DNF. Maybe this was too meta for me, but I wasn't feeling the writing style or the change from story to reading an author's attempt at a novel.

I really liked the story framework of this book. There's an Australian author Hannah, who is writing a book about four strangers who meet one day in the Boston Public Library. They hear a woman screaming and this mystery sparks a bond of friendship between them. Hannah sends each chapter, as she completes it, to one of her beta readers, a guy called Leo, who stays in Boston and who does most of the legwork and other research for Hannah. At the end of every chapter Leo then sends his feedback to Hannah via email. The interesting part is out of the four strangers, two are authors themselves. So you see, its kind of a story within a story within a story. Makes your head spin a little thinking about it.

But the plot is not very complex to be honest and once you get the hang of this plot within a plot device you'd find it to be pretty quick read. I liked the concept of four strangers meeting and forming an unlikely friendship, unlikely because they come from different backgrounds. Though Cain and Freddie are both authors, the genres they write in are vastly different. Marigold is something of a genius and a psychology student while Whit, comes from an affluent family of lawyers but he himself is adamant to fail in law school which is his way of opposing his parents' decision.

Despite the interesting premise the story is slow moving and few chapters are really just the four people meeting and having lunch/dinner at various joints around Boston. Being an introvert, I felt Marigold was pushy and clearly doesn't understand boundaries, maybe that's the reason why Leo was cheering for her. Though Leo's analysis at the end of chapters, after some pages, gives you a clue to where that relationship of an author-reader is heading, I still didn't feel that it added much to the main story. The author interview in the end explains how Sulari came up with this brainwave , but it would've made things more exciting to get Hannah's perspective also, especially towards the end.

I really like literary mysteries like Magpie Murders, which utilize a plot within a plot trick so I had some high hopes for this book. It wasn't disappointing but not quite as good as I thought it would be.

The Woman in the Library

The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill is an academia-adjacent thriller that examines the writing process in a very entertaining way. Winifred “Freddie” Kincaid, an Australian author like Ms. Gentill, uses an unexpected occurrence in the Boston Public Library as inspiration for her own manuscript. But it seems that she herself is a character in a book written by another Australian author, Hannah Tigone.

Hannah’s novel features Freddie, a novelist who is writing the story of a murder and the group of apparently unconnected strangers who become friends in its aftermath. Both of them are receiving advice from one Leo Johnson, another author, whose behavior becomes increasingly creepy. More characters are attacked, some peripheral ones die, and the labyrinthine developments make it harder and harder to separate reality from fiction.

This carefully constructed tale is an interesting take on the “unreliable narrator” trope and an interesting exercise in metafiction. The nesting doll plot certainly makes this book stand out in the crowded thriller field, its novel-within-a-novel conceit offering a new perspective on familiar themes in a way that is challenging, but not overwhelmingly so.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free advance copy of this entertaining book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for allowing me to read this ARC.

What a fun ride with Freddie, our author who becomes enveloped in a murder mystery while trying to find inspiration for her next book while sitting in the Boston Public Library! When she and the three strangers closest to her hear a woman scream, later to find out she was murdered, unusual friendships form between the individuals. Will some lead to romance? Is the murderer among them? Are they all connected to each other in a way as yet unknown?

I enjoyed that each character, though described physically only briefly, had a well developed personality and behavior pattern. The book made me think about my assumptions as to the physical traits of the characters when it directly pointed this out in the subplot story with Freddie’s pen pal Leo. There was just enough potential motive revealed per character for any one or none of the main foursome to have been the killer, which kept me guessing. I also loved the introduction of quite a few minor characters like Mrs. Weinbaum to add some humor to it all. The fact that the protagonist was Australian and in that subplot, receiving writing tips from an American in Boston as she shares her new novel with him, started out fun and turned creepy. It was unusual and creative to see how Freddie weaved that pen pal content into her novel, in good ways and bad.

I did have a sense of suspended disbelief when our heroine managed to elude the police on multiple occasions as did others. With as much video capture as there now is via mobile, street cams, door cams, and security it seemed a bit far fetched that regular people could just escape surveillance without trying too hard, but this is fiction and just as I didn’t care whether people were wearing masks or not to be true to contemporary life, I decided to let this piece of reality go as well. This was a good mystery all things considered and I finished the book satisfied that there weren’t any loose ends.

(4.5 stars)

a murder mystery that all begins in a library? IM IN

this novel is actually a story within a story, which was super interesting! 4 people, each with a different story, find themselves in the Boston Public Library when a woman screams and then turns up dead. they bond over the experience and become friends, but one of them is a murderer. EXCEPT that entire plot is actually a manuscript for Hannah’s latest book (this is where the second story comes in). every chapter that you read is part of Hannah’s manuscript and at the end of each chapter, a mysterious man named Leo critiques what she has written and offers up suggestions to make the book seem more realistically American.

there are MAJOR PLOT TWISTS in both stories, but i was left a little unsatisfied with the ending of Hannah and Leo’s story. i wish there was more at the very end detailing what happened in each of their lives. however, i thoroughly enjoyed the primary murder mystery and trying to figure out which member of the foursome was guilty. i could not figure it out and was absolutely shocked when it was revealed.

