If you like Gothics full of menace, family secrets, and brave women confronting the past, The Dark Library delivers. Set in a small New York college town just after the U.S. entered WWII, this story follows Estella Ecker as she reluctantly returns to Rockfall House only to find herself haunted by both her family’s history and the mysterious disappearance of her mother.

The atmosphere here is wonderfully tense! From the whispers in town and the looming shadow of Estella’s domineering father, to the forbidden rare-book library that seems to hold all the answers.

Evans writes with a slow-burn suspense that captures the true Gothic style. I loved the way Evans wove together questions of identity, legacy, and the courage it takes to face long-buried truths.

Overall, this is a suspenseful, unsettling, tale perfect for readers who love dark family mysteries, atmospheric settings, and heroines who dare to dig into secrets everyone says are best left hidden!

The Dark Library blends together a love of the literary with a mystery, all set in the not distant enough past when women were meant to marry and not have a career.

Estella leaves a job she enjoyed in the city to return home upon the death of her father. Along with his unexpected death, her mother has now disappeared. When not working at the college (and being underpaid for what she does), she is searching for clues as to what happened to her mother. The disappearance occurred shortly before her father's death and he was the only person who might have known where her mother went.

Some of the town's people are a bit creepy, and the more Estella digs to discover secrets, the more questions she has.

While not a fast-paced story, the novel was entertaining.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an electronic advance reader copy to review. All opinions are my own.

I wish I had given feedback for this immediately because this was a DNF for me. I read the first chapter and the writing was not enjoyable to me. I also didn’t realize the setting was in the past, which I misread, it it was just a confusing tone overall for me.

A feast for fans of english literature, the etiquette of high society, and a slow burn historical fiction mystery.

The Dark Library started off strong, yet a little all over the place. I was not quite sure where this story would be headed in the beginning, as there were so many aspects brushed upon in the first chapters. But eventually, the narrative and tone of the setting took on shape, and I found myself drawn into the story.

The FMC is a likeable and smart young woman, dealing with the hinderances of a male-dominated society in the 1940s. The story is a slow-burn mystery, adorned with elements of english literature, loving details of fashion, and an insight into the decorum and rules of 1940s american high society.

The build-up for the final reveal was entertaining, yet the reveal itself felt a little anticlimatic. All conflicts unravelled without much thrill and most were told only in past tense in the final chapters. Regardless, The Dark Library turned out to be a very engaging and, in part, educational story about an ordinary american town and the dark secrets that hide just beneath its surface.

Started off incredibly strong and then went south so fast. Not sure I’ve ever read a book that took a nosedive like that after such a great start… not for me

This book had potential, but as a historical fiction set during World War II, it didn't quite capture my interest. The writing was competent, and the plot had moments that drew me in, but the historical setting, while potentially rich, didn't resonate with my personal reading preferences.

I listened to the audio of this one and I really enjoyed it! I definitely don’t think I could have read it, it’s a slow burn mystery but the narration was excellent. I thought the pacing and tone of the narrator was really great! I think audio is my go-to for historical fiction types of books! The main character was really smart and likable! I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a mysterious HF story!!!!

I am a huge fan of the Faye Longchamp series so I was excited to see another book by Evans. Unfortunately, this one did not work for me. I am not a fan of slow burns and, while this one is trying to set the stage with the doom and gloom of the war, the pace is glacial and, in the end, becomes tedious. While the subject itself was interesting, it was bogged down with overly descriptive text. This just wasn’t for me.

The Dark Library by Mary Anna Evans
Published on 24 Jun 2025, thanks for providing the ARC @netgalley x @poisonedpenpress

Genres - Historical Fiction / Mystery & Thrillers

This is a slow burn mystery novel that lets you embrace the loneliness of life, slowly aching reality will engulf you, it depicted hollowness inside pride and soul shattering family secrets are part of life struggle that we have to endure, embark on a journey where each of the family members will become unknown strangers with each closing chapters. At first I thought it was about the library and books but as the story followed, it uncovered twisted history of a mansion with library and family secrets lurking inside the dark corners of bookshelves.

Estella Ecker has returned to Rockfall House, the last place on earth she wants to be. Years after she ran away from her overbearing father, she has been forced back home to walk in his footsteps, teaching at the college he dominated and living in the fabulous home where he entertained artists and scholars for decades—and perhaps she owns it now, because her mercurial mother has disappeared. At the center of everything—the whispers, the rumors, the secrets—is her father's library of rare books, which she had been forbidden to touch while he was alive to stop her.

Everyone in town is watching Estella, with her dead father's name on their lips, and no one seems to care about her missing mother. Who were her parents, really, and is the answer hidden somewhere in the depths of Rockfall House.

Suspenseful? Yes but very slow. This book emphasizes mostly the WWII war affected financial crisis in life, the condition of crestfallen high society people, how a girl turned woman by facing troubled and parentless life. I liked how author breaks Estella's psychological aspects, amazingly vivid and heart touching.

It's a compelling tale of family secrets and war based historical novel. Recommended to all booklovers.

Rating - 4/5🌟

I loved the mystery and suspense! The whole journey E went through to find her mother then finding out what her father was doing then facing the enemy disguised as a professor kept my attention the entire time and had me at the edge of my seat! The plot twists were so good and I wasn't expecting them. E's relationship with Devan and the feeling of a secret there played well with the storyline. It definitely had me questioning his motives but I was relieved when it was revealed that he was one of the good guys and helped E and her friends and family in the end. I loved this book and look forward to reading it again!

