This book was hard to put down. There's so many twists and turns, and it's a story within a story. Filled with many layers and depth not seen in other mystery stories. You think you're just reading about an author, some friends she makes, and her writing process, what you get is that and a whole lot more.

Hannah is an Australian author who pulls in her story writing skills with what's happened to new friends she's met. She interweaves fiction with reality and the story, like I said, is so interwoven that you have to pay attention to what goes on.

Still, a good mystery read.

With a slower start, this novel bends the reality of what's real with two sinister plots. It's very much a story within a story which was interesting, but ultimately a little anticlimactic.

I will admit I was not taken into the story right away. I found the mystery-thriller storyline slow and the letters between Hannah and Leo boring. You can tell this was written early 2020, which was interesting in terms of the implications it had on the novel. I would say things began to heat up as Cain/Abel's backstory was revealed and Leo's letters to Hannah become harshly opinionated and off-kilter. My favorite thing about this read was that it was jarring to read the un-related, yet related plots. It definitely serves the reader with misdirection because your feelings towards the characters are slightly blurred. Without the letters from Leo, parts of the novel Hannah is writing would not register as unsettling which to me was very clever.

A story within a story was such a unique way to tell this tale. I certainly wasn't sure who the murderer was until the end, but I was also pretty certain it wasn't going to be the obvious choice. You could also see the other murderer escalating in the other storing also. You have to watch out for him too! This book definitely keeps you guessing.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is a strong contender for my book of the year! I was hooked. I don't think I've ever come across a murder mystery quite like this: basically a story within a story. The plot thickens in both narratives and it's positively riveting.

The story mainly follows Freddie, an Australian writer on a scholarship in Boston. The splitting scream of a woman in the library allows her path to intertwine with three strangers seated nearby. Their developing friendship throughout the story felt like found family, and I enjoyed the banter, budding romance, and tension that arose the closer they got to solving the murder and other worrying happenings.

What helped me fly through the book, other than appreciating a carefully unfurling plot, was the writing style: concise but laced with clues. Maximum intrigue, minimum clutter. There's a purpose to the format with its seemingly slow pace. The suspenseful build-up had me suspecting nearly every character and becoming increasingly disturbed as red flags ushered in a rather chilling revelation, taking the overall story in an unexpected direction. Mystery aside, I enjoyed the comparisons between Australian and American culture, as well as the various characters' perspectives on writing and books. The themes were thought-provoking, involving loyalty, bias, perception of ex-convicts, representation in literature, and the pandemic's place in literature. The climax was interesting but the big reveal was not as complex as I'd expected—though the OTHER storyline delivered amazingly. An enjoyable, thrilling read I will not soon forget. Highly recommend.

I requested this arc because I knew it involved libraries, murder, and writers. I imagined a fast-paced thriller in which a writer is trapped inside a library with three other people, one of whom would be a murderer. So, it’s partially my fault that this book did not meet my expectations. Turns out, it is very slow paced and only a tiny percentage of the book actually involves the library.

The plot follows four people, two of which are writers, who become friends after hearing a scream in the library which they later discover is a part of a murder. Despite the slow pacing I was intrigued by the who-done-it narrative especially since you know from the first chapter that someone in the group did it. What really hurt my enjoyment of the book was the added edits at the end of each chapter. The novel became a story inside a story about a mystery writer sending manuscripts to a friend who would then provide feedback. One minute I’d be reading about a lead on the murderer and the next I’d be reading critique over word choice. I held on hoping that the narrative and the commentary would interweave into something brilliantly unexpected but that was not the case.

If you like slow burn mystery plots with a touch of romance, that has you questioning who to trust and you don’t mind being interrupted every chapter with edits, then I would wholeheartedly recommend this! It definitely has a nuanced style and interesting character development that I know others would enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley for an e-ARC!

This novel features a story within a story, letters to the author from a beta reader following each chapter of a manuscript in progress. Hannah, our Australian author, relies on American beta reader Leo to determine the authenticity of her location because she can not travel to Boston. The story Hannah is writing revolves around four people who meet in a library, united by the sound of a woman screaming. Winifred, or Freddie, the protagonist, is an author working on a mystery novel of her own. Marigold is a psych major. Whit is a law student trying to fail out of the program. Cain is an author as well, with many secrets of his own. One of them is a murderer. As Freddie's story develops, so does Hannah's.

