Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book, in return for a fair and honest review.

From the opening letter beginning "Dear Hannah," I was intrigued by this book. It's a layered book within a book. Hannah, an Australian author, is writing a mystery set in Boston. The book she is writing is also about an author, Freddie, who is Australian, but has won a prize allowing her to live in Boston for a year to write a novel. So, while the story takes place in Boston, it is ostensibly being written by a woman in Australia, who has a correspondence with a Boston would-be writer, Leo, who is coaching her through Americanisms, sending her pictures of relevant sites in Boston, etc. Each chapter includes an email from Leo, giving his thoughts, suggestions, etc. on the chapter. It sounds confusing, but it really isn't - you just go with it and it makes sense.

The inner mystery story involves 4 people sitting at a work table in the reading room of the Boston Public Library - a scream is heard, everyone has to stay put while there's an investigation, and the four - Freddie, Cain, Whit and Marigold - form a bond. They begin meeting to discuss the scream, and then, when a body is found, to discuss the murder. Secrets come out, and relationships turn out to be far more complicated and entangled than anyone had realized.

Along with the complications in the inner mystery, we start realizing that there's more going on in the outer story, with Hannah and Leo, than we realize at first!

I don't want to say much more about the details - there are twists and disclosing them in a review would be a shame. Suffice it to say, that there are twist and turns that make this a compelling story - I had trouble putting it down, because I wanted to know what would happen next!

I spent my Sunday afternoon curled up with this new release and read it in one sitting. There's so much to enjoy here! You've got a thriller within a thriller, the murder setting in the Boston Library, characters who are authors and a twisty, engaging plot. Will you be able to guess which one of the four friends is actually the murderer?

I expected this to be more of a locked-in-the-library mystery, but it definitely wasn't that. The 4 people all meet just before the murder in the library happens, and the book follows the mystery of figuring out who the killer is. There was a bit I liked about the book, and some that I didn't. I liked the way most of the events were linked together. But I didn't feel like I had any real connection to the characters; they felt underdeveloped to me. I also felt it was very unrealistic for them to be such close friends almost immediately after meeting.

I did like the idea of this being an author writing a book within an author writing a book - you'll have to read it to make sense of that one - and there was certainly a mystery within (with out?) a mystery.

The premise of the novel was great, and I think the author did an okay job of pulling it off.

The Woman in the Library was one of the most unique storytelling methods I’ve ever read. As much of the promo foretells, there are stories within stories within stories— and that becomes clear from the very start.
We have an email correspondence plot between an author and a friend/beta reader discussing her newest manuscript. We also have the actual manuscript unfolding like the main plot with “comments” (from beta reader friend) via email at the end of most chapters which slowly become a mystery plot of their own. I think this is definitely the kind of story to go in knowing the least amount possible. For me, it did take me a while to get into the flow of the story and come fully hooked but the last half went by so fast because I was so intrigued to uncover all the resolutions. I do think some of the story was repetitive, it’s hard to explain why without spoilers, but I think the author spent some unnecessary time lingering on one of the suspects and then the MC being unmoved by that notion of motive was repetitive when it was becoming pretty obvious to the reader what was really happening. However!! I did enjoy the reveal but I wish it would have been a little earlier, that’s all, so the ending didn’t feel as rushed after such a long build up. Again, the multiple intertwined stories: “real life” versus fiction, was slightly confusing at first but the mystery and strong characters kept me reading!

🌟3.8/5🌟

*thank you to NetGalley for the review copy in exchange for my honest opinions!

The Woman in the Library was a very unique way to tell a story. I greatly enjoyed it and will be purchasing a copy for our library when it releases. I appreciate the opportunity to read and advanced copy.

Thank you for the opportunity!

I loved the story within a story plot. I really did not enjoy any of the characters for me. The thought of them all becoming friends during a time when they only came together with a woman’s scream is little weird to me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

This is wonderful mystery, a story within a story.
"The Woman in the Library" was plotted wonderfully with interesting characters. Ms. Gentill never disappoints her readers by trying different things within the genre. A somewhat cozy read made it a perfect book for vacation/weekend.

The story starts with Hannah Tigone sending a her newly written manuscript, chapter by chapter to a person named Leo Johnson who lives in the Us. Leo Winifred Kincaid or Freddie is an Australian writer living in Boston, US to work on her novel. While working on her novel in Boston Public Library she comes across 3 people who soon become her close friends. Marigold Anastas is a Psychology student. Cain McLeod is also a writer who was working on his next novel just like Freddie. Lastly, Whit Metters was a law student studying in Harvard. They all happened to sit across one another in BPL when a terrifying scream broke the silence.

