Discovering another new author is always such a treat. The Boston setting is what initially drew me in as one of my favorite cities to visit. The author did a good job of portraying the area. This is an adult mystery/suspense novel within a novel. It's not a long book, but was a slow start as I tried to understood the unique concept. The back and forth of pen pal type letters and the character writing a novel weren't immediately clear. Some reviewers say it wasn't complicated, that kind of depends on whether you've read this style or this author before. I stuck with it and have mixed feelings.
Winifred Kincaid (Freddie) Is living in Carrington Square as a writer in residence on a Scholarship. She's from Australia and frequently goes to the Boston Public Library for inspiration. On one of these occasions she has a diverse group at her table. Cain, Whit, and Marigold all have traits and characteristics which Freddie expands on for her story.
As they're sitting there they hear "The Scream". The news reports that a body is discovered, much later, a young woman, Caroline Palfrey, a journalist from an upper class Boston Brahmin family.
The strangers from the library table form an interesting alliance to find out how the woman was killed and by whom. They strike up an unlikely friendship with some romantic liaisons, dinners, jealousy, secrets, deceit, an alias, threats, and general suspense, as they investigate. The suspect list grows and kept me guessing.
There is enough misdirection and twisty turns to keep the reader wondering who killed Caroline Palfrey. I very much enjoyed this portion. I would have enjoyed more insight to the letter writer's (Hanna) identity, more character background and a clearer premise to the letter portion. There was too much unknown. I might try reading other books by this author. If it were tied together better I would've given four stars instead of three.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance digital copy of "The Woman in the Library" by Sulari Gentill, and to Poisoned Pen Press. These are my personal, honest thoughts and opinions given voluntarily.

This novel started off pretty strong in my opinion, but slowly began to lose me. Although it was written well, the overall storyline started to go south by the inclusion of the sub-storyline of email correspondence of a fan to the author who is writing the story of murder in the Boston Public Library. It took me a chapter or two to figure this layout out and I didn’t really get the point- to be honest, I thought it was a bit odd/disconnected. The murder in the library storyline got too dragged out and had a lot of unnecessary back and forth, making the end reveal a “meh”,
I have to say, this one was a disappointment and wouldn’t rush to recommend it.
Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an ARC!

"The Woman in the Library" is a story within a story. The main story focuses on a murder in the Boston Public Library. Winifred (Freddie) Kincaid is in Boston on a fellowship writing a novel. In the reading room of the Boston Public Library, she is observing other patrons for inspiration, and focuses on a young woman (Marigold Anastas -- Freud Girl, a psychology student) and two young men (Cain McLeod -- Handsome Man, published author working on his next book -- and Whit Metters -- Heroic Chin, journalist and law student). The silence is broken by a woman's scream. The four of them go to the Map Room Tea Lounge for a drink and strike up a friendship. Later in the day, a woman will be found dead in the library. As the story progresses, there is considerable focus on Cain, who has a very significant secret in his past, and whose newfound friendship with the others places them in danger or potential danger. It also appears that the presence of at least three of the four individuals in the reading room at the same time may not have been a coincidence, although who would want to bring them together and why remains a mystery. There will be numerous twists and turns before the mystery of the woman in the library, and how she is connected to our four protagonists, is finally revealed.

The secondary story is correspondence by a fan/beta reader and aspiring author named Leo to author Hannah Tigone, who is writing the story of Winnie and her new friends, and the mysterious murder. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hannah, who is Australian, is stuck in Australia. However, Leo lives in Boston, and he provides feedback on the draft chapters, providing Hannah with information about the city, advice on what Americans would say or do compared to what Australians would say or do, and suggestions on changes and "improvements." As time passes and Leo reads more draft chapters, his advice and assistance becomes creepy and disturbing.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

I received an ARC of this book. This is fascinating mystery story. With a well-written plot, and complex characters, it grabbed my attention and kept me reading. The best part for me is the unique way the author has chosen to tell this story. I highly recommend this unique book.

This book reminded me a lot of the movie Inception, and I do love some meta writing, However halfway through I found myself not getting into the book, Maybe its a situation where its not you its me. I will try to pick this up again, unfortunately right now this book wasn't for me .

