"The Woman in the Library" was a fantastic mystery book! The format was so unique; I loved that there was a book within another book. I found the main character, Freddie, likable for the most part. She did make a few decisions that I questioned, but it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book.

After the first few chapters, I flew through the rest of the book. I didn't want to put it down. I highly recommend it to readers who enjoy mystery books about writers.

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

Until I received a NetGalley ARC of The Woman in the Library, I had not read anything by Sulari Gentill. After inhaling the story of The Woman in the Library, I will definitely be seeking other books by Gentill. The Woman in the Library will be published 7 June 2022, on what would have been my mother’s 107th brithday!
Book Riot has already named The Woman in the Library as part of its “15 Best New Mystery Books of 2022,” and BookBub includes it in its most anticipated books of 2022. I can understand why. In my review, readers can rest assured that I will include no spoilers whatsoever.
The story captivated me from the outset. Ellie Marney, NY Times bestselling author, describes The Woman in the Library as having “more layers than an onion.” That description is quite apt.
In this mystery within a mystery, Hannah Tigone is writing a mystery novel. She is in Australia and writing about a mystery that takes place in Boston in the winter. She has met Leo Johnson, an American would-be writer, who is advising her about places and incidents in Boston. He also throws in advice about American word usage when he deems some of the Australian usage unlikely for American characters.
As Leo’s and Hannah’s correspondence continues, Leo becomes more strident in his letters and in his advice. He suggests darker incidents than Hannah is using. To add to this story, Hannah also has a character named Leo in the story she sends to Leo Johnson for suggestions.

Now, to the fictional story that Hannah is writing. In that story, Winifred Kincaid, Freddie, a writer from Australia, has received a Marriot Scholarship which provides her with a stipend and a beautifully furnished apartment in Boston so that she can write unencumbered by a job and other distractions.

Freddie is sitting in the Map Room of the Boston Public Library in order to find inspiration so she can work on her mystery. As she thinks about her work, she notes the other people near her and starts taking notes about them, surmising why they are there and what their backgrounds might be. In her mind, they could be possible characters in her book.

Freddie names the other people this way: Freud Girl, Handsome Man, and Heroic Chin. While Freddie idly wonders about these three people, they all hear a loud scream. Clearly, the scream comes from a woman, but where is she and why is she screaming? Very quickly, guards usher people out of the room.

Now, Freddie, Freud Girl, Handsome Man, and Heroic Chin have a shared and frightening experience. They introduce themselves. Handsome Man is Cain McLeod; Freud Girl is Marigold Anastas; Heroic Chin is Whit Metters. They agree the scream requires discussion among themselves, so they retreat to the Map Room Tea Lounge to discuss the incident.

Thus, an unlikely friendship begins to develop among the four who had been strangers only hours before. What will readers learn not only about Freddie, but also about Cain, Marigold, and Whit? And how will Leo Johnson, the real person and the character, fit into the story. Only by reading The Woman in the Library can readers discover the whole truth. The revelations will be shocking and mind-tickling! The unexpected turns will keep readers guessing about the characters—the fictional characters as well as Hannah Tigone and Leo Johnson.

Sulari Gentill was born in Sri Lanka and grew up in Zambia and Brisbane, Australia. She has an impressive number of books already published. The Woman in the Library adds to that number.

THE WOMAN IN THE LIBRARY may work as a young adult novel but it didn’t work for me. The title is very enticing. Avid readers typically love books about writers and libraries and with a premise of a murder in the Boston Public Library what's not to love. Unfortunately for me, The Woman in the Library lacked execution. The story within a story was confusing and failed to captivate. The descriptions of the characters (Heroic Chin, Freud Girl and Handsome Man) and their actions made me think I was reading a YA novel. The overarching frame of the story is the correspondence from Leo to Hannah. I found this part of the book annoying and failed to understand it’s purpose. Though I did not love the execution of this book, I appreciated the premise.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I liked The Woman in the Library. This was a good mystery but a bit confusing. I liked the way Leo would read each chapter, then correspond with the Author. I liked the characters. I liked all the twists and secrets that were uncovered. I was surprised by the outcome. This was a thrilling read.
#TheWomanInTheLibrary #NetGalley

Interesting structure that left me with more questions when I finished it.

