I've not read Sulari Gentill's popular Rowland Sinclair series given I tend to stay away from historical fiction but I absolutely adored the Ned Kelly award-winning After She Wrote Him, which I read in 2020, also known as Crossing the Lines.

It was a complete mindf*ck in many ways, but rather than find it frustrating I thought it incredibly clever and kinda jealous that I'd never be able to think of anything quite so complex and twisted.

Thankfully Gentill does it again in her latest release, The Woman in the Library. Again it's about a writer. Or rather two writers and one - or maybe both - are using the other's life as inspiration. And just to make things twistier, one of the writers is actually writing about a writer and events taking place in her life and those she meets.

The book opens with Leo - a wannabe author, writing to fellow author Hannah, who he admires but hasn't met. I assumed the pair were acquainted as he's fairly familiar - deferential in that slightly wanky way fans feel they need to be - but also seemingly a colleague, a contemporary rather than an overzealous reader.

And it seems the feeling is mutual as Hannah sends Leo chapters of her novel for feedback. She's in Australia and the novel is set in the US, so Leo's offering advice on relevance, language and feasibility.

And he's chuffed that Hannah uses some of his suggestions, or indeed some of his observations, in her novel. Leo discusses his own work a little and Hannah even offers to have her agent look at his work.

Leo's feedback becomes increasingly critical however and his tone goes from fervent to annoyed and back to the deferential admiration... if Hannah's plot is moving in a direction of which he approves.

We actually only see his correspondence to Hannah, which is interspersed with chapters of her novel. We only hear her voice through her novel so we're unsure how similar she is to her protagonist Winifred (Freddie).

Hannah's novel is actually written in first person and features Freddie, an Australian in the US and who happens across three other students while at the Boston Library at the time someone is killed. The murder brings them together and they form a bond of sorts. We later realise their presence at the library was the result of some coincides and have to ask ourselves if their meeting was (perhaps) contrived and to what end game.

The murder of the woman at the library is - of course - the crux of the novel within the novel, but it plays out against the backdrop of Leo's correspondence with Hannah as she writes.

Again, Gentill carries this off brilliantly and and it's well-paced with a sense of menace building as the stories unfold - both the novel Hannah's writing as well as the communication and relationship between Leo and Hannah.

Gentill's writing is seamless but the characters and the plot are the stars here. And did I mention it's clever? Not only the premise itself but the way everything unfolds (or should I say unravels?!) at the end. 

4.5 stars

The Woman in the Library is a nifty Russian nesting doll of a novel, and I loved it! At the top (or the biggest doll) we have an Australian mystery writer named Hannah. She's working on a new novel that's set in Boston, but because of the pandemic, she can't travel there. However, she has an email pen pal in Boston named Leo, and he is reviewing chapters of her book as she produces them in order to assure American authenticity.

The book she's writing starts at the Boston Public Library (BPL) where her lead character, Aussie Winifred Kincaid (Freddie), who is also a writer, is writing a novel. Freddie is in Boston on a Marriott Scholarship, allowing her to live in a charming brownstone in a very nice neighborhood. Hannah's novel begins with Freddie and three strangers quietly working in the BPL when suddenly a woman's scream is heard. Freddie and the three strangers are all stunned, start talking with one another, and decide to go for a coffee at the BPL Map Room. The first chapter ends with the line "And so we go to the Map Room to found a friendship, and I have my first coffee with a killer." I am 100% hooked at this point!!

The three other strangers at the BPL are potential characters for Freddie, and in her head she calls them Freud Girl (real name Marigold Anastas), Heroic Chin (Whit Metters), and Handsome Man (Cain McLeod). As we get to know them, we learn that Marigold is actually a psychology student, Whit is a law student who has no interest in being a lawyer despite his wealthy family's hope. And Cain is also a writer. Rounding out the characters is one named Leo (in honor of Hannah's pen pal). Leo is also a recipient of a fellowship and is a neighbor of Freddie's. Although the BPL guards who went to investigate after everyone heard the scream found nothing, a dead young woman is later found under a table in another room of the library. Our four main characters are now each other's alibis.

Each chapter of The Woman in the Library concludes with correspondence from Leo to Hannah giving his comments on what Hannah has written. It all starts out well enough, but Leo's comments eventually turn to disturbing content. Meanwhile, Freddie and her new friends start having their own strange encounters, and they're all invested in discovering who killed the woman in the library and who is now threatening Freddie and Whit.

