This book was not for me. I just could not relate to the characters, they were just unlikable. I had a hard time getting into it.

I had read and enjoyed the author’s previous book, so I was happy when I got the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. Although it is a clever mystery, I don’t think I am the target audience. I couldn’t relate to any of the characters or their behavior. I found it hard to believe that a group of very smart academics would have wanted to participate in the planned events for the night at the library, as well as how they behaved at the event. I also didn’t appreciate the blood and gore. It was quite a contrast from The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections.

I think some readers will really enjoy this book, however it just wasn’t for me. I had a hard time getting into the story and feeling invested in the characters. I did think the writing was well done and appreciated the short chapter length.

A modern whodunit set to a dark academia backdrop, The Night in the Library tells the story of seven university students who have been picked by an event organiser to try out an ancient ritual. As hedonism ignites, a death toll begins to skyrocket, leaving the remaining members of the group scrambling to keep their wits--and their heads--about them. While it's not necessarily anything new, The Night in the Library is a fun ride, until the very end.

I love reading locked room mysteries so this book was right up my street, the build up of suspense and tension kept it exciting for me.

3.5 stars

Eva Jurczyk’s That Night in the Library is a chilling literary mystery set in a university’s rare books library. Seven students perform an ancient Greek ritual, but when the lights go out, one of them dies. Trapped with a murderer, they rely on books for protection. While the premise is captivating, the execution occasionally falters. Multiple narrators add suspense, but some character development lacks depth. If you enjoy atmospheric mysteries, give this book a read.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a wonderful and enjoyable read!!!! I loved this book and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys this genre. Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The premise is intriguing, the execution was a little disappointing. Seven young people are planning a night in the basement of William E Woodend Rare Books Library, the night before their graduation from a prestigious Vermont University. Davey, who works as a student assistant in the library whilst studying for his PhD is hoping to get a permanent position at the library. He has planned a ritual based on the Greek myth of Demeter and Persephone.
The young people are a mixed group of four young women and three young men. The ritual promises chanting, spirituality and drugs. The basement’s concrete, conveniently for the plot, blocked out all cellphone reception. The group were effectively locked in the basement together with no possible contact with the outside world until the library was opened up in the morning.
The pacing is uneven, the first quarter of the book introduces us to the various participants, the POV flits between them, some of the group take acid in place of the kykeon the ancient Greeks would have taken, but nothing much happens until one of the participants starts coughing up blood and the lights go out. This is a locked room whodunnit mystery with a few twists. Staging the book in Vermont with a group of pretentious students, gives the book that Secret History vibe but with more blood, it is fascinating which rare books prove the best at mopping up the copious amounts of blood spilled. The suspense and the paranoia build as the night wears on, the characters’ views are unreliable as most are under the influence of LSD.
The characters are well fleshed out but I wasn’t particularly invested in any one of them, and wasn’t bothered who died and who survived.
Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for this ARC! The views expressed are my own and I leave them voluntarily. That Night in the Library by Eva Jurczyk comes out on June 11, 2024.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this one about 1/4 of the way through. When I read the synopsis, I was instantly intrigued and excited for this read, but it ended up being a bit too odd for me, with pretentious and unlikeable characters. I find it difficult to get into a book when I can’t connect with any of the characters (especially in stories like this one where there are so many characters, at least one should feel more relatable/likeable).

I liked the short nature of the chapters, making it a potentially quick read, but lost interest.

Thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, & Eva Jurczyk for the free e-ARC in exchange for this honest review.

Delicious…
Seven students, a rare book library and a ritual. Seriously, what could possibly go wrong? Well, the lights go out for starters. When one of them drops down dead, and then the body count begins to rise, it becomes clear that they are trapped inside with a killer. Who will survive the night … and how? Heaving with Gothic atmospherics, a deftly drawn and credible cast and an undercurrent of menace this is a deliciously foreboding and transporting literary mystery with a wholly beguiling setting.

A group of students decide to hide in a rare book library for a ritual party. From the beginning, things don’t turn out the way they plan. When a member of the group dies, panic sets in and they find themselves turning against each other and not knowing who to trust. It was a fast read, and i liked hearing the story from the different narrators. But I had a hard time getting invested in the outcome.

I received an early copy through Netgalley, but all opinions are my own.

From the moment I cracked open "That Night in The Library," I was hooked. I finished within a day because I simply could not put the book down. This enthralling mystery kept me guessing until the very last page, weaving a web of intrigue that had me eagerly turning each page in search of answers. What sets this book apart is its masterful incorporation of Greek mythology, particularly the timeless tale of Persephone. The author seamlessly intertwines these mythic elements into the narrative, adding depth and resonance to the story's twists and turns.

The author's skillful storytelling keeps the reader on their toes, never quite sure who to trust or what to believe. With each revelation and twist, the true identity of the villain remains tantalizingly elusive, keeping readers guessing until the final reveal. It's a testament to the author's talent that they are able to maintain such a high level of suspense and tension throughout the narrative, keeping readers eagerly on the edge of their seats until the very last page.

