I was so excited about this book from the description. However, it just dragged and dragged for me and I unfortunately, I had to force myself to finish reading it.

I hate to say it, but I think I might be done reading Eva Jurczyk. Her debut was a three star read for me, but as always I am willing to give an author another shot and a three is not bad. Unfortunately, That Night in the Library just didn't do it for me. While I could see recommending this to the right person, I personally struggled with it and immediately disliked all of the characters. I didn’t care what was happening to them and just wanted to get to the end so I could figure out why the one died.

I did love the setting and how the group got locked in the rare books library, but the ritual part got a little weird for me. Jurczyk does know how to make her stories very bookish though and that’s one thing I love about her. The biggest reason I made it through this one was probably down to the audiobook, and I was glad we had Hannah Cabell as the narrator (she also narrates The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections). Cabell did a lovely job with her narration and while she couldn’t make me love the characters, she did help me make it through without skimming. Lots of action in this storyline, bodies dropping like flies, and tension so definitely pick it up if you think it sounds good!

Read this if you are looking for dark academia, unlikeable characters, and plenty of shock value!

Audiobook Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Such an interesting premise but the execution was tedious and all the characters needed a good slap as they acted like children, even though most of them were grad students. I skimmed most of the middle of the book and was rolling my eyes through most of that.

I tried very hard to get into this book and opened it several times but I just couldn't get into it.

The writing style dragged so much, there were too many POV switches that it was hard to keep up and they came all at once, teasing their many secrets and ominous future.

This story was an interesting story from an author I don’t know or haven’t read before! Will look at finding other things by this author. I am grateful for the early access, thank you to those that allowed it!

A murder mystery, locked room thriller!

I loved the setting and the vibes of this one! It was twisty and dark and kept my attention. I did find the characters insufferable but overall I found this one really entertaining and thought the ending brought everything together perfectly!

What a book… I would sincerely hope that humans do not act or talk like characters of this book because what a shit show. I found every single one of them so unlikable and so… hazy? Like it was really hard to understand what they were really about and what they were meant to represent. They felt like sketches rather than real characters. And the premise…. If anyone was surprised by the ending I’d be shocked. The way everything escalated was so nonsensical there was no tension whatsoever because a. I don’t care about these people and b. It was just so ridiculously contrived even I (who loves ridiculousness) couldn’t be on board. The writing was repetitive with the phrase “and maybe that’s where it would’ve ended if not bla bla, being used every time someone died, like for real please stop.
I was so excited to read this and support a polish author but sadly were really disappointed with the quality of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. All thoughts are my own.
Edit Review

This was my second Eva Jurczyk book, and sadly, like the last one, it was not for me. I really wanted to like this one, I love books set in libraries! I think there are people out there who will enjoy her writing, but I am not one of them.

I received an advanced digital copy of this novel from the author, publisher and NetGalley.com. Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

That Night in the Library is absolutely brilliant. Chilling and atmospheric, it's the perfect locked room mystery. Excellent read!!.

This book had so much promise...a locked room thriller in a rare books library, Greek myths, and an unaliver on the loose. Sounded like my kind of book. But the characters were hard to relate to, especially after the dr*gs they take for the ritual make them even more over the top. The pacing was off with long explanations then an action scene, then really slow again. I did like the ending but it seemed like it took a really long time to get there. Overall just ok for me.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Missed the download date for this one but finally got around to reading it through the library! I will read anything to do with a library add in some murder and I am immediately sold!

Wowww such a thriller! I flew through the pages. I bet this one ends up popular! Highly recommend for someone looking for a quick, intriguing read.

I enjoyed this one — I loved the plot and the suspense involved in figuring out who did it all while being locked in one place for the entirety of it.

This quick paced read goes from a drug fueled reenactment of a ritual, to a murder. The idea of being stuck in a room with whoever murdered the person is chilling on its own. This was an absolute page turner and tense read as the remainder of the group is grappled with paranoia in the process of investigating.

My first read by this author.. The synopsis sounded amazing. Overall, it was a fun read. For the most part the pacing was good and the book is well written. There were moments when it felt a little disjointed, but I could wait to the end to figure out whodunnit…

In *That Night in the Library*, Davey Kebede and a group of university students gather for a secret, drug-fueled reenactment of an ancient Greek ritual in the basement of the William E. Woodend Rare Books Library. What begins as a quirky attempt to confront their fears of death turns deadly when one of the students, Kip, is found murdered, setting off a tense and paranoid search for the killer as the group is trapped in the library overnight. This locked room mystery pits the students against one another in a desperate attempt to determine which of them is the murderer.

An intriguing premise, and casual readers will enjoy the twists and turns. Readers that prefer more complex mystery/thrillers may want to look elsewhere.

That Night in the Library is a locked room mystery. Be warned it is very dark. The minute that the seven students begin their evening locked in the basement of the library, I got Lord of the Flies vibes. This is definitely a page turner to find out not only who the killer is, but who the group is going to turn on next. No one is safe.

Three stars for me on this one - there was so much going on in the basement, it threw the rhythm off for me when we would move to a past memory to learn about the characters.

Exactly what I expected and more. Further thoughts to come when I'm able to recover. Thrilling and fascinating, an exploration of the human condition almost as much as a shock-factor.

This one sounded so good for me. But the more I kept reading it just didnt trip my fancy. It just didnt engage me the way I thought this story line would.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Team for this Advanced Digital Readers Copy, I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

This book had all the elements of a thrilling mystery, but unfortunately, it fell short for me. The premise promised intrigue and suspense set in the fascinating world of libraries, which as a library lover, I found enticing. However, the story’s pace was surprisingly slow, and the characters felt underdeveloped. I struggled to connect with the protagonist, whose motivations seemed unclear at times, and some plot twists felt predictable rather than suspenseful.

While there were a few compelling moments that gave a glimpse of the book's potential, they were too few and far between. Readers looking for a rich, suspenseful library mystery might find this story lacking in depth. It’s a quick read, but ultimately, it didn’t quite leave the impression I was hoping for.