What a brilliantly clever book. I thought it was well written and although in parts did slow down I felt it somehow suited the story. The threads were great and I just loved it!

First I want to say thank you for the ebook ARC through netgalley!
Okay this book was a wild ride. Two different stories are told at the same time, one being a novel and the other being correspondence to the author or the novel. I don't think I've read any other books with quite the same structure and I totally loved it. It was such a fun murder mystery that had me constantly changing who my main suspect was.

4.5

This took me a minute to get into, but once I did I was hooked! This story was smart and twisty and I had a great time reading it.

There is a sort of meta element to this as there is a dual plot. One where an Australian writer is on fellowship in Boston and while she is trying to get over writer's block at the Boston Public Library she hears a scream that puts the room on lockdown. She makes friends with 3 people sitting at her table and later they find that a woman was murdered and for reasons are trying to figure out whodunnit. Meanwhile there is a secondary thread that has the aforementioned plot as the plot of a book that an Australian writer in Australia is writing and she is receiving advice/critiques from a friend in Boston that get progressively creepier.

I really liked the commentary pieces. I thought they added an extra layer of "what on earth is happening here" and liked how the author used those to get around the issue many contemporary authors are facing with setting their books in the times of Covid-19. I also liked how she used those bits to discuss how race matters to the plot. I also think the book brought up some interesting things related to incarceration and how formerly incarcerated people are treated.

I did have some issues with the pacing and there were some parts that I felt could have been a little more polished; however, I really enjoyed the book overall.

This is a high 4-star book that will release June 7. The Woman in the Library is a layered book-within-a-book with a twisty plot. I actually hit a part about half way through, when I actually said "Whoa." It was that surprising.

The main focus of the book centers on Freddie, an Australian living in Boston on a fellowship while she writes a novel. At the Boston Public Library, she meets Cane, Marigold and Witt and they are united when they hear a woman scream. The foursome forge a strong friendship after a woman's body is found in the library. But one of the friends is not what he or she seems and the others might be in danger.

That alone would make a great book, but is actually the plot written by Hannah, an Australian mystery writer. We are introduced to her through a series of emails sent by Leo, an American who we assume is her research assistant since she is sending him advance chapters of the book. Leo's emails also cover the wildfires in Australia and the lockdown caused by Covid. That added a fascinating touch to a memorable book.

I highly recommend this one.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

Twisted, chilling murder mystery with an enjoyable plot twist! A story within a story, a format which I never came across and it was refreshing to read it for the first time with this one. The beginning is a bit confusing as there is no info dump or any telling why there is suddenly a letter at the end of each chapter, but as the story continues I quickly picked up what's happening. It was very interesting regarding the fast-paced and the confusion in between deciding which character is the culprit of Caroline's murder.

The characters are well-written as each has their own favorable points as well as their background stories which makes them more grounded to reality and relatable. The plot is a bit slow at first but quickly develops as the mystery twined between the four newly-friends.

I must say I was shocked to finally discovered the hidden meaning behind the letter written on each end of the chapters, it gave me goosebumps knowing the truth behind it.

A cleverly written mystery with a dark twist!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for letting me read an ARC of The Woman in the Library!

This story begins at the Boston Public Library where four strangers end up at the same table after a loud scream occurs. The four individuals would not have had contact with one another if this murder in the library had not occurred.

Each person begins to share information about themselves and soon we find out that one of these individuals committed the crime.

This book has a book within a book type format. It took me a few chapters to get used to this and adjust to what I was reading.

This story has a great cover and story line. You had me at books and murder!

A whodunit & a story within a story.

I had a hard time initially with the switching back & forth between Hannah’s (fictional author) book & the feedback to her from a “committed” fan. I felt it interrupted the story flow at first, but I ended up liking it when that aspect of the plot became complicated. I did not like that two characters had the same name- I kept waiting to understand why & either missed it or it didn’t happen. I enjoyed the plot overall. Character development started off strong and fizzled out later for me.

I would encourage readers to read the author’s note at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read this early copy for an honest review.

Tough read. I'm still trying to figure it all out
I guess its a story within a story. For me it was hard to follow.
Was able to get through it but can't recommend this book

This is the first book by this author that I have read.. I found the novel to be an enjoyable, twisty and entertaining read. The book within a book storyline is one of my favorite formats, as it requires my full attention. Also, this format (book within a book) kept me guessing and engaged until the very last page. Highly recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

I really liked this book. The beginning was a little confusing because I was trying to distinguish between three story lines. However, I really loved the ending and the character development. I couldn’t put this one down at times!

Wow, what can I say! I really enjoyed this book and even the sub story........