While I admit the format of a story within a story threw me at first, I actually ended up enjoying it. I also loved the plot development and the misdirection that went on. Freddie's story is a much tamer mystery, while the emails between Hannah and Leo provide a darker contrast. I really liked this!

I'm pretty new to the mystery genre, I pretty much dable in romance. So I feel like its not always obvious to me who the killer is. It's hard to talk about this book without spoiling the narrative. I will say I was completely wrong in most of my thoughts concerning the whodunit. The emails at the end were nice and I appreciated the way that Hannah incorporate or choose to ignore her beta readers suggestions. This was my first read from Sulari Gentill and cannot wait to say what the next one has in store for me. She's definitely on my authors to watch for sure.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishers for this ARC.

DNF.

I thought this was going to be like No Exit by Taylor Adams with its "the killer is among us" vibe, but I found this to just be too much of a slow burn and the plot was just too drawn out. When we already know that the killer is one of the MCs it would be better to get to the point so that the action can carry the plot. I felt that the suspenseful build up wasn't necessary. Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an e-ARC in exchange for my review.

I was so excited for this one, but I made it 20% of the way through before giving up out of boredom. I think I needed a little bit more info about the characters to actually care about them. And the plot didn't keep me. Also there was a lot of telling what americans do or say compared to Australians and as an American, I didn't find them all true. I found that annoying.

Four seemingly perfect strangers–Cain, Whit, Marigold and Freddie–all find themselves in the Reading Room of the Boston Public Library when a scream is heard, startling not only them but others in the library. As the mystery surrounding this scream develops, so does a friendship between these four very different individuals. Soon the four friends find themselves involved in more strange, and potentially deadly, occurrences as the truth begins to come out about not only the scream, but about themselves and their pasts. Can this new-found friendship survive the woman in the library?⁣

The Woman in the Library was a novel that I really wanted to like, and at times I did, but by the end I found that I was left a bit unsatisfied. I really like the structure of the novel, consisting of chapters from a manuscript with letters thrown in. The narrative itself and mystery was pretty good as well. The conclusion, however, left a few too many holes open for my tastes. There were events that needed more explanation, and others that didn’t make sense or were too convenient. There were also certain aspects of Leo's letters that I found irritating, which also took away from my enjoyment of this novel.

This is a multi-layered complicated mystery. There is a woman murdered in the Boston Public Library, and 4 young strangers hear her scream, and all become involved in the story. There is a book within a book, and sometimes it is hard to separate the two. A definite page turner yet I feel unsure of exactly what happened in the end.

I’m such a fan of the book within a book concept and add in a fun library setting, this one had so much potential! While the story within a story was incredibly clever and extremely well done at times, it also slowly became one of my least favourite things about this read as I found myself often confused and constantly questioning what was happening and what story I was in.

I applaud how difficult this one must have been to write as it was extremely multilayered with some intriguing and complex characters. I enjoyed the whodunit aspect and found the twists and turns entertaining.

I think this one’s worth checking out but go in in the right head space and ready to pay very close attention to detail!

What can I say? This book captured me with its mystery, personalities and twists. I haven't read anything by Sulani Gentill before, but I certainly will now. I always knew you needed to be quiet in a library, but in the Boston Library you also need to be careful who your desk companion is! A Really Great Story!
Thank you NetGalley for providing this copy. The opinion in this review is solely my own.

I really like this kind of book. Someone is murdered. All characters have an alibi. But do they? Someone must be the murderer, right? And then the side twist of the author “writing a book and the creepy fan” —it’s delicious! Fun summer mystery! Loved it! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy. I will recommend this to friends! 4.5 stars!

This review was originally posted on <a href="http://booksofmyheart.net/2022/06/09/the-woman-in-the-library-by-sulari-gentill/" target="_blank"> Books of My Heart</a>
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<i>Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i>

<strong>The Woman in the Library</strong> did not have a lot to do with libraries, other than an initial murder taking place there.  It did have a lot to do with books and writers though.   It is also a story within a story.   Each chapter is a piece of a famous author's manuscript following a letter from her American friend who lives in Boston.  Boston is the setting of her book.  The friend comments on various aspects of the manuscript as to location, American typical phrases, and his thoughts about plot.