This is the tale of 4 strangers who meet in the Boston Public Library and are brought together by a scream. Who screamed? Why did it happen?

Winifred, Freddie, is an Australian writer watching the other 3 in the reading room and gathering ideas for characters in her new novel based on them. Little does she know what’s in store, what will bring them together and what could tear them apart…

I found the structure of this book to be very interesting: a story within a story. I wasn’t exactly sure where it would go when I started. About halfway through some plot twists happened that I was eager to find out/have resolved.

The overall feelings of the protagonist manifested in me; the anxiety of not knowing details or who to trust and a deep want to get to the bottom of things. It made me wonder how I would react to the situations she was put in.

I was able to picture the settings in my mind fairly easily as well as the physical attributes of the characters and their wardrobe. I felt, by the end of the book, that I had a good grasp on each character, their looks and their motivations.

Overall, a very easy to read book that flows quite quickly, but left me wanting more answers at the end of it. Knowing it’s a standalone novel, I suppose it’s up to me to fully flush those out, so perhaps that is exactly what the author wanted?

Thank you to the author, Sulari Gentill, Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the arc ebook copy of this book!

A wonderful mystery where nothing is as it seems. Four young people, one Australian, three Americans, are linked in sudden friendship by hearing a scream in the Boston Public Library. As the story unwinds, we. learn a lot about the 4 main characters (and several supporting ones) as we attempt. to unravel the mystery and learn who the perpetrator was. Sulari Gentill keeps us guessing until the end, and she writes so well! I'm looking forward to reading more that she has published.

I absolutely loved this book, the plot had me thinking all kinds of things. There were several points where I thought well that’s obvious only to be proven over and over to be wrong.
There is an author writing a book and receiving information from someone who loves where the book is to be based. There are four people who meet. Two of whom are authors.
Someone withholds some truth, someone else lies.
What is real and who is what they seem they are?

No chance of a spoiler if you love whodunnit’s and twisted plots you will have to read this.
Loved the characters, even the ones I hated, no names Leo you’re annoying!
I recommend reading this and I might do something that I’ve only done a handful of times ever before and go back and re read it!

A twisty tale of whodunit set at The Boston Public Library with a sprinkle of romance. Yes, please!

Four strangers sit at a table, all somewhat submerged in their individual tasks. Within a short time, a woman’s scream pierces the quiet, leaving an air of terror in its quake. The group soon comes to find the scream was a prelude to the murder of the mystery woman, and in a twist that turns this story on its head… one of the four is the murderer.

If a synopsis like this isn’t enough, what if I told you that it is merely an added layer to this story?

Hannah Tigone, a bestselling Australian author, enlists Leo Johnson, an aspiring writer and native Bostonian, for advice and insight on Boston geography and Americanisms. Through their correspondence, a certain unease creeps its way into the narrative.

Sulari Gentill’s The Woman in the Library is a clever plot that kept me guessing the integrity of each character until the bitter end. *It reminded me a bit of Murder on the Orient Express, where everyone was suspect. To compare anyone to Agatha Christie can only mean one thing… Brilliantly done!

Please note your To Do List to run out and grab a copy on June 7th!

Thank you @NetGalley @sularigentill @poisonedpenpress for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

What an original and clever idea. This is written as a book within a book. Hannah is a well known Australian writer, based in Sydney, writing a book set in Boston, with the help of her “Number one fan”, an aspiring but failing wannabe author, who lives in Boston and is only too happy to help with research and his own ideas. I felt there was something creepy and sycophantic about Leo from the outset. A borderline stalker is how I would describe him but whether I was correct in this you will have to read to find out. Hannah’s novel is about Freddie, a budding author from Australia, living in Boston on a scholarship, who decides to base her new novel on three strangers she meets in the Boston Library. All four are there for very different reasons when they are interrupted by a woman’s terrified scream and bond as a result. When they discover that the woman who screamed was actually being murdered they decide to try and find out what happened. As Hannah’s story about Freddie and her friends progresses (with the help of Leo), so does Freddie’s story within the story,

I loved this book. I loved the characters, their interaction. I thought it was fast paced, twisty and lifted to a new level by the clever concept of a book within a book and the contribution of Leo.

