Sigh. I wanted to love this one. The idea of it is incredible. It has all the makings of a great mystery. However, it just moved too slowly for me.

Four strangers, including our narrator, Winifred (Freddie), a fellowship student from Australia, are sitting in the Boston Public Library when there is a bloodcurdling scream from outside the room. While waiting to find out what has happened - they eventually learn that a woman has been murdered - they introduce themselves and, bound by common interests and their recent shared experience, become fast friends. This is the setup of the main narrative Sulari Gentill’s The Woman in the Library but as we already know from the letter at the beginning of the book, it is a chapter from a manuscript by author Hannah Tigone, also Australian, who is sending it to fan and beta reader Leo, an American. This mystery within a mystery (which is later revealed indirectly to have to do with the identity of Leo) is the larger premise behind The Woman in the Library.

As Hannah’s novel continues (interrupted by comments, suggestions, and at times acerbic criticisms from Leo’s emails), the four new friends discover that the murder was not a passing event in their lives. One of them is attacked, as well as the mother of another, Freddie receives threatening (or warning) texts, and she finds herself questioning whether they were somehow manipulated into the BPL reading room that day - at the same time as she is falling in love with the most likely suspect.

While I didn’t love this books, I found it to be an enjoyable read, and the “meta” aspect of the novel within a novel (Freddie is also writing a mystery novel, using her new friends as characters, but we find out very little about that one) was an interesting tactic. Leo’s comments, as well as the conversation between the friends, three of whom are writers, about the process, as well as the sticky question of whether - or how much - Hannah should include the burgeoning COVID-19 pandemic in her book, were also intriguing to me.

I received a copy of The Woman in the Library from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a good thriller! It kept me guessing and intrigued the whole time! The characters were likable and well developed. I would definitely recommend this to everyone!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC!

I absolutely loved Sulari Gentill’s When She Wrote Him (which I also recommend if you’re looking for a thriller/mystery that’s also so meta) so I had no doubt in mind to add this to my to-read list when I saw the announcement for The Woman in the Library and when the ARC was made available on Netgalley!

I can confidently say that this mystery novel is also meta (books about books!) which I love about it. Despite having a similar vein of execution with When She Wrote Him, I’m glad that this didn’t *compl*e*tely* disappoint me. The basic premise is:

1) An author, Hannah, is writing a mystery novel set in America while seemingly living in Australia

2) Said author is in correspondence with an aspiring author and fan, Leo, who gives her tips upon reading the chapters of her manuscript

3) The way the book pans out is we read the chapters of the mystery novel Hannah is writing then it ends with an email from Leo

4) The mystery novel takes place around Boston and the murder happens in the Boston Public Library.

5) One of the main characters of Hannah’s book is an aspiring writer and one of the characters is named Leo inspired by Hannah’s real-life encounter with her “pen pal”. This makes it so meta because it’s a book about a book about an aspiring writer. 🤯 Reading this alone may make it sound confusing, but upon reading it, it’s not.

The way the chapters of Hannah’s draft and the email exchange with Leo and how these two are still connected made for a very interesting read. It was messed up but not confusing. I can’t confirm the accuracy of the American details (Hannah is supposed to be Australian and Leo would correct her manuscript about details about America), but it’s okay FOR ME, since I didn’t those details didn’t affect the plot and writing anyway.

While I didn’t like what the twist was and how it ended, I still can’t wait for what Sulari Gentill will write next!

I really enjoy the concept of a story within a story, but this time it felt very confusing and lost me. I felt like I was trudging through it and wasn't feeling any part of it at all. The characters fell flat and weren't very interesting, the letters with Leo became confusing, the beginning started off with promise but quickly turned disappointing and I couldn't find myself able to get invested in what happened. I was pretty bored at the end. It most likely could be a hit or miss kind of book for some it seems, but for me, it was a loss. Thank you though for the early opportunity to read this one in exchange for an honest review!

This book took me a while to read. It was a very enjoyable read as a whole, but there was a bit in the middle that dragged for me. Once I got to the last 100 pages or so, however, it all went flying by.

