within a story" framework added a fun extra layer that made me feel like I was reading two different novels at the same time...and a third one, in which I was wondering if and how they were going to intertwine! I was left guessing all the way until the last scenes and was sad to see this engaging story end. This would be a great book for lovers of classic mystery novels, but its fast-paced and immersive style also broaden its appeal to almost any reader.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for providing an ARC through NetGalley!

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press, Netgalley and the author for an Advance Copy of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I read this book in 2 sittings - I had to go to sleep before I could finish the last third and dreamt about it while I was sleeping. The start is innocent enough - two writers corresponding with each other. One is in Australia and writing a novel about a murder in Boston and the other lives in Boston - the Australian writer gets help from the writer in Boston to assist with dialect and places, and we read the chapters and the feedback alternately.

Both the mystery in the book and the correspondence between the two authors is utterly riveting, and the story becomes more chilling progressively. It's so well written and original that this may be my favourite mystery/thriller of the year. I loved the Australian-isms, the characters and the twists and turns. An absolute 5 star read for me.

The story opens with a letter between an Australian writer Hannah Tigone and her Beta-reader Leo. Hannah cannot travel due to Covid, and she would like to have someone local, such as Leo, do some research for her book.

Chapter one begins with Freddie, an Australian mystery writer who has come to the Boston Library hoping to get some writing done. In the quiet, she is interrupted by a scream. A woman has been murdered.

The three strangers, seated at the same table with Freddie in the library, are all becoming part of her story. The plot thickens as they are bonded; now, they need each other as alibis.

Do you see the story-within-the-story building? Hannah is writing the story of Freddie, who is, in turn, writing the story of the murder in the library. It’s not as simple as it seems, but the two “stories” are woven together seamlessly.

I love books that have authors discussing their writing process, and 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲 also has a bit of humor and a mixed bag of personalities. This may not be a new concept, but it was executed quite cleverly.

Thank you @poisonedpenpress for the gifted ebook and @dreamscape_media for the audiobook.

Four strangers sitting at the same table in the Boston Public Library meet after they hear a woman scream. They almost immediately become friends and when a body is discovered they become involved in the investigation. And one of them is a murderer.

I read this in less than a day. I could not stop reading. It was clever and unexpected. The Woman In The Library by Sulari Gentill is a story within a story. After each chapter we read emails from Leo to the author. I really enjoyed reading them and disagreeing with everything he said.

I made so many notes while reading because I had a lot of wild theories. I was wrong about everything but my belief in a character's innocence. The characters are charming and feel real.

I've never read a mystery quite like this. There are several things a reader may find to talk about with this one. It was SO good. If you love mysteries then you need to read this!

Thank you so much to the publisher for the ARC! The Woman In The Library will be published June 7th.

I loved it!
Honestly I was a bit confused at first about the story within the story getting this as an e copy from NetGalley & Poisoned Pen Press.. I thought I was reading notes from the editor at first 😂 good thing I didn’t skip over them. It definitely makes you question a lot in the story & helps to build the suspense.
It took me longer than usual to get through this one. Life gets in the way of reading & it is a bit slow around the middle.
Overall I definitely recommend this one!! 4/5⭐️

[Pre release review for Net Galley] I was unsure at first how this story would unfold with a sub plot playing out after each chapter, but it was so good! It kind of allows for 2 separate stories at once that keeps you hooked throughout the whole storyline!

Honestly, I didn’t know who to suspect and even at the end I didn’t know who had really killed who! That’s the best kind of thriller and murder mystery!

The only really I gave it 4 stars was because I wished that the author developed a little more of the subplot storyline when you realize the real life murderer has entered into Australian during a pandemic to find the true author! Would have been nice to have more of the background there as well!

A definite must read! Coming out June 7!

Winifred is writing a novel but not just any novel— she is penning the story of herself and her three new friends who happened to be sitting together at the Boston Public Library when a scream rings out. The next day they learn that Caroline Palfrey, a writer for a student paper, has been found dead. The foursome is hesitant to let the murder go and they begin to discuss what possible connections there might be. As Winifred’s novel unfolds, so too does Hannah’s, the creator of Winifred and the scream that is The Woman in the Library. Hannah, an Aussie, is sharing pages with Leo, an American who just happens to know the city of Boston inside and out and who is more than happy to provide feedback and background for one of his favorite authors.

This book ended up being extremely difficult to like. The premise was great— a group of new friends united by a mysterious scream. As well, the way the story was presented, as if an author was sharing a draft with another author for feedback, moved the story along quite nicely. However, the mystery that anchored the entire story was flimsy at best, the writer and her sounding board wildly casting suspicion on each character in turn with very little to back up their assertions. A sudden plot twist in the middle of the book the throws things off kilter as it felt very much like an afterthought meant to liven up the subplot of the two writers exchanging feedback. Finally, though this is indeed an uncorrected proof, there seemed to have been next no editing done on this ARC which often made it difficult to wade through sentences with missing words or added words that did not belong. I was, in the end, rather disappointed in this novel.

I received an ARC of The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill. The book starts off with a letter from a beta reader who is helping the author with her book. The story within a story starts with our four main characters in the library when they hear a woman scream. They didn't know each other previously, but are bonded by the mystery of the scream. When they later find out a woman was found dead in the library, they are curious and try to find out more.

At first, I felt like the framing device (letters from the beta reader) was unnecessary but it eventually became apparent why the author chose this. I did like the letters quite a lot as they helped build a sense of dread. The mystery of who killed the woman in the library was intriguing but there were several moments that I just didn't find believable. For example, a character falls in love with someone whom she's known for less than a month, when she finds out a big secret, she doesn't immediately tell the police or her friends, and some pieces of the story were just not wrapped up. The conclusion was fast and chaotic. For these reasons, I gave the 3 stars. Overall enjoyable but likely not memorable.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy. The book comes out June 7, 2022

"I am a bricklayer without drawings, laying words in sentences, sentences into paragraphs, allowing my walls to twist and turn on a whim. There is no framework, just bricks interlocked to support each other into a story."

Freddie, an Australian writer with a fellowship in Boston, is chilling in the Boston Public Library one nondescript afternoon. She's silently judging three peeps sitting by her - Heroic Chin, Handsome Man, and Freud Girl, as she's dubbed them for use as her literary inspiration - when out of nowhere a terrified scream rattles the library guests. Bonded by the mystery of the scream, the unlikely foursome form a fast friendship... which is firmly solidified when it's revealed that a body was found in the library post-scream. Was it the screamer who was killed? If so, why?

Who was killed in the library is exactly what Leo is wondering as he reads the first draft of his penpal Hannah's latest murder mystery. Since Hannah lives in Australia and Leo lives in Boston, he's her inside scoop to gather intel on Bostonian life such that she can write a realistic book. But as Leo keeps reading Hannah's chapters, his email replies with "helpful suggestions" become more and more...interesting.

I liked the idea of bookception that was used in The Woman in the Library a lot - Sulari Gentill writing about Hannah who is writing about Freddie who is writing her own book. I've seen it done before, but it's not a common trope so it felt like an imaginative concept to deploy. I also found the primary mystery of who killed the woman in the library to be a fun and enjoyable read. I didn't figure out who dunnit until all the cards were laid out at the end.

But while I found the story to be fun and entertaining, I also found it to be a little campy and over the top. If you're looking for a book to distract you from the doldrums that are everyday life, this charming little book is the one for you! But if you're looking for something that'll move you - something that you'll remember for years to come - I'd pass.

Also - unrelated side note - every time I read the nickname Heroic Chin my brain automatically flipped it to Heroin Chic.