From there on, Freddie's life becomes involved with that of a murderer and things start to get a lot more complicated when strange incidents start happening around her, starting with her receiving a phone call from Cain's number, replaying the same scream from the library.

Although the story started with a great punch and managed to keep me hooked for the majority, the ending felt a bit anticlimactic to me. I was expecting a bit more action than what we got with Leo. Also the murderer became more and more predictable to me as the story progressed which eliminated the thrill factor which I feel is essential for a thriller. So, there was not much of a twist at the end. But the terrific writing, engaging characters and unique plot line and framework of the story definitely made it a hit in my eyes.

Having waded through dozens of mystery books that remained unfinished, it was a wonderful surprise to encounter The Woman in the Library. Sulari Gentill is a clever and skilled author who takes a simple situation - four people sitting at a table in the Boston Public Library - and weaves a multi-layered who-dunnit that will keep the most avid mystery eader guessing until the end.

The main character, Freddie Kincaid, is at the BPL seeking inspiration for her latest novel, a who-dunnit. While at the library, a murder that takes place which Freddie decides to use as the plot of her book and her three table-companions become characters in her novel. In the real world, Freddie and her table-mates become friends as they try to help solve the mystery of the murder together.

We get peeks into Freddie's novel as she sends chapters to a fellow writer for his feedback. Although there are several layers to this plot, it is easy to follow as the four friends find out more about each other and the events that led to the murder of the Woman in the Library.

This is brilliant mystery novel by Sulari Gentill that would be enjoyed by any mystery reader.

I am grateful to NetGallery for providing an e-copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

I am a writer, a beta reader, and a thriller enthusiast; this book was written for me. A successful Australian writer is sending her new thriller, chapter by chapter, to Leo, her trusted American Beta Reader and author looking for an agent. She needs his help because her novel features four people that meet in a library and it is set in Boston. The pandemic has broken out, and everybody is stuck at home, but Leo is eager to do her research.
Leo is quickly engrossed in the mystery, ( as a beta reader I wish all my clients could write like this!) and who can blame him. Four people meet under the strangest circumstances, they hear a woman scream in the Boston library, and while the police investigate, they are ordered to stay put. And a bond is formed for life. Freddie, Winifred is also Australian and in the US on a scholarship. Marigold is a manic pixie girl covered in tattoos. Whit is a privileged Harvard Law student, and the last one is another author, a gorgeously mysterious man named Cain.

Now the woman who screamed is found dead, and Freddie, our protagonist who is a writer (feeling the Droste effect yet?), starts penning her novel inspired by the people she met under these bizarre circumstances. But she can't help to start doing a bit of digging on the side into the murder.

Like Leo, the beta reader, fears, Freddie soon falls for, according to him, the main suspect, Cain. Then people get stabbed, stalked, and murdered.

It is a feat that the layers in this novel never get confusing; they complement each other deliciously, much better than the strange donut flavors in the hip place the characters frequent. No, this novel is the perfect dish, innovative, complex, and gratifying. It is an academia thriller that is utterly surprising, maybe it is more of a curl under the blanket and sip something warm kind of read, but with a pageturner this fun, the beach will do just fine.

This book has all the elements I love in an immersive read — compelling characters, tons of atmosphere, a VERY intriguing premise — then it blew my mind and delighted me with the book-within-a-book and its literary magic. So wonderfully twisty and compelling. The just-right connection to reality get me IN the story. I recommended this book in our YouTube show and podcast on June 10. https://strongsenseofplace.com/library

I was intrigued at first by the writing style, the letters placed after each chapter and I did like the aspect of the book where real-life Leo is a murderer and the author helped the FBI capture him. Overall the first 50% was a little slow going. I was more invested in the last half, wanting to know the outcome. As a whole, I didn’t love the book, but it was okay.

Gentill’s structure of having a novel with in a novel offers lots of meta commentary and introspection of what it means to be a writer. The mystery was fun, but I’d be lying if I said the ending didn’t drop my experience just a tad.

Overall, excellent characters and an exciting premise! The audiobook is performed beautifully and I’m glad I made it to this one sooner than later!

3.75/5 ⭐️

"The Woman In The Library" was an interesting concept and would appeal to people who like mysteries. The writing style was very good, however halfway through the book, it became apparent who the killer was. The dialogue and characters were very compelling. It was a fast-paced book that kept my attention and kept me turning pages. I wasn't a fan of the segments where the main character corresponded via e-mail with her friend; it was distracting from the main storyline.

There was some violence in the storyline, but I think that most readers who like mysteries would enjoy it. This was a good book and it was entertaining.