If you enjoy twisty murder mysteries with plenty of psychological suspense, add The Woman in the Library to your reading list. When a woman is murdered at the Boston Public Library, four strangers find themselves bound together by the mystery of who killed her. But their newfound friendship is quickly tested as the police investigation turns to them — and as more attacks occur within their circle. Gentill's writing is assured and engaging, and I was drawn in immediately by these four characters and especially by the increasingly chilling frame narrative. Even if you guess the reveal (I almost did but was distracted by all the other possibilities), watching it all play out is a pleasure, especially with Gentill's confident plotting. This is my first Gentill novel, but it certainly won't be my last.

My thanks to NetGalley and to Poisoned Pen Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The ornate reading room at the Boston Public Library is quiet, until the tranquility is shattered by a woman's terrified scream. Security guards take charge immediately, instructing everyone inside to stay put until the threat is identified and contained. While they wait for the all-clear, four strangers, who'd happened to sit at the same table, pass the time in conversation and friendships are struck. Each has his or her own reasons for being in the reading room that morning—it just happens that one is a murderer.

a murder mystery that starts off slow but does pick up later. will make you keep guessing on who is the murderer.

i received this arc and this is my voluntary review.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Actual Rating = 2.5 stars, rounded up to 3

"The Woman in the Library" was an interesting reading experience in that the story did basically nothing for me, but the structure was quite cool.

The primary narrative revolves around 4 people who became friends at the library the day a woman is murdered there, and then they get involved with the mystery. I didn't find this plotline particularly engaging - it seemed implausible and overly cerebral - but this narrative was actually the story in a story. There are also two writer friends corresponding about the content....though not all is as it seems with them either. DUN DUN DUUUUNNNN. I wish this plotline was more developed, but I guess the idea is that we only get the bullet points of it and need to fill in the blanks.

TBH - I skimmed the end because I frankly didn't care. Super interesting concept but not the best execution.

Really enjoyed this meta mystery that combines some of my favorite literary styles: locked room(ish) murder, book within a book, writer as detective, and an epistolary twist. I wanted just a little more “meat” to Hannah’s parts or the story, but still loved that extra creative and engaging layer. Compulsively readable, and I’m still thinking about that last sentence - this would make an excellent book club selection!

*3.5*

The Woman in the Library was a novel that was supposed to be my perfect mystery cup of tea, but sadly it kind of wasn't. It was a good book for sure, and I enjoyed reading it, but it missed something for me, and I'm really disappointed about it. I really wanted to love it, and I just kinf of liked it.

This book follows a writer, and a group of people he met in the library, and they are bonded by a scream of a woman they heard while they were there. I really enjoyed the fact that this group came ouf of nowhere but ended up really bonding and become friends with each other. I was so rooting for this part to be more explored, but right at the beginning something is revealed that makes doing it a little bit impossible.
A thing I didn't particularly enjoy was that from the beginning the author kind of gives away where you could find the killer and who could it be, so the choices were kind of restricted, and you could imagine right away who did what, or at least among which people you could kind the person who did it.

The "whodunnit" style is a genre I actually really enjoy in mystery books, and that was also the case, but I would like to have more option from which to choose, usually. Maybe it's me being kind of picky, because sometimes I found myself in mystery books saying "the field is too wide, and the possibilities are too many", so again, just a personal preference.

One element I really liked was kind of the "novel within the novel" aspect. At the beginning I found it to be a bit distracting from the actual plot, but after I found out some other things about these letters and exchanges, this was a part I found to be innovative and original.

In the end, the part I enjoyed the most was the depiction of the characters, how the four of them had their distinctive characteristics and how they carried the novel in my opinion. The ending was quite rushed, but I was okay with it, I think it matched the pace, and the last page of this book. How I enjoyed that!

In conclusion, if you like "whodunnit" mystery novels with a character heavy component, I think this could be your cup of tea.

There is no hiding the fact that this one got off to a slow start. But with clever writing it turned into a very engaging story.