Winnifred (Freddie) is visiting Boston on a Marriott Scholarship from her homeland in Australia and spends most of her days trying to write her mystery novel in the Boston Public Library.

Whilst sitting there, Freddie takes note of three people sharing her table, Freud Girl, Handsome Man, and Heroic Chin, as she decides how best to write them into her book, a huge scream rings through the air. Security asks everyone to stay in their seat while they investigate. The group started chatting and eventually when cleared by security, they head for coffee, the first of many with a killer.

In between chapters, we have an email exchange between the author Hannah and Leo, who is a super-fan, and who insists on reading each chapter as soon as it's written.

Brilliant and highly recommended

An Australian mystery writer, who can’t travel because of the pandemic sends chapters of her latest WIP to a fan in Boston. At first, Leo is oh so helpful, providing location details and insights into words that aren’t used in Boston. But as the book progresses he reveals some rather disturbing information and he seems taken aback when Hannah(the author) isn’t more grateful for his suggestions.
The 'book' is about four people, Freddie, Whit, Marigold, and Cain who meet under rather unusual circumstances. They are all in the Boston Public Library and would most likely have never spoken if they didn't hear a woman's bloodcurdling scream. They become fast friends, but one of them has a background that will make the others question whether or not he can be trusted. Before you can say, isn't it nice to make new friends, the body count is on the rise, and their chance encounter might have been anything but chance.
Each chapter is one from her book and they all end with Leo’s ideas. So you have the mystery that the author is writing and also are trying to figure out what’s up with Leo. There were times when I forgot which characters were fictional from the book and which were “real” My first book by this author and I enjoyed it.

The reading room at the Boston Public Library is where people go for quiet and to get things done in peace.

That peace is shattered for all patrons when a blood-curdling scream echoes through the building. The next day the body of a young woman is found in one of the conference rooms.

Four strangers who were witnesses to the scream - Winifred (Freddie), Cain, Marigold, and Whit - form a fast friendship and band together to try to solve the mystery of what happened, except the murderer might be one of them.

The Woman in the Library is kind of this twisting story within a story within a story scenario. At the end cap of each chapter, we see struggling author Leo corresponding with renowned author Hannah as Hannah sends along the latest chapters of her work in progress about four strangers meeting in a library and becoming embroiled in a murder mystery.

Similarly, Freddie and Cain are both writers currently in varying phases of writing their own stories, drawing inspiration from the mystery happening around them.

Honestly, I love this whole idea and the rabbit hole it drags the reader into, but I have to say that I don't know if the execution was entirely on point. I think the "real world" portion involving Hannah's correspondence missed the mark in truly pulling me into Hannah's story. There was just this lack of depth that I felt these sections instead of adding more to the overall story, ended up pulling a bit away from Hannah's work of fiction within the story. There is a breath-catching moment close to the middle of the book where things kind of take a turn and I was super excited about this turn, but I don't think the book took things to where they needed to go. I think things could have been better if the focus was kept more in one section or another, either "book world" or "real world".

I did like the juxtaposition of events happening in the "real world" as Sulari Gentill does reference and brings the pandemic into focus, whereas the "book world" seemingly happens outside of this or within a world in which the pandemic is not happening. To see the two sides is interesting as well as the idea of whether or not authors have a responsibility to accurately represent world events within the pages of fiction.

I enjoyed the various twists and turns that we get throughout the "book world". I think that Sulari Gentill builds up that anxiety of questioning our judgment in how well we truly know those around us but shows us the strength it often takes to believe in your convictions even when information tends to point in another direction.

This is the first book by Gentill's that I've read, but I'm very interested to see what other things the author has to offer. I love the idea of the story not following a familiar path in terms of how a mystery is supposed to play out.

3.5 stars for this one!! at first i was lost with the letters from Leo and i took me a while to really grasp is this a real story about people or one "Hannah" was writing. But it was one about Hannah was writing and she was sending the Chapters for Leo to read and through his letters back we get a creepy sense. The way he goes and finds crime scene to take pictures of for Hannah's work, and i can't stand how he is always correcting her Australian terms and as the novel goes on his letters seem more angry and personal and getting very upset with how hannah is taking the story. Than we have the characters in Hannah story, Freddie the main character was my favourite and how she never gave up on Cain even though all this evidence was coming up against him. Marigold was kind of annoying and i felt her to be pushy and annoying and stalkerish. Whit was kinda not really memorable either way, he didn't stand out to me but i think that was on purpose and it worked with the story line. Cain was definitely mysterious and had you guessing throughout the whole book. The twist in the end got me, really this whole book got me i thought i was reading a story about a murder in the library and these 4 people would be stuck together in till its solved type of story line but it took a different turn and was really good! the only thing i didn't like was how it ended! i felt like it ended it quick, and left alot of questions unanswered and i guess i just wanted to know more about both story lines!

This is a story within a story. A mysterious scream by strangers are heard which pulls this group together. Strange things start happening and they are trying to figure out if one of them is a murderer.