I actually did this one on audio, but I think I should have flipped back and forth or read it. I thought the narrator was brilliant and did a great job of speaking in other character voices, but I still think it could have been more powerful with additional narrators. This story focuses on a book within a book, and I found myself glued to it the beginning, but feeling lost in the story at the end. I think had I read this one it would have been easier to follow. Over all I did enjoy this one and felt like the book idea was unique.

I think I liked the idea of the book better than the actual book? It was just a bit confusing and convoluted for me. The story within a story within a story is a great way to pull people in, if executed well. I think that will be a big part in getting readers to grab this. For me, it didn’t work. But that’s just me. Figuring out the mystery and actual murderer through all of the clues and false leads is another part I think other thriller readers will enjoy.

The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill was an entertaining, but challenging book that kept me, the reader, on her toes. The gist is that a woman, Hannah, in Australia, is writing a book about a woman in Boston, but is from Australia, is writing a book about four people who became friends when the library is shut down because there has been a murder. They all heard the scream. The author, who is in Australia, had planned to visit Boston but both places were locked down so a correspondence filled the bill. Leo, in Boston, helps Hannah with authenticity of setting and gives suggestions on characters and plotting as she sends him chapters. She usually doesn't listen. The biggest point of confusion is that "Leo" is also a character in the book and they confuse easily, in my view. Probably the point.

The book being written by Hannah is a good one with red herrings pointing to the wrong killer all along. It is also a commentary on judging someone based on their past, and true friendship or lack of it. It was an interesting book in its final presentation as well, where everyone is revealed for who they are, both in the book and in the book. I found it intriguing. Hannah wrote some good characters, that had depth and interesting personalities. The mystery of the killer was interesting as it proves witnesses are not reliable. It was creative and different and I am always there for that.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC Of The Woman in the Library by Poisoned Pen Press, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions were mine. #netgalley #poisonedpenpress #sularigentill #thewomaninthelibrary

Ultimately, a very poor narrative decision resulted in my loss of interest in the work as a whole. I only finished it because I had to figure out "whodunnit."

What a uninique and fascinating storyline. After figuring oit what was happening with the book within a book, and the email correspondence that was also a main focus - I could easily follow along. It kept me intrigued the entire time and had me continually guessing until the end. For a mystery/thriller, I thoroughly enoiyed it and I loved the added element of blossoming romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of the ebook in exchange for my honest review.

The Woman in the Library Earns 5+/5 Savory Donuts…Unique & Engaging!

The concept of Sulari Gentill’s book may seem confusing, but that is far from the truth, and although the synopsis I read only mentioned the story of four strangers bonding over a murder, it only took a couple of chapters to go all in! Hannah Tigone is well-known Aussie author sharing her latest manuscript with Leo Johnson, a struggling writer and uber fan of Hannah’s work. Through only Leo’s emails readers are privy to his offering insights as an American/Bostonian, engaging in constructive suggestions, responding to the chapters, addressing things that Hannah says or asks, and including friendly talk about the Australian wildfires, the pandemic’s lockdown, and the fact Leo was included as a character in her book. It is a fascinating look at the writer/beta reader professional and personal relationship with which I can identify, but as communications continue, Leo’s tone changes becoming more intense and graphic.

The manuscript Hannah shares with Leo is about young Australian writer Winifred “Freddie” Kincaid living in Boston, Massachusetts, on a Marriot Scholarship. She discovers the atmosphere of the Boston Public Library offers her a place she hopes will inspire her creativity. She focuses on the people sitting near her, wondering who they are, connections they may have, and pictures them as characters in her book: a tattooed “Freud Girl,” dimpled “Heroic Chin,” and too “Handsome Man.” Her thoughts, however, are interrupted by a scream, and while waiting for the all clear, she strikes up a conversation with her three table mates. From there the four bond over drinks, donuts, and the death of Caroline Palfrey, but as they interact, much is revealed about each character with shocking surprises that fuel suspicions. Add curious photos and phone calls, an assault, another murder, a writer/neighbor, and more than enough evidence to believe any one of them is a murderer. Talk about inspiration, just as long as Freddie can survive long enough to write her story.

Sulari Gentill’s story within a story turns out to be an engaging journey into two stories, and once you grasp how it is organized, it’s one you can’t put down. The murder mystery that Hannah is writing and Leo is critiquing, is compelling, well-developed with plenty of surprises revealing who the characters really are with their past and motivations heightening suspicions. Additional crimes, a full suspect list, and peril to avoid, leads to a final disclosure I didn’t entirely see coming. I didn’t feel the email element added at the end of each chapter were intrusive or interfered with the pace of the murder mystery. I found the second story with the interactions between the author and reader as compelling and a fascinating discussion on research, background, process, and interpretations. I was intrigued by the evolution from a professional partnership to a more toxic relationship, and surprised by its separate conclusion. Double wow for this candidate for Best in 2022!