We’ve all seen the ‘book within a book’ books - but this was a book within a book within a book, and very cleverly done too! Hannah Tigone is an Australian author writing a story set in Boston. She gets contextual advice from Leo Johnson who is in Boston. Her character, Winifred (Freddy) Kincaid is an Australian author who got some sort of award to enable her to spend a year in Boston to write her novel. The fictional Freddy also gets contextual advice from Leo Johnson. Within these two stories is the story that the fictional Freddie writes. It might sound confusing but you soon get the hang of it and it gets quite immersive.

Four soon-to-be friends meet at the Boston Public Libray. None of them knew each other but they end up sharing a table. Then they hear a scream. This is what binds them and the friendship starts spontaneously from there. Or does it? Freddie has given the others nicknames before they all introduce themselves - Heroic Chin (real name Whit Metters who is trying to fail law), Freud Girl (Marigold Anastas who is studying psychology), and Handsome Man (who is Cain McLeod, an already published author).

The scream turns out to be from murdered journalist Caroline Palfrey but it is only the first of quite a few deaths and attacks. Not bad for a cosy mystery! Freddy’s ‘adviser’, Leo seems to be pushing the line that the killer is one of the four and tries to convince Freddy that it is Cain. Cain does have a murky past but, as so often happens, things are not what they seem. All the characters seem to be hiding something and it was fun trying to unravel all the threads. Leo’s ‘advice’ gets quite snippy as he sees that Freddy isn’t taking all his suggestions on board. Even the real Leo is a shady character.

So this was a fun, cosy story to read. There were not too many characters which allowed the author to develop the main characters quite well. It was not action packed but moved along at a steady pace that didn’t have any flat spots. All in all I found this to be a lighthearted, entertaining mystery and I enjoyed the read. Many thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.

3.5 rounded up.

7/10

I kinda wanted to not like this book, but gosh golly, it’s a page turner. Couldn’t put it down.

It is, in essence, a murder mystery - but one with a twist. Imagine a book written about somebody writing a book about people writing books being critiqued by somebody writing a book.

It sounds complicated. It isn’t. It’s unique. At first I didn’t think the style would work. It wasn’t going anywhere. And then about 1/3 of the way into the book it began going everywhere.

Four people meet in a library and, coincidentally, there is a scream. Somebody gets murdered. Suddenly the four people are bonded as they attempt to find out who committed the murder. But oh if it were only that simple.

I’m not going to ruin it for you because I think you should read it. And it’s well worth a read for anybody who likes mysteries and suspense novels.

The only downside of the book is that I figured out who did it after about 2/3rds into the book. I was expecting/hoping for a big twist and an out of the blue surprise at the end of the book. It wasn’t a bad ending, but a bit of a let down based on the creativity of the rest of the novel.

#netgalley #thewomaninthelibrary

This book was so good and totally kept you on your toes. At one point I suspected almost every single character. I will say the ending/resolution wrapped up a little too fast. I would have liked to see maybe a longer explanation between victim/murderer. And the subplot.. I was definitely not expecting that either. A thrilling read.

The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill sounded like it was going to be right up my alley what with the whole murder mystery in a library thing. Unfortunately, in the end, it just didn't work out for me. The more I read the less interested I became in the mystery itself and the cast of characters.

What an amazing piece of mystery!! The added layer found in the emails is exceptionally chilling. The plot will keep you guessing up to the very end.

This one, from the blurb, sounded like something up my alley. Never thought I would read about a murder in a library but here we are, lol.

I’m not going to lie, I had a hard time with this one. It was really due to the writing itself. I couldn’t connect to it in any way and it also didn’t add much to the personality of the characters. They felt a bit flat and made the book more plot driven than anything.

There are also these letters that are written by one of the character spread out between the book. They weren’t a favorite and kind of distracted me from the main plot. Since this is how the book started, I actually didn’t realize it was part of the book and thought the dedication had been in the front of the book. *facepalm*

Although there were some interesting plot twists that I didn’t see coming, it just didn’t make up for the disconnect from the writing.

Overall, I wish I had liked this one but every writing style won’t be made for me.