The story takes place during Covid and that is not part of the book she is writing; it is set in 2019.  The friend thinks it should be incorporated, and also thinks the character's races should be revealed.  The question of race does not come up and I'm uncertain as to the race of any of the characters really.  The main point of view, is the author, Hannah, and in her book, the main character, Winifred, called Freddie.  Freddie is an author, as are two of her male friends in the story.

The letters from the friend become increasingly bizarre.   He is more demanding about her changing things according to his thoughts.   I wonder how she became friends with him in the first place.  Apparently they have never met, but she wrote him to make some inquiries about the Boston setting.

In Hannah's book,  the story begins as four people sitting at a table in the library hear a scream.  They get to talking and become fast friends.  Over the following weeks, they come to know each other further.  As writers, they have some interests in trying to solve the murder and aspects of it which don't quite make sense.  There are continued attacks and there seems to be a connection between them, which put Freddie and her new friends in the watchful eye of the police.

I wondered about various characters as the killer but never really put it together.  There were some creepy aspects like a lost or stolen phone calling Freddie with weird screaming or texting her pictures of people's doors including her own.   There are romantic elements between the characters to add another layer of emotion.  I enjoyed the unique way this story was told.

I had a hard time reading this book. I wasn't interested in the characters because they were characters in a story within a story.

A story within a story. We follow four strangers with a newly formed friendship after a scream is heard in the Boston Public Library. As the four new friends question why someone would scream in the BPL the news reports that a young lady has been found dead with no leads. As past problems become the presents new issue the question they all have, which of the three could be the real murder.

This is the first mystery novel that I have read so I do not know what the status quo is on pacing but I felt like this book dragged in the beginning. Based on the books synopsis I was expecting a 12 angry men situation with each person accusing the next of the murder until all the clues come together. However as the book unfolds, the crazy twists and turns start to make you question each person. Overall I enjoyed this book. The real treat in this book is that this is a story within a story. Written as if we are the Beta readers we see an email exchange between the books “author,” and a fan that adds an extra piece of suspense in the book.

Overall I would give this book 3 stars.

To see/hear our full review of this book please check out our podcast episode that will be available on 6/12/2022 on Spotify and Apple.

Thank you Poison Pen Press and NetGalley for the arc.

This ARC was received with the promise of an honest review. All opinions in this review are ours.

Just One More Page Podcast
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The Woman in the Library (Poisoned Pen Press, $26.99) by Sulari Gentill opens in the Boston Public Library reading room where four strangers—two of whom are writers—meet coincidentally while a young woman is murdered elsewhere in the building. When one of them comes under suspicion, the others rally to get to the bottom of it, but secrets emerge that call everything into question. There’s a dual, metafictional narrative that unfolds in letters to the author of the mystery as it is being written, which is very cleverly executed. For whose who enjoy real puzzler, with layer upon layer of suspenseful plotting, check out this whodunit.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. This story is a book within a book that I think is done very well for the most part. The deeper story within is one that is a bit surface level in its characters and almost reads as a first or second draft of a story to me. Perhaps this is the point and I still enjoyed trying to figure out the twist within that story. The story on top of that one is the one I have mixed feelings about. On one hand I really enjoyed reading the letters and having this be apart of the novel, however I wish there was a bigger reveal or epilogue of some sort to wrap that up into a better bow. I know what happens and the story is resolved but it didn’t feel as impactful as I wanted it to. Definitely recommend to someone who enjoys mysteries and also enjoys writing as this is a story about a story.

Wow. Wow. Wow. This book was absolutely fantastic and I loved the book within a book premise. I went into this one pretty blind after seeing it on a couple of people’s anticipated releases shelf. In this book we follow Freddie, Marigold, Whit, and Cain as they instantly are bonded in a breakfast club type scenario when they hear a woman’s scream in the library. When the woman turns up dead, these amateur sleuths are on the case. What follows is a novel of plot twist, secrets, and a touch of romance.

There’s a secondary storyline interwoven through the chapters of this novel and that storyline is equally if not more interesting. You cannot say much about that storyline without getting into spoilers.

Overall this book kept me engaged. I loved the characters, particularly Marigold, even though some of her decisions are more than questionable. I will say that the secondary storyline at first you are not sure why it even exist, however once you find out, it’s shocking and you are instantly invested. Then that storyline wraps up a little too quickly. This book is really fantastic and I highly recommend!