Estella Ecker, E for short, finds herself thrust back to the home she ran away from. With a tyrant for a father and a position at a college where women have no respect, she feels trapped but reis to make the best of it. Mysteries and bodies start piling up and the story does not let up! Thoroughly enjoyable with unforgettable charters and told with witty insight. This was fantastic and I will definitely be following this another for her next release!

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4
Expected publication date - June 24, 2025

Thank you, NetGalley, and Poisoned Pen Press for this eARC for review. All opinions are my own.

Dr. Estrella Eckert "E" is called home when her mother disappears and her father suffers a stroke. She accepts a job below her qualifications and struggles to make ends meet in 1942 America. Her father dies shortly after her return, and strange things begin happening in the world around her. She also begins uncovering secrets about what may have happened to her mother and how her father made his money.

I enjoyed this story a lot. It definitely took some turns that I did not expect.

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬
Estella Ecker finds herself back at Rockfall House, a place she never wanted to return to. After years of escaping her controlling father, she is now compelled to step into his shoes, teaching at the college he once ruled and residing in the grand home where he hosted countless artists and intellectuals. To make matters more complicated, her elusive mother has vanished, leaving Estella to grapple with the possibility that she might inherit the estate. At the heart of this turmoil lies her father's extensive library of rare books, a treasure trove she was strictly forbidden to explore during his lifetime. 2. The townspeople are fixated on Estella, constantly murmuring her father's name, while her mother's disappearance seems to barely register with anyone. This raises questions about her true parentage and whether the answers are concealed within the shadows of Rockfall House. As Estella contemplates her identity and the courage it will take to uncover the truth, she realizes that the secrets lurking in her father's dark library may hold the key to her past and her future.

𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
I was really into the first few pages and then the story seemed to slow down. There were times when I wished it was more fast paced. E is a fantastically strong FMC, especially for that time period. She has taken on more than anyone should ever have to and manages to hold it together. The author does a great job showing the complexities of E’s relationship with her parents and the contrasting relationship with Annie. The friendships in the story don’t feel forced. They flow beautifully which doesn’t always happen in books. The setting of a dark academic town is beautifully written. Some things were pretty easily picked up on (like John’s true intentions) and somethings had me questioning my own sanity. There were many times I was convinced a character couldn’t be “it” only to have E’s internal monologue list reasons why they possibly could. Helena’s story is so tragic and it really leaves you wishing you got the perfect ending but sadly, that doesn’t always happen in real life. Annie and Leontine are everything in this book! I could read a hundred stories about them. Overall, a beautifully written (if sometimes slow) mystery set in a WW2 era college town.

Thank You Netgalley and Poisonedpenpress for allowing me to review this eARC.

The cover and description drew me into this dark,family drama. The story takes place in 1940's New York. Estella returns home after her Father's death and attempts to unravel the mystery of her Mother's death?
I did think the storyline was quite ambitious and difficult to follow given the various topics discussed; gender inequality, war, mental asylums, murder and romance. The book did not flow. I found it very difficult to follow.
I enjoyed the friendship between Estella and the housekeeper Annie. But, I did get lost with all of the extraneous characters and the various plot points.
The Author gets an "A" for the atmospheric, gothic descriptions of the town, house and turbulence of that era. Unfortunately, I was looking for a completely different book based on the description.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

The Dark Library by Mary Anna Evans is a gothic thriller set in New York during WWII. Estella Ecker, E to her friends and colleagues, returns to her home at Rockfall House when her father dies and her mother goes missing. She gets a job as a professor at the local college and spends her free time searching for her mother. E struggles to find her way personally, professionally, and financially, while trying to figure out what type of person her father truly was.
This is a dark and deary story that is enhanced by the dark, deary setting of Rockfall House. It takes its influence from the gothic story Rebecca, which is also mentioned in the story. It is a slow burn of a story as the secrets slowly come to light. It also shows the struggle of being a single woman in WWII times and the hardship of living during the war. It is engrossing as you try to figure out what is going on and why.
Thanks too NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This isn’t an era I tend to gravitate towards when choosing historical based fiction, but I am so glad that I did. As others have said, the pace was a little slow at times but I did like the detail which was provided. I enjoyed the mystery and suspense throughout, with brilliant family secrets and developments.