Hopefully, this review hasn't confused you too much, because you really need to read this incredibly smart murder mystery. All of the characters are fully fleshed out by author Sulari Gentill, and the action is brisk. I loved the book within a book within a book. I give it 5 bright, shining stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me an eGalley. I will be recommending this novel to everyone!

I have no idea how I'm going to explain this other than try...

The Woman in the Library is a book about an author writing a book about an author writing a book. There. Sounds crazy? Sulari Gentill has managed to write a book about Hannah, an author liaising with a beta reader called Leo, writing a book about Winifred, who is just beginning her journey of starting a new story with her experience at a library. Take a pause and let that sink in. Okay. So in said library, Winifred, or Freddie, along with her other inspirations scattered around the library but sitting not too far off from her, heard a woman scream. But when the security guard went to have a look, he couldn't find the source of it. This scream was what brought Freddie and three others together. They managed to bond from a shared, strange experience. The next day, the news reports that a woman had been murdered at said library.

I really enjoyed the process with which Freddie started off her book: people watching, and real-life experiences with these people that help inspire her story. It would have been welcome if she shared a little more about the story she's written.

The Woman in the Library is different in that it's a work-in-progress, so there would be changes along the way, like the age of Marigold, based on the suggestions made by Leo. I would imagine that the process that Hannah went through, with her beta reader, was something that most writers would have done during the peak period of the pandemic. Hannah, being in Australia, needed Leo's input to help her write her book that is set in America. At the beginning, the exchange, in the form of emails, between Hannah and Leo intrigued and confused me. They hardly added to the story, and they cut off the flow. Later on, when I understood the main point of this exchange, I still did not appreciate it. Let's just say Hannah was also thrust into the genre that she was writing, just as Freddie was. It was all rather messy.

Characters-wise, none of them left much of an impression. The Woman in the Library was quite bland even though there were moments that jumped out at me, and I don't feel for the romantic pairing at all. I don't believe I'll remember much about this book as time goes by, even if the concept was out-of-this-world.

This review is written based on the ARC provided by the publisher through Netgalley.

There seems to be a solid line between readers that either firmly do or do not enjoy the “book within a book” trope, and I find myself with the former. Even in thrillers I was underwhelmed by (Riley Sager’s Home Before Dark I’m looking at you), I feel that it adds an extra dimension to the novel that sometimes even a dual timeline cannot do. The Woman in the Library takes full advantage of this with its main mystery-thriller plotline offset by a series of letters between the fictional thriller author and an over-eager colleague named Leo. The threat then is not found in the main storyline. But it’s Leo’s correspondence that is actually able to play into the sense of dread that builds as the story progresses.

I don’t think this thriller - at least the “book within a book” piece of it - is particularly groundbreaking or does anything exceptionally shocking. But then again, it doesn’t have to. The author can bypass any criticism on not scheming up something totally new in the genre by presenting the story as a fictionalized work of another author entirely. Having Leo as a sounding board for some (questionable) critique in itself allows for some of the more convenient coincidences and plot twists to be scrutinized. It’s a clever way, be it intentional or not, to avoid criticism of the actual execution of one plot in the story.

Where I struggle with this book is how it almost already reads as dated, with Leo’s interludes frequently reminding the fictional author of the global pandemic she is very pointedly not including in the story. He argues this is an insult to the reader, a kind of escapism the current global crisis should not allow. While presenting to characters firmly in two different minds on this matter, the author doesn’t have to take a stance. But it makes this almost a period piece of 2020 already, being that most thriller releases being published in 2022 have already worked past this authorial dilemma and are ignoring it entirely, slotting back into this 2019-esque idealism that allows for more maneuvering in the genre. It was strangely off-putting to be so frequently reminded of this, and I don’t think that’s going to age well to make this a timeless edition to the genre.

Where this book loses points for me in originality in the main thriller plotline I did thoroughly appreciate the way the author gradually built in Leo’s increasing derangement over the course of the novel. It was a solid balance of both storylines, something that I think is hard to capture in any dual timeline piece - thriller or otherwise. So while this was a fun and compulsively readable release, I don’t think it will stick in my mind as a standout in the genre.

Thank you to the publisher Poisoned Pen Press for providing an e-ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.

The Woman in the Library
A Novel
by Sulari Gentill
Pub Date 07 Jun 2022
Poisoned Pen Press
General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers



I am reviewing a copy of The Woman in the Library through Poisoned Press Library and Netgalley:



In the ornate reading room at the Boston Public Library is quiet, but soon the tranquility is shattered by a woman's terrified scream. The security guards take charge immediately, instructing everyone inside to stay put until the threat is identified and contained.




