While it was a little slow in the middle, I really enjoyed this book overall. I was so intrigued at the beginning and the twists really got me.

This book was received as an ARC from Poisoned Pen Press through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book is an amazing book which its setting is in an actual place and I can't believe how realistic the story felt. As a librarian, I have an appreciation of this book unlike anyone else that read this book because I know what goes down in the meeting rooms, quiet reading rooms, and basically in any room of the library. Sulari Gentill did an amazing job capturing the essence of the Boston Public Library, and I felt like I was transported there while reading this book. We always have side chatter going on in the library, and however, sometimes annoying, very interesting to eaves-drop in especially, if the acoustics are spectacular, and words can be very dangerous causing a detriment on one's career and one's life.

A book of the ages for library lovers and readers worldwide. This book deserves 5 stars.

This book was so fun. It's like a mystery within a mystery and BOTH mysteries were such page turners. I also had the pleasure of attending an author event that Sulari was at. She was so lovely and funny, it made me love the book even more.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Poisoned Pen Press and the author, for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The best thing about this book was that it was a book within the book, and I couldn't decide which mystery I wanted solved first. The story is structured as letters followed by excerpts of a book that is being exchanged between two 'authors' who are home bound (in Australia and US) and working on their books during the Pandemic. The book within the book follows yet another Australian author who relocated the US on a writing scholarship who was present in the library when she heard a woman scream. At first assumed as a prank, she ends up chatting to her neighbours in the library and they proceed to go for coffee leading to become a budding group of friends. However, they soon find out that the prank was not really a prank and the girl who had screamed was murdered. This leads to them trying to figure out who killed the woman while in the process each of their histories are brought to light.

Having never read anything by the author before, this book gave me agatha chritieque ambience with detailed descriptions of the setting, which painted the picture vividly. The book was gripping with dual narration and dual thrill. I couldn't stop reading once I started. It kept me guessing as to who could be the cultprit and kind of completely shook me off my game with the reveal, even though I had guessed right in the beginning. I love it when mysteries do that. Over all, I highly enjoyed it and there was also an enjoyable romance and redeeming arc to the story which added more flavour.

TW: Death, Gun Violence, Physical assault, Sexual violence mentions, drug abuse, homelessnes, addiction, blood, gore

This book sat on my digital shelf until the first week of December. The description pulled me in, but something about the cover made me feel a little intimidated. Well, now I'm kicking myself that I waited so long. Sulari Gentill wrote The Woman in the Library in a format I've never seen before — a murder mystery manuscript with email correspondence between a fictional author and an adoring fan. In the manuscript, four strangers are seated in the Boston Public Library when a scream pierces the silence of the reading room. Soon, the strangers start talking and form an unlikely friendship in the wake of the scream— which solidifies when a woman is found dead at the library. Sounds like a perfect meet-cute— except one of the four is a murderer. Once I started reading, I couldn't stop until I learned who the killer was, and why they targeted the victim. This was my first time reading this Australian author's work— but it won't be my last!

While this book started out strong for me because of the library setting, it ultimately fell flat. I did not like any of the characters, the pacing was a bit slow, and I did not like the twist at the end.

A good mystery thriller, but not a great one. It got slow in the middle and i found myself putting it down. I was still invested in the ending, so I did push through.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed how this book wasn’t the typical mystery/thriller. It’s almost like you get multiple peoples stories going on simultaneously, apart from the author of the book. It centers on an author sending pieces of a manuscript to a beta reader. It cuts back and forth between pieces of the story the author is writing and the replies the reader is sending back to her. It’s all very twisted and complicated and I like how it kept me guessing until the final chapter! The only point of view I wish had been included at the end was the fictional authors account of the real life events going on throughout. I would definitely recommend if you’re into mysteries!

Finished and loved this book however I completely forgot to upload a review! This is the only thing I've read by this author and I look forward to reading more when they come out!

This was a surprise for me. I didn’t know what to expect going into it but I found myself thoroughly entertained! A murder in a library?! Sign me up! The pacing was perfect and the suspense kept me quickly turning the pages. I absolutely devoured this book. What intrigued me the most was the story within a story. Unique concept, not something I have come across! Highly recommend.