Definitely a slow burn. I loved the gothic atmosphere of the house and all the descriptions of the property. The author did a great job world building and keeping a slew of characters well described and easy to follow. The ending is where the meat is and I think some readers may have a hard time getting to that point.

The Dark Library
by Mary Anna Evans
Pub Date: June 24, 2025
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
I enjoyed this story, it was somewhat slow-paced, and there are things that are mentioned or that occur, that you aren’t sure what their purpose is, but it all makes sense by the end of the story. The story kept my interest because the title is The Dark Library, so the entire story I was just waiting to learn what the title truly meant. It is considered a suspense novel, and while it was suspenseful, it was a slow paced suspense, until that last maybe 10-15% of the book, than all of the secrets and mysteries sort of come out all at once.
I feel like the story is slow, and then the suspense and pace slowly builds on itself as you read through.
First time I have read this author.

I have a weakness for book written in the inter-war Era because it’s a time of such enormous upheaval and change worldwide – politically, socially and culturally. Of course, the end of WW1 and rumblings of WW2 along with the political upheaval makes this a time chockful of mystery and conspiracy. Little wonder then that it is a favourite with mystery and thriller writers. The Dark Library is one such book set in a college town in America in the early days of WW2. We find our heroine in dire straits financially and emotionally at the beginning of the story as she struggles to cope with the death of her father and her missing mother, who Estella, our main character, is determined to find her despite the disbelief and obstruction from the authorities. Her quest is made infinitely more difficult when she realizes that her estranged father may have been involved in some pretty dark dealings including blackmail, espionage and murder. While this was a cleverly plotted book, what really kept me engrossed were the lush, Gothic vibes that Mary Ann Evans expertly crafts with a blend of intriguing plot elements and exquisite details of setting. Recommend!

The Dark Library is a compelling mystery full of family secrets and the search for truth. Years after she ran away from her overbearing father, Estella has been called back to Rockfall Manor following the mysterious night that he fell ill and her mother disappeared. Now she walks in his footsteps, teaching at the college he dominated and living in the lavish home where he entertained artists and scholars for decades. 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.

Although the pace of this story was a little slow at first, no words felt wasted. The author took so much care introducing the many characters and pulling you into this WWII era world. One of my favorite parts was her vivid descriptions of every single detail. I was truly transported. As the pages turn Estella becomes more and more entangled in a web her father spun. And as the mystery started to unravel I was gripped by the many twists and turns and evolutions of the characters. This story was so beautifully and intelligently written. I will be thinking about this one for some time!

This book has something for everyone- history, suspense and mystery, dark academia, commentary on serious topics like feminism and discrimination. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for something a little different! Add this to your TBR now!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Mary Anna Evans, and Poisoned Pen Press for the chance to read this ARC copy.

This book was one I would consider a very cozy mystery with a lot of day to day historical fiction in there.

I kept up with everything just fine. I liked the gothic scenery… I just wanted more mystery and thrill I suppose. The parts of this that were mystery and what not were just a tad boring to me. It was not very memorable in the end.


Thank you for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review!

This one is a bit different from what I normally read. It was definitely a mystery with twists and turns which is what I love in a book. This one is set at the beginning of WWII and I don’t normally read historical fiction but this one was really good. I started it yesterday and just couldn’t put it down today until I was finished. The Dark Library is my first book written by Mary Anna Evans and I wasn’t disappointed. I absolutely recommend reading it.
Thank you Poisoned Pen, NetGalley and Mary Anna Evans for the opportunity to read this eARC.

Oh my goodness this book was so twisty. I had no idea where it would end up, and it ended so good! This author landed the plane wonderfully!

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬
Estella Ecker finds herself back at Rockfall House, a place she never wanted to return to. After years of escaping her controlling father, she is now compelled to step into his shoes, teaching at the college he once ruled and residing in the grand home where he hosted countless artists and intellectuals. To make matters more complicated, her elusive mother has vanished, leaving Estella to grapple with the possibility that she might inherit the estate. At the heart of this turmoil lies her father's extensive library of rare books, a treasure trove she was strictly forbidden to explore during his lifetime. 2. The townspeople are fixated on Estella, constantly murmuring her father's name, while her mother's disappearance seems to barely register with anyone. This raises questions about her true parentage and whether the answers are concealed within the shadows of Rockfall House. As Estella contemplates her identity and the courage it will take to uncover the truth, she realizes that the secrets lurking in her father's dark library may hold the key to her past and her future.

𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
At first, I needed a moment to get into this book, but as the plot unfolded, I became really interested. The unpredictability of the story was a major highlight for me. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, a twist would come along and throw me for a loop. If you're into slow-burn mysteries , Gothic academia, historical fiction, suspense and strong female characters, this book is definitely for you.

Thank You @Netgalley and @Poisonedpenpress for allowing me to review this ARC.

I’m not a big fan of historical fiction. This story was very dark and unsettling. I do wish they had trigger warnings listed at the beginning of the book. I probably would have just DNFd the book. Thank you NetGalley, Mary and Poisoned Press for the E-ARC!

Publication Date: June 24 2025
Rating: ⭐️⭐️

The setting is a small college town in New York, the 1940s. Our tale opens with Estella approaching the head of her division requesting a nicer office. He refuses; a few moments later and he jumps off a balcony to his death.
Estella Ecker is an overqualified research assistant; she has a PhD in Literature from an Ivy League College and yet she spent hours doing the work of others. Her pay grade is ridiculously lower than her male colleagues. Her deceased father was one of the top administrators; he was a hard man, with deep beliefs concerning literature. He refused to put up with an idiot (anyone that did not agree with him.). He compiled a rare book collection which he kept in his home under strict orders NO ONE was to touch his beloved books.
When Estella left home, she vowed she would never return to Rockfall House. Upon her father’s death she had no choice but return. Oddly her mother disappeared a few days before his death. The local police believe she committed suicide. They had no interest in investigating her disappearance.
Our tale opens with Estella approaching the head of her division requesting a nicer office. He refuses; a few moments later and he jumps off a balcony to his death.
Estella has much to cope with, her father’s unexpected stroke and death, the hunt for her mother, the attitude of the towns people concerning her father. Estella is alone except for two childhood friends. The town is watching Estella closely however no one cares that her mother is missing. Estella had questions and the answers were somewhere in Rockfall House.
This is a slow-paced book. The suspense slowly builds keeping me turning pages. The more secrets Estella unravels the more she becomes entangled in a web.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC that allowed me to make this review.



The Dark Library is a historical fiction that takes place during World War II in which our protagonist, E, is a working professor. With both family drama and darker mysteries to uncover, E finds herself enraptured by the mysteries held within her own walls - her personal dark library.


Wow, wow, wow! The further I read, the more I adored this book. Not only is our protagonist relatable (still a "weirdo" though not entirely removed from society, which is realistic) but she stands to be interesting as well (from her family history down to her personality and quirks)! It has been a while since I gasped out loud at a mystery reveal, and I did it several times throughout this book. It feels as if every detail tied in to some plot point, even if we didn't realize it until the very end. The love interest is believable and likable (a tough combination to get right, though it is done well here!) and every character is interesting and relatable in some way. There is not a single character named who does not hold some significance to the plot. It's incredibly wonderful.

If you enjoy mystery and/or historical fiction, you'll enjoy this book. If you enjoy a "dark academia" read, you'll love this book. If you love commentary on feminism, discrimination, and WWII, you'll love this book.

Wow! I love a strong FMC!!!!! The dark academia/gothic vibes were so good. I couldn’t put it down and read during every free second I could spare. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Thankyou NetGalley & poisoned press for this arc copy, this book showcases dark academia and mysteries as estella is forced to revisit her past and her life when her father passes.

I really enjoyed this book it had elements of a gothic novel and was an easy read.

If your into dark gothic academia with a strong FMC I would recommend this page turner of a book

I need to quit saying that I don't like war books. I don't like books strictly about war. When there is a beautiful book that just happens to be set in war time, I'm in! This novel opens with a bang. It unfolds with an intriguing premise and a hook that promises suspense. This book is a rich, atmospheric blend of historical fiction, gothic mystery, and personal discovery, set against the backdrop of World War II-era New York. While the novel succeeds in crafting an eerie and immersive setting, it occasionally struggles with pacing and fully developing its supporting cast. E is a compelling protagonist. Her character is well-crafted with emotional depth. Her journey is heartfelt and engaging. The only reason that it's not a 5 star is the pacing in the middle of the book is slow. Overall it's a good read. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley and the Publisher. This is my honest review.