In conclusion, "That Night in The Library" is a gripping tale of mystery and myth, expertly crafted to keep readers enthralled from beginning to end. With its clever references to Greek mythology, compelling characters, and relentless sense of suspense, it is a book that will linger in the mind long after the final chapter has been read.

I love a good whodunit book. Seven students who work at a prestigious library spend the night in there. Who survives?
It was a slow start, but about the middle of the book it starts picking up and turns into a quick read. There are quite a bit of twists and turns to make you think. Overall, good book!
I received this book from NetGalley.

This one kept me guessing until the very end.

A group of friends, strangers, and frenemies gather in the basement of their university’s library on the night before graduation. Among the rare books collection, they begin an ancient Greek ritual, but events quickly spiral into chaos when one of them drops dead. To top it off… they’re locked in the dark basement until morning comes, fighting to survive the night.

It was hard to get into this story. It starts off slowly, and the majority of the characters aren’t well developed. I also wish the ritual had been described better, as it was sort of glazed over. However, these faults lent themselves to an even more mysterious tone. I was truly terrified at points, and I didn’t figure it out until the very end.

Read if you’re looking for:
🎓dark academia
🔒locked-room mystery
🔪murder
📓unreliable narrators
👓multiple perspectives

3.75/5 ⭐️

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press (I love you.) & NetGalley for the arc. As always, opinions expressed here are entirely honest and my own.

This mystery was very compelling to me and I greatly enjoyed the storytelling aspect. I’m a big fan of this author and I’m glad that I could read another one of her delicious mysteries. I had so much fun reading and I will be recommending!

On the eve of their graduation, seven students convene in the basement of their university's rare books library. Despite the prohibition on accessing the library after hours, they decide to carry out a ritual inspired by the Demeter Persephone story. Little do they know that their actions will result in the death of one of their own.

The subsequent events unfold like a riveting locked room mystery intertwined with elements of slasher horror.

However, their celebrations are cut short when the lights suddenly go out, and one of their friends is found dead. With the body count increasing and only the books as their shield, the group must find a way to outlast the night amidst a faceless killer. As the remaining students find themselves trapped with a murderer, they must employ their wits to survive the night. This night, on the threshold of embarking on their respective paths in life, seems like the perfect time to turn to the wisdom of ancient gods.

Throughout this gripping narrative, the reticent narrator Faye's internal monologue adds a remarkable touch as she chronicles the frantic and terrifying events that unfold within the confines of the library's basement cage.

Jurczyk skillfully crafts a shocking ending that leaves readers stunned, while expertly delivering spine-chilling moments laden with a sense of narcissistic malevolence and suffocating claustrophobia.

Each character is meticulously developed, allowing readers to delve into their hidden secrets and unveil them gradually, heightening the suspense. That Night in the Library emerges as a chilling literary mystery that transports readers to a world where secrets reside in darkness, books breathe life into fears, and the only escape is to await the arrival of dawn.

This novel exudes an extraordinary atmosphere and presents an intriguing concept, intertwining mystery, horror, and thriller elements.

The initial premise may not be wholly original, but the infusion of Greek mythology and related references adds a captivating layer.

Not bad but not that great either. So I gave it 3 stars. It could have been better but it just wasn't it. Thank you Netgalley.

This is a locked room thriller where seven very different characters meet in the basement of their university's rare books library in order to carry out a strange Greek ritual designed to make them free from the fear of death. None of them are particularly likeable or a good fit as friends. They are doing this on the eve of their departure from this place, but as they are about to find out, not everybody will depart as planned...

Shortly after their arrival, the lights go out, and the first person is discovered dead. A fairly violent massacre follows, with the students looking for places to hide, terrified and locked into the library until morning.

The premise here is not particularly original, but the Greek element and the related references add as a nice touch. The pacing of the story is a little off, and at times the writing feels like it could use some editing. But there are some good twists in the story telling, and the conclusion is unpredictable enough to be satisfying.

That Night in the Library by new to me author E. Juczyk, published by PPen Press, is a full length. stand alone.
A thriller that grips you and doesn't let go anmore. Twisty and full of unexpected turns the book kept me in suspense til the last page.
Blurb:
One night locked in the library. What could go wrong?

On the night before graduation, seven students gather in the basement of their university's rare books library. They're not allowed in the library after closing time, but it's the perfect place for the ritual they want to perform—one borrowed from the Greeks, said to free those who take part in it from the fear of death. And what better time to seek the wisdom of ancient gods than in the hours before they'll scatter in different directions to start their real lives?

But just a few minutes into their celebration, the lights go out—and one of them drops dead. As the body count rises, with nothing but the books to protect them, the group must figure out how to survive the night while trapped with a murderer. That Night in the Library is a chilling literary mystery that transports readers to a world where secrets live in the dark, books breathe fears to life, and the only way out is to wait until morning.

This was a little helter skelter for me. For a book under 300 pages, there were quite a few boring parts, followed by super intense parts. The pacing needs to be worked on. The good parts were very good, though. The characters were insufferable but what college students aren’t, right?