The Woman in the Library is told in a "Story within a story" format. The main story focuses on a Australian writer loving in Boston while on fellowship. On a trip to the Boston Public Library she is brought together with 3 strangers as the result of a sudden scream. Later, a woman is found dead and things take off from there.

From emails in-between chapters, we learn that this setup is the work of an Australian author who receiving feedback on each chapter from her American beta-reader. He offers feedback, but as is the case with the central story, things prove to be much darker than initially met the eye.

I liked the idea for this setup. It was creative and definitely made for some interesting commentary on the development that a book goes through on its road to publication. I also really liked the writing. It flowed well and was probably what kept me coming back when the middle bits had me down. Well, that and my hope for a payoff which ( thankfully) really did come.

So what made the middle difficult for me to get through? Honestly, it was the characters. I really enjoyed them at first, but they had begun to wear on me by the middle. Main character Freddie really did seem impossibly naive and Beta-reader Leo got to be downright unlikeable (and not for the reasons that we learn about later in the story). This may have been intentional, but I personally found it difficult to read.

My thanks to NetGalley for my copy

I really wanted to love this book, but even when I got halfway through it, I just couldn't quite catch on to the unique approach the author took. It was a book within a book, with characters inspired by characters inspired by...characters? I finished it, hoping that it would be one of those that all reveals itself in the very end and makes me want to go back to the beginning and read it again. But alas, the ending was just as confusing and abrupt as the rest of the book.

Firstly, I would like to thank Netgalley & Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to receive a complimentary copy of The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own, and I also want to apologize for reviewing the book after its publication date.
I decided to request The Woman in the library because the book cover drew me in, and the summary was the catalyst to push the button.
Unfortunately, for me, the book didn't deliver what the summary promised. Yes, there are innovative structures, like the correspondence between Hannah, the author who writes the book about the mysterious murder in the library, and a betta reader.
Contemporary authors have a problem writing stories taking place at the beginning of the 2020s without writing about the pandemic. The Woman in the Library complements the subject rather than dominates the story, and Sulari Gentill manages to do it through the correspondence between Hannah & Leo. Throughout the story, we don't have an innuendo about the pandemic.
There were times I felt the story dragged, and. I would have liked the book to be a little bit shorter. Another aspect, in my opinion, I felt the ending was a little bit flat because the book finished abruptly. There are parts in the book where the female characters come off needy and desperate. I would have to give The Woman in the Library 2.5- stars.

If you want a page turner that is not your run of the mill murder mystery read this book. Excellent premise and execution.

Unfortunately, this book did not engage me. I found the characters hard to warm up to, the plot didn't catch my interest and the literary device of the letters to the author didn't work for me.

I had a very difficult time getting into this book. Something about it just didn't feel true. I could not get into these four adult strangers becoming fast friends and hanging out because they were together when a murder took place in a library. The story moved very slowly and I lost interest.

This is one of the best mystery/thrillers I've ever read. I was hooked really quickly, and I kept guessing right up till the end. The double narrative was really unique and I loved it. The characters were well written and nuanced, and you can't help rooting for them.
My only tiny critique is that I felt like the "Hannah Narrative " could've been wrapped up better or in more detail? I'm not sure what, I just felt like something was missing. In any case it's brilliant

3.5 rounded up

I really enjoyed the book within a book plot and how you got the whole story instead of just certain details/chapters. I liked how each chapter ended and I looked forward to Leo's correspondence. It was really interesting seeing the writing process and discussion that he gave Hannah as a beta reader. The story being written about Freddie kept my attention up until the romance happened. I don't think it added much to the story and I would have liked it a little more without what felt to me like insta love. What I did like about it was the mystery around the murder and how the the characters bonded over being writers and became quick friends. I liked the ending of Freddie's (the story within the story), but Hannah's ending was a bit of a let down. It wrapped up way to easy without explaining what happened to the characters in detail. It was well written and I liked it but didn't love it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher as well as the author. This book was so different then any other thriller I have read. It was so good. It was a strong read and it was good. right from. the beginning.