Shortly after I started this book, I realized it was not for me. The cover intrigued me but I only got to 20% before throwing in the towel. I did not connect with any of the characters at all. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The premise was great but the execution wasn’t. I overall was not interested in the characters or the mystery. I also did not enjoy the story within a story. Overall it was somewhat entertaining but missing that something extra. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Woman in the LIbrary
by Sulari Gentill
Pub Date: June 7, 2022
Sourcebooks
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I was drawn to request this book because I love mysteries and I am a librarian so anything library-related seems to get my attention. Suli was formerly a corporate attorney and felt there was something else drawing her in. Sulari became the author of the Rowland Sinclair Mysteries: thus far, ten historical crime novels chronicling the life and adventures of her 1930s Australian gentleman artist, the Hero Trilogy, based on the myths and epics of the ancient world, and the Ned Kelly Award-winning Crossing the Lines. This is the first book by this author for me and you can make sure I will be checking out her other work.
This book is written in a unique, unconventional, twisty, intelligent style. This book is a great murder mystery, well-plotted, greatly executed, and is getting 4 exciting stars from me. I recommend.
4 stars

As she did to excellent effect in After She Wrote Him, the author once again simultaneously tells a story and a parallel story about writing. This nesting doll of a novel by an Australian woman crime writer (Sulari) features an Australian woman crime writer (Hannah) whose work-in-progress stars an Australian woman crime writer (Winifred) visiting Boston on a fellowship to write a novel. For all we know, it could continue for even more nested crime-writer levels like some terrifying Aussie turducken.

It's delightful to be introduced early on to characters with charm and wit—initially developed as products of Winifred's creative musings about three people sitting near her in the Boston Public Library. (Her process reminded me of Paul Simon’s lyric "playing games with the faces--she said the man in the gabardine suit was a spy”). When an unexpected scream breaks the silence and creates a bonding moment, Winifred discovers that the neighbors she had amusingly nicknamed Heroic Chin, Handsome Man, and Freud Girl are clever and friendly people. She gets to know them and enjoys spending time with her new gang while working on her novel. Meanwhile, as Hannah’s story about Winifred’s novel-writing unfolds, Hannah herself receives writing feedback from American aspiring novelist Leo, who offers advice on the manuscript, American English usage, and fact-checking tidbits about Boston.

The author clearly had fun with character names, some evocative of familiar stories. When we first meet these people, especially before we know exactly what kind of story this will be, it’s hard not to imagine possible crime-novel scenarios suggested by these names (Could Cain be involved in a murder? Is Boo going to be falsely accused? Will we find out that our heroine goes by “Han" Tigone and has a brother “Paulie" whose dead body the authorities won’t release for burial?).

Both levels of the novel are engaging, even when initial charm turns out to hide dark secrets, various forms of social ineptitude, and increasing creepiness. The dialogue feels real, the Boston sights are featured just enough, and the twisty suspense is compelling. The ending is satisfying on multiple fronts, nicely wrapping up multiple storylines.

Thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for a digital advance review copy.

Hannah Tigone is writing a book. Leo, through letters, is helping her. The only prose we get from Tigone is what she's written of a draft of a mystery book through the lens of Freddie.

While it sounds overly complicated, it's not. It's actually a fun, interesting read. I can see some people not liking the story within a story within a story.. but I found myself involved in the mystery and fascinated by the writing process. I was still able to get lost in the story within the story within the story AND the story within the story.

While Tigone's characters (NOT Gentill's) are not the most subtle, I still enjoyed Freddie's perspective.. and I wanted to know about the dead woman in the library!

Sulari Gentill takes you on a wild ride in The Woman In The Library.
She opens the story with an email to Hannah from Leo, about her newest novel. Then you jump into chapter 1 of Hannah's newest novel, which is set in Boston and starts at the Boston Public Library. You are introduced to Whit, Marigold and Cain thru the eyes of our Storyteller Winifred (Freddie) in the Reading Room of the BPL, when they here a scream. Which leads to them finding out someone had been murdered. Freddie is an author herself and is working on her novel.
The story follows these 4 young adults as they get to know one another and try to figure out who killed Caroline. In between chapters of Hannah's novel you get emails from Leo. He is reading her novel chapter by chapter and offering his insight.
Gentill had me guessing all the way up until the end. I was on the edge of my set from 50% till the very end. This gets five stars from me.

This thrilling read had an unexpectedly twisty literary adventure that examines the complicated nature of friendship and shows us that words can be the most treacherous weapons of all. 5 enthusiastic stars, a total delight.

So... a murder in a library already had me sold by page one, but the way the story is written (different from everything i have seen), adding to the atmosphere that was creates and the twists were what got me fascinated by this book. Usually I give some feedback about the carachters and the storyline but I would genuinely recommend you going blind for this one, trust me, it's worth the read.