I've read other novels by this author and enjoyed them. This one, set in the near WWII period felt a little different. It seemed a bit more Gothic in nature to me but that is not a bad thing. The story is suspenseful as readers want to know what has happened to Estelle's mother, why her father has/had so much sway and what is going/has gone on in that library.

In these pages readers will find an interesting story, espionage, mysterious deaths and even some romance.

Those who enjoy this genre will want to give this title a look. The pages definitely turn.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this title. All thoughts are my own.

This book was not what I expected it to be. I thought that Estella (call her E, please) was going to get word that her father had passed and would then move back home, taking over teaching at the local college. But that's not where we start. We start eight months after he passes, and E is having financial issues along with issues at the college. The first major event is the suicide of the Dean who took over for E's father.

Between her financial issues, and the issue of just being a female, she is also trying to find her mother. The police say she jumped or fell to her death from the cliffs and will probably wash up eventually. And now she has two suitors vying for her attention.

Nothing is said about her father's library until roughly seventy percent into the book, and there was no build-up to it or suspense as to what was going to happen.

All in all, if you were looking for a book about books, this isn't it. There was really nothing happening until 3/4 of the way through. The characters weren't necessarily unlikeable, but they weren't generally likeable either. Annie was probably the only character I actually liked or cared about. Read at your own risk.

A slow burn with missing family, murder, and foggy memories of the past.

Estella (aka E) heads back to her childhood home after her dad passes away and her mom goes missing—assumed dead. But E isn’t buying it. As she settles in, old memories start coming back… and not everything lines up with how she remembers it.

Yes, it’s a slower-paced read, but it totally held my attention. I loved the gothic vibes! If you liked Daisy Darker or Mexican Gothic, this one might be for you.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poison Pen Press for the early copy—this one releases June 24, 2025!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I had high hopes for this book, but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. While it was fast-paced, I found myself unclear about the storyline until the very end. L anticipated more twists, greater suspense, and, for goodness' sake, a dark library! It seems I expected more depth. Regrettably, I don't have many positive remarks to share, which makes me feel quite bad. The characters were forgettable, the plot was confusing and unclear, and while it was fast-paced, it also felt slow at times.
I don’t have much else to say except this wasn’t for me.

This was interesting , took place nineteen forty two. Daughter left the house to pursue her own dreams in boston as a teache Friend growing up in the small town on the Hudson, was Anne.. She was The maid for the family and she had her own secrets as well. Her parents really didn't really connect with her.. There is a lot of secrets in this house.How's you read the book?You'll find out and how it was involved in the book. Father became ill and ann called her and she came home but her mother was missing. This became really part of interesting of the book.Because she really wanted to find out what really happened with their mother. She met this man named d Eb. A. N and she kind of fell in love with him. She was teaching at the college where her father taught as well and there was a suicide.. This was a man teacher and he had a reputation with the women. There was another dead body called h.E l e n e. These are all connected together.You'll find this out in the book. The daughter bound photographs of people in the father's dark room. He died before he could answer any of these questions. She found her mother ancrazy.
Crazy house. This became really interesting in the book. My father did not leave any money.So she was struggling all the time.And john who was the lawyer was trying to help. This Remind me of the mysteries of the twenties.
L

A great gothic story about women finding strength in themselves and with other women to get through the tough times. The scene is beautifully written and very atmospheric.

3.5 rounded up

The Dark Library hooked me right away with its gothic vibes, mysterious setting, and deep family secrets. The middle did lose a bit of steam and it felt a little muddled at times, but the strong ending pulled it all together in a satisfying way. If you enjoy moody mysteries with a historical take, this one’s worth checking out!

Thanks to NetGalley & Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The first half of the book was interesting. There was the mysterious death of Dean Jamison, E searching for all the possible ways to earn enough to keep her family house (This part made me mad and sad for her as there were so many limitations for women during this time and it made me grateful to be living now where I can get my own loans and deal with the bank) and trying to find her mother, thought dead, perhaps at her father's hand. It was a slice of life during that time with the war and I did enjoy it but was unsure of why this book was called The Dark Library, when it seemed as if her father's books were only mentioned in passing. The last quarter of the book more than makes up for the slower pace with massive bombshells dropped (which make the title very aptly named!) and so much action and thrills that I couldn't stop until it was done to see how many people might survive that dark night and if E could solve it all in time. It was a book with an interesting rhythm but I enjoyed it overall and look forward to reading other books by this author.

This was a unique WWII historical fiction with its gothic atmospheric vibe it was a really good slow burn although not nearly a suspenseful as advertised. This book follows Estella or E as her father dies her mother is missing and she is struggling to pay the bills. I thought E’s perspective was very unique and I appreciated how it showed how as late as the 1940s women were still not able to get by without a husband wether it be due to not being allowed to access funds or wage gaps. E determined to figure out what happened to her mother starts discovering secrets about her families past. I really enjoyed this book the story was unique and kept me drawn in throughout. The pacing was a bit strange I liked the slow pace of this book but the last 15 or 20 percent is where most of the plot happens. The first 80 percent felt like an atmospheric slice of life story which I really enjoyed, but I could see being slow for some. This was my first book from this author and hope to read more in the future. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

A hauntingly gothic novel filled with deception and betrayal. I was really drawn in by the premise and loved the extensive world building, as well as the mystery that slowly consumes Estella. The atmospheric setting was hauntingly delicious. But I did feel the pacing dragged in several chapters, like the planning of a party, which pulled me out of the eerie mood the book had worked so hard to create.
At times, it felt like the focus on detail came at the expense of moving the story forward. That said, if you enjoy a slow burn mystery that unravels in a dark, gritty setting, this book might be a perfect fit for you.

*Thank you to Mary Anna Evans, Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for the digital copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.