This is difficult to rate because of the content but I will do my best. The Woman in the Library is about a woman who is in the library when a blood curdling scream rings through. She is sharing a table with 3 other people, one of whom is a killer. Which one? The author with a troubled past? The would-be psychologist who is more than a little obsessive? The joke-making law student? But more than that, TWITL is about an Australian woman writing a book about an Australian woman writing a book in America. We get the author's chapters from her new book between correspondence from her American beta reader with commentary on the book. I enjoyed all of this but about halfway through, the beta reader's comments and advice very abruptly turn into COVID-19 rants and argumentative stances on why the author HAS to tell the race of her characters. Neither of these are problematic in themselves, in fact great points are made. My issue with it is that I don't know why? It's like the beta reader has a white savior complex in addition to an obsession with masks? Maybe that was the point? But there was no resolution so I am still confused by it. HOWEVER, aside from that I thought this was a great read - especially the audio. The narration is excellent and the characters are well done. And while I did guess the killer, I did not correctly guess the motive which was actually super satisfying because it's so different. I think if you just take the beta reader's rants as just that: rants, and look at them as the reader quickly spiraling then this is a really fun read. If you get hung up on those details then you might not enjoy it as much.

Definitely one of the best books of this year. Seriously, you need to read this. No matter if you are a hardcore fan of mystery books or just a reader who enjoys any kind of fiction, this book will catch your interest right away.
Let me introduce you the story of Hannah Tigone, an australian mystery writer who is currently working on her new book, about a writer... who is writing a mystery novel. So right away at the first chapter we have this challenging structure that I personally love so much.

These diferent levels, also known as the chinese boxes structure is composed by different stories. A story within the story. Some examples of books with this artifice are: Frankenstein, and Wuthering Heights. So stakes are high when you have these framed stories, in this case even more so since we get to know that both writers (Hannah and her fictional writer Winifred) are writing a mystery novel. Winifred arrives to the Boston Library to do some research for her book. She sits in the same table as Marigold, Cain and Whit. These three strangers will soon become close to Winifred. In the "real life", we have Hannah Tigone writing this story about Winifred, she delivers every chapter to a penpal sort of friend, called Leo. We learn that Leo is trying to get published but with no success so far.

I will refrain myself from telling to much but the way Sulari Gentill gave a refreshing twist to the crime genre is great. I liked the wink at the stereotypical characters in a group of friends but these characters have more developing beyond the tag that winifred assigns them at first (Freud Girl, Handsome Chin, etc). I also enjoyed all the commentary about the writing process, the diferent profiles of writers, the use of tropes and formulas, all well written critique of the mystery genre. My only issue is the pacing at the end. During the whole book we have this set up for a almost slow-burn reveal, but at the end the action arise and it becomes kinda overwhelming. Other than that, an enjoyable reading. I will be following Gentill's work from now on.

This book was unfortunately disappointing and not really what I expected it to be based on my taste. It has elements of a locked room mystery, it's a book about books, and it's a story within a story. All of that sounds great as a concept, but there were too many different layers and perspectives to really connect with the characters or get absorbed into the story. I felt like each time I would settle into what was happening, the perspective would change and it felt like an interruption. Instead of creating more suspense, it caused frustration. Because of this, I was not able to make it all the way through the book (so I can't speak for the ending). I read just under half of it, so I was able to get a solid sense of the writing style and the structure.
Those who enjoy plot-driven mysteries without a lot of deep focus on characters may enjoy this more than I did, as well as people who like books about authors where you get to read the characters' actual manuscripts.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I found the premise of this book to be interesting, but unfortunately felt it was a bit confusing to follow and therefore not enjoyable.

This was ok - struggled to get through the first half. I found the characters were not that interesting and the plot to be choppy and lack the flow of a well-paced thriller. The Leo letter parts were a little confusing and seemed to be unnecessary until they were actually going to have an impact on the other characters. Not my favorite but the concept was interesting and I enjoyed the Boston setting. 2.5 stars

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was really unusual book. It took me a little while to get into it and the blurb is a bit misleading- I thought it was going to be a cosy murder rnystery rather than thriller.

It took me a while to get into the flipping back and forth - its takes about 45% of the way before something major happens and I felt this could be sped up a little bit. However once we were in I did enjoy it and will recommend.

Thank you for the arc.