I am brand new to this author but oh oh boy was I impressed. The writing style is brilliant and draws you in instantly. The intrigue and suspense throughout the story keeps you guessing with so many plot twists you might get whiplash figuring out this whodunit. This was a hit.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc

“The mystery writers, the historical novelists, the political thriller writers, the science fiction writers… everybody but the people who write instruction manuals, is writing romance. We dress our stories up with murders, and discussions about morality and society, but really we just care about relationships.”
--------------------

Welcome to The Woman In The Library: A story about an author writing a book about an author writing a book. It is infused with murder and suspense at every level, where you will doubt each character over and over again in a loop until the last reveal. Everyone is suspicious (in both senses that they are questionable, and that they are distrustful of each other.)

Although the ending felt a bit rushed and the plot-twist not all-too shocking, it was the ride up until that point that was really the pleasure of this book. I loved that I was forced to change my mind about the culprit at the end of each chapter, while watching the tensions and the creepy-factor rise bit by bit.
A very enjoyable mystery/thriller for sure, particularly with the double-layered narration.

I was in a little slump when I started this book and thankfully this book helped get me out of it. The approach the author takes to writing the story is unique and kept me guessing throughout. The characters that were pulled together in the story all have their own issues and leave you reason to suspect each of them as being guilty of the murder. Plus the subplot - genius addition to the story!

Thanks to NetGalley for the read!

A thriller/mystery set inside a library? A dead body inside a library? Sign me up!

Winifred known as Freddie is an aspiring novelist trying to write her novel inside Boston Public Library. While in the library, she meets Cain, Marigold and Whit, three fellow novelists and while they were getting to know each other, they heard a woman screaming. Few minutes later, they find out that a woman was murdered and the woman's name is Caroline. The police suspect Cain as the murderer as he had a prison record and that Caroline's father was the judge at his hearing. Freddie who is in love with Cain is the only one who believes in innocence while the rest of them thinks Cain is capable of murder.

To my huge utter suprise--I actually enjoyed reading this book and this book is actually quite unputdownable! From start to finish, I actually was literally hooked into the story. The writing was spot on, with those twist and thrills that you wouldn't even expect. And as the story progresses, you actually wonder--is Cain the real murderer or is someone framing him? Or is Freddie that naive? Really love the thrill concept of this novel!

I do like the setting and the plot of the story. I also like the fact that Freddie is an Australian and is getting used to the American accent--something which I can also relate with Freddie during my own stay in the United States (I had a British accent when I spoke in English that time). I really also think this was a unique sort of story which I actually enjoyed very much and I like how one meeting could really bring the people together, creating lifelong friend (or enemy)

I also wonder--maybe it's just me the letters addressed to Hannah written by Leo at the end of each chapter--truly I am slightly confused but then towards the middle I kind of beginning to start those letters. Overall, I enjoyed this book so much that I couldn't even put the book down!

If you like a book based inside a library with a thriller setting, this book is one for you--worth four stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

The Woman in the Library was two stories in one. It was hard to figure out which is the story. In spite of this I was determined to read it and find out what was happening.. I was confused about Leo who wrote letters to Freddie who seemed to be the main character in this story. The story had so many twists and turns to the plot. The story starts with 4 people who meet in the Boston Library hear a scream. The story takes off from there to the exciting end. The surprise is the ending with the appearance of Leo,

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC.

The way this book was written, with the other letters at the end of each chapter was so unique. I love love loved that format. While initially I was like: blah blah blah, how long are we going to do this - it absolutely TOOK MY BREATH AWAY when the plot twist in this storyline happened and then I was fully invested.
Now, the main storyline: I reflect on this read and wonder whether that storyline was kind of meh - because what kept me flipping was this other storyline. I felt like there was so much eating and drinking and just general hanging around that I'm not sure much happened until it all came together.
Now, the ending: I found this pretty weak and the motives pretty meh. I don't like that all of a sudden there was this HUGE villain of a character that you'd never seen before - it kind of came out of nowhere.
I do give this 4 stars because the format was something. And despite there being pandemic references, it is not so in-your-face that for those triggered it will upset the masses.

Thanks to Netgalley for giving this ARC

The Woman in the library revolves around strangers meeting. they sit on the same table being total strangers.

It is a very simple and medium pace story, more like a who-dun-it type a way.


Very simple I fear i extend my review I will definitely give spoilers and that is not allowed! If you need something

light and simple you can definitely pickup this book.