This had a really interesting premise. Beta-reader Leo is corresponding with a well-known author Hannah, whom he clearly admires and hopes can help his own career. Most of The Woman in the Library is actually a book-within-a-book, consisting of chapters of Hannah’s newest work that she is sending to Leo for review. In the other portion, we get a fairly one-sided glimpse into their communication about those chapters, with Leo voicing his thoughts and opinions on the novel in progress as we go.

Unfortunately, neither portion of this ended up working all that well for me. I was initially drawn in by the book within the book quite a bit. A group of random strangers find themselves at the scene of a murder, and while initially they bond over trying to figure out who did it, it becomes more and more likely one of them is actually the culprit. I *love* locked-room type mysteries of this sort, so this should have been right up my alley. But 4 suspects isn’t really enough to sustain a full-length novel. Perhaps the author realized this, and then added the somewhat meta beta-reader correspondence portion to help pad out the book. And that’s all it is, padding. It added nothing to my reading experience and then devolved into a rather predictable, and I’m just going to come out and say it, silly, arc.

That said, I enjoyed the writing, a lot of the dialogue between characters (which can be tough to pull off), and think I might enjoy another work by this author that has a more traditional flow.

I did enjoy the idea of a story within a story, the author (Hannah) receiving support from a super fan (Leo). But I was waiting for a big reveal, to discover that Leo was more sinister or had a part to play in the murderous tale. No such twist happened - it left me with that sense you get when you build up to a sneeze and it doesn’t materialise.

I liked the setting / premise and I even liked the slow pace that others have not been keen on. But I wasn’t at all invested in the main characters / suspects. And given they are the focus of the plot, it made the book feel a little lacklustre.

This was highly intriguing, at first. It’s what actually lead me to read this. Along the way, though, it felt like the original story lost its course, because of the twist. It was an interesting, yes but it could’ve been better if it stuck to one storyline.

I'd give this book a 2.5. I really wanted to like this book as the premise sounded so intriguing and something I would love to read. Sadly, this book just wasn't for me. The "story in a story" while I sometimes like just didn't work for me this time and it made the book hard to follow. The characters were not very likable and the ending was confusing - and according to many reviews I wasn't the only one confused. I did like the Author's writing style and will try another book in the future. Many thanks to NetGalley and the Author for the opportunity to read and review this book - all comments are my own.

The Woman in the Library experiments with the way in which a whodunnit unfolds, and here's to trying something new, but I found the bizarre meta-analysis / epistolary interstitials between chapters to be incredibly off-putting and patronizing. Perhaps the grating cleverness of these emails from fan to "author" are the point, but it made every aspect of the actual mystery, from set-up to eye-rolling archetypal characterization, feel false and contrived, like the author is UP to something. I couldn't be bothered to finish the book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and Sulari Gentill for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This was so unique! I loved the story within the story and the letters at the end of each chapter. It all seems interesting but normal and the first twist is amazing. I was shocked. I loved the characters and I honestly thought like five separate times that I knew who did it. Definitely give it a go!

A locked room murder mystery brings together four characters set in an ornate reading room of the Boston Public Library.
As these characters are held together when a woman screams, they strike up conversation, friendship, and even a little relationship romance.
While I enjoyed the concept of the story, it was disjointed at times, in my opinion. The plot is told through a few points of view which added unnecessary complexity. At times, this drones on, however, in a matter of just a couple of pages, it winds up.
The complexity forces your engagement to keep track and stay on the intended pace.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced reading copy; my opinions are my own.

I did not finish this book. The premise was confusing to me and the characters were lacking depth. I was not grabbed by the story enough to want to continue. Thank you for the arc.

Great Whodunnit with a fun cast of characters. Enjoyed the format and the way the story unraveled. Great for mystery fans.

We read this for bookclub. We really enjoyed the back and forth of the characters and all the twists and turns of this whodunit! I usually guess the perpetrator, but I got this one wrong