While waiting for the all clear four strangers, who'd happened to sit at the same table, pass the time in conversation and friendships are struck. Each has his or her own reasons for being in the reading room that morning—it just happens that one is a murderer.





I give The Woman in the Library five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

What a concept! The formatting was so different and that was my favorite part of this novel. Having a novel chapter and then a feedback letter from another author friend was something I did not expect going in. It added a nice twist and separation. It also gave me an insight into what authors could say about works and what should or should not be included in a chapter.
I really enjoyed reading the whole clan of Winifred, Marigold, Whit, and Cain. They were a hoot! Interesting theories, personalities, and backstories came from them. Each of them convinced me at least once that the killer was who they thought it was. Such a buildup to the end when the reader finally finds out who did it. The ending is also so open and leaves me with a question or two about a character. I wonder if that was intentional for the author to leave that for the reader or if we may get something later on. I'm not sure but I enjoyed the read!

4/5 stars for a great buildup murder mystery that will leave you turning the pages to the end.

**Thank you to NetGalley for a free review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily! :)

Very clever set up with a writer going back and forth with her beta reader, sharing her latest novel about an Australian mystery writer who is living in the US after receiving a grant to write her own novel. So three parallel plots to follow, keeping it lively. Because Sulari Gentill does this so skillfully, The Woman in the Library is both an intriguing and fun read.

There is much about trust and the assumptions we make about people and how other people can influence our thinking. On top of this, Gentill manages to lightly sneak in the surreal experience of the first few months of COVID 19 and the weirdness of that point in time without being at all heavy handed. She kept me guessing to the end. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

It's a story within a story. We follow the book that Hannah is writing about four strangers in the reading room at the Boston Public Library when they hear a scream that binds them and thrusts them in a mistery. At the end of every chapter there's an email from one of Hannah's beta readers to her talking about the chapter we just read.

Is it predictable? Yes, very. As a mistery it's not very misterious; it's pretty clear early on who is the culprit and what's going to happen. But it's also fun. The characters, even though one dimensional, are entertaining to follow and the plot moves at a swift pace, moving the story along. It's well executed for what it is and it's highly compelling. But the book does fall into some coincidences and conveniences for the story to work (even though the main character does complain about these kind of devices when writing a mistery). The emails at the end of each chapter also add an extra layer of fun to the whole story. However, what is happening during these email is also pretty expected from the get go and I wish the author were more subtle when building this particular character.

There is a sense of cartoonish evil with a character along the book, not only in the actions but also in the opinions. It's like the author wants you to really know and understand that this is a bad person and you should despise this character since the beginning.

It's an entertaining book and highly readable and I do recommend it for a quick and fun read. But it's not one that is gonna be really memorable.

Thank you Netgalley, author, and publisher for the ARC.

Well, this helped me find a new theme that I really like- the character that is inferred or spoken about but we never hear from them.

This is a layered read- so simple at first but as the plot progresses, we understand that there is more at play than meets the eye. We meet an author who is receiving notes and communications from a fellow writer on a new book that she is writing. We see the progression of her writing, chapter by chapter, and her inclusion or exclusion of the notes from the other author. The book is a mystery and another mystery starts to unfold with the other author.

I had such fun reading this. I was kept off-balance enough to really enjoy myself and second guess so much of what I thought was happening. Thoroughly enjoyable mystery!

WOW!! It was intense and very very intriguin. I tried to follow the clues and solved the mystery, but everytime I thought for sure I knew who the killer was, Sulari had to twist it and do it more intense.
Love the plot (it felt like 2x1, really well done S.), love the characters, I felt like I was floating in Freddie`s thoughts. And Leo, what about Leo? Yaaaas!
Really good!!! I love the book I will read it again!
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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WOW! Fue intenso e intrigante. Trate de seguir las pistas y resolver el misterio, pero cada vez que pensaba que ya lo tenía, llegaba Sulari y le tenía que dar la vuelta y hacerlo más intenso.
Me encanto la historia (siented que tienes un 2x1, bien hecho S.), Me encantaron los personajes, sentía como si estuviera dentro de los pensamientos de Freddie. Y Leo, qué me dices de Leo? Vayaaa!
Muy bueno! Me ha encantado y lo volvería a leer otra vez!
Gracias a Netgalley y a la editorial por facilitarme el libro a cambio de una honesta opinión.

I did not finish this and I was very disappointed. I wanted to love it! The story line was intriguing, but once I started this, it didn't grab me, keep ,me or want me to keep reading. The weird letters to a character at the end of each chapter were too weird, and distracting, I kept flipping back and forth to see if I just missed characters. I just wanted to really like this one, based on the hype and just couldn't do it.

okay wait what just happened ,did i just finish this book ...i did not see that happening.Thank you to the author and her wonderful team for this story ,,am still shaken up but a definite recommend to friends and family looking forward to reading more of her books

Interesting mystery! Why did the woman scream in the library? Why did the 4 folks at the table become friends? And what a twist of an ending. I like the story within a story. I am not clear why the fictional author shared her chapters with Leo. He starts out liking the story and becomes more disenchanted with each chapter. I guess he had to be part of the story though so it all works out. I like the friendships that develop within the group of 4 library friends. It kept the story moving and kept me guessing on who would be responsible for the deaths and violence. I liked the book!

The Woman in the Library is a cleverly written book with new relationships, anxiety producing moments and twists. I was fully engaged in the book but not really surprised at the conclusion.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

4 stars

This novel centers around a classic whodunit. 4 people, one scream, one body, one library but the math doesn't add up. At the surface this book seems like your typical murder mystery, but there is an added element. Letters written to the author writing the novel before our very eyes. But as the letter progress, something seems off about the author of those letters.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought that the format with letters was different and refreshing. They added some intrigue and contemporary commentary that a classic mystery would be missing.

I am super critical of thrillers. I find them all to be cookie-cutter and lacking in quality writing. I was pleasantly surprised by The Woman in the Library. Well written, well paced and refreshing.

The format of this book had me a little of balance at first. The main character is a writer, writing a book about real people she's met. Her main character is not herself, but all the other characters are real people she's met and she's basically writing the story as she interacts with her new friends. Each chapter is interspersed with letters from an American correspondent who is reading the main character's novel and giving her feedback on each chapter. Another kicker is that the main character has also written the American correspondent into her story. It's a lot to wrap your mind around. But a really neat concept. The story gets fairly twisty. It started a bit slow but once I hit about the 40% mark I couldn't put it down. I'd definitely read more from this author. As far as any content warnings there are references to childhood abuse, a sex scene (not described, more implied), and some minimal language throughout. No graphic details though.

Four strangers sitting around a table in a library reading room are inexorably bound when they hear a woman’s terrified scream. Asked to stay put while security investigates, they break a cardinal rule of library etiquette; they start to chat.

Once told by security all is well, they decide to go for coffee and thus new friendships are swiftly formed. However, they soon discover that all is not well; a woman was found dead in the library. Turns out that each of them has a particular reason to be there that day and that one of them might be the killer.

Our narrator, Winifred, is an author who was at the library seeking inspiration for her next book. While awaiting an epiphany, she began to sketch out backstories for each of these strangers. As she fleshed them out, she realizes this is the perfect plot for a book and casts her new friends as characters.

Alongside this unfolding story within a story, our narrator is receiving letters from a fellow writer she is sharing her work with. One whose advice starts off understated, turns to aggressive and demanding and eventually becomes sinister. Another device cleverly employed by the author to keep the reader on their toes.

The predicament, if you are inclined to call it that, is that we never know what is real or imagined. Even upon completion of the book I am not sure what and who were real and what may have been a figment of the narrator’s vivid imagination.

Don’t get me wrong, that’s a puzzle I’m happy to leave unsolved.

And yes, I understand that none of it was “real”.

Thank you Net Galley for an ARC of The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill. This mystery/ thriller begins in a reading room in the Boston Public Library where 4 strangers meet and a murder takes place. I really liked this one!

This was an intriguing, quick read. It wasn’t perfect, but I loved the original concept of this plot, and even though you know right from the beginning that the murderer is only one of three people, I still kept bouncing from person to person as to who I suspected was the killer, as I read, never quite sure who it was going to be. ⁠
Where this one fell a little short for me was the strange letters to Leo who was reading her manuscript at the end of each chapter. They felt awkward and out of place, and I was hoping that there would be some great ‘a-ha’ moment where they came together, but no. After reading the authors note at the end, she mentioned these were two separate ideas she’d had, and I wished she’d kept that as a separate book because it didn’t land for me.⁠
The good news (and my advice) is that as you’re reading you can treat those letters as totally separate from the story, and just enjoy the mystery of who killed the woman in the library, because the main story, was a great read.

What a different type of thriller! At first, I didn’t know if I would like the sub-plot within the story which consisted of letters from “Leo” but I actually loved it.
Of course, a murder in a library that brings four strangers together caught my interest immediately. Turns out, the plot involves so much more than this.
I was guessing right up until the end- a good sign of an excellent writer.