This book was a slow burn but once it sped up I really enjoyed it. The main character has a past we know haunts her but we don’t know why. THE LIBRARIAN had unexpected twists that are the hallmark of any good thriller. Ava was a likable character and the plot could have used more depth but this was still a very enjoyable read.

It started out great and fast paced but as the book progressed it got very slow. It’s just a lot of thoughts from the main character. The ending was very predictable and could be guessed very early on. The setting of the library was interesting though and i did like the main character, but overall the story was nit very surprising.

The Librarian by Valerie Keogh is another winner from an author who is never to be missed.

Ava is an introverted librarian who feels that she is often taken advantage of by those to whom she is closest. A night out with her self-absorbed friend Poppy leads to a chance encounter with a man who asks if he might buy her a drink. Refusing his offer as she is feeling unwell, Ava is shaken when the man follows her out of the bar and makes an ominous threat. When she then endures unsettling events at home and work over the following days, Ava knows that someone is exacting their revenge.

This is a tense, slow building, and often disturbing read that left me with chills more than once. I was fully engrossed as I sought answers to Ava's past, and I was left wondering about any connection to her present circumstances. Kudos Ms Keogh, you have given another masterclass in creating the perfect psychological thriller.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.

I ended up listening to an audiobook for this story. And honestly, the story fell kind of flat for me. It definitely wasn’t the worst book ever but there really wasn’t much that I found interesting or that was able to capture my attention. There weren’t enough thrilling moments, in my opinion.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy of the librarian. I don't usually go for mysteries or thrillers but I love any book about books so I went for it and this was very good!

Ava Warrington leads a sedate life in her dream job as a librarian at the Tate Modern. She goes out for drinks with her friend Poppy and when she rebuffs the advances of a man he calls out "you'll be sorry" as she leaves. From there, things go haywire. Trouble at work, trouble with friends, feelings that she is being watched. She starts to suspect that it may be tied to an event from 10 years ago that is hinted out occasionally and finally revealed at the conclusion. This was gripping and I was glued to the the pages to find out what was going to happen next as well as what happened 10 years earlier.

I have been a fan of Valerie’s work for a while now. I haven’t read everything that she has written but that is something that I hope to rectify some time soon. I read the synopsis of ‘The Librarian’ and it certainly sounded like the sort of psychological thriller that I particularly enjoy. Well it was certainly all that and so much more. Overall I did enjoy reading ‘The Librarian’ but more about that in a bit.

It took me a little while to get into ‘The Librarian’ but that’s because I was tired and finding it hard to concentrate when I started reading and isn’t a criticism of the book. Once I got into the story that was it and I was away as the saying goes. I found the main character of Ava rather intriguing to say the least and I thought that there was more going on than at first appeared. I had to keep reading to see if my suspicions as to what was going to happen were anywhere near the truth or if I had wandered off in the opposite direction. It’s clear that something happened in Ava’s past which affected her greatly but it isn’t immediately apparent as to what happened. As the story continues the reader is drip fed little clues as to what happened, which when put together form the bigger picture so to speak. The more of the book that I read, the more I wanted to read and the quicker the pages seemed to turn. All too quickly I reached the end of ‘The Librarian’. I found ‘The Librarian’ to be a gripping, tense and dramatic read, which certainly kept me guessing and kept me on the edge of my seat.

‘The Librarian’ is extremely well written but then I find that to be true of all of Valerie’s books in general. The author has an easy going writing style that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. Valerie certainly knows how to grab the reader’s attention and draw them into what proves to be one hell of a story. For me, this was more of a slow burn type of story – it starts off slowly but as the story continues, the pace gathers momentum and leads to a tense and dramatic conclusion. I love the way in which Valerie makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story and at the heart of the action. That’s how I felt at any rate.

In short, I really enjoyed reading ‘The Librarian’ and I would recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Valerie’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.

Another great read from Valerie Keogh. The same tension and twists as her other books, it is well worth a read. I enjoyed the characters especially getting to know them as the story unfolded. Kept me reading.

I found this book quite slow going for the first half with lots of repetition relating to the storyline from 10 years previously. However, once past the halfway, it really ramped up. Lots of twists and a great ending which wrapped everything up.
Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC in exchange of an honest review.

I liked this one okay. I love the England setting and the backstory behind this story. The book is quite a bit different than the description, and that threw me a bit. I read it pretty quickly because I wanted to know where it was going. I thought the ending was okay.

I have previously read The Widow and The Lodger by Valerie Keogh and was excited to read another of her books – The Librarian – which is her latest release.
We first meet 29-year-old Ava Warrington when she is babysitting for her sister Judy and her husband Harris’s children – their son Cody and daughter Melissa. The next day, Ava is talking to her friend Poppy about how often her sister takes advantage of her and Poppy tells her she must start to say no. We discover the same is happening at work. Ava is head librarian at the Tate Modern.
When Ava and Poppy go to a restaurant together, Ava feels ill and leaves early, but is asked to go for a drink with a handsome stranger. Recalling her discussion with Poppy about being a pushover, she repeatedly tells him no, she doesn’t want to. As she walks away from him, he warns her “You’ll be sorry.”
Following this, strange things keep happening to Ava and she wonders if Bistro Man (as she calls him) is behind it all…
The start of the novel immediately draws you in and you feel Ava’s anxiety and tension. When you read that something happened a decade before at University, involving a man called Simon Loder, it is intriguing and you want to find out more about this secret Ava is carrying.
There’s a constant kind of tension and unease about the story, which makes you feel unsettled. It keeps you reading to find out what is happening and find the answers to all the many questions. I really felt sorry for Ava and wanted her to have a happy ending, but also knew she was keeping secrets of her own which would have to come out sometime too…

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me access to this prior to publication.
I had a really hard time getting into this one. It was a little slow for the first 1/3, then it got a little chaotic and fast and all of a sudden it was over. So I’m not sure what to say about this. I wanted to like it more than I did.

Twisty, over the top plotline executed with skill and an entertaining read. Ava leads a quiet life as head librarian at the Tate Modern. But she's haunted by the past, and it seems the past is back to haunt her too.

Ava has her dream job as a librarian at the Tate. It’s a perfect job for her because she loves to work alone. Her best friend is always encouraging her to get out more and date. When Ava rejects a man at the bar she’s walking away when she hears, ‘you’ll be sorry’. Then strange things start happening and she’s afraid the man she rejected is out to get her.

I enjoy this author’s books. They make you think and trying to figure out the twists is part of the experience. This is a slow building book with a surprising ending. Ava is stronger than she gives herself credit for. The story takes place over a few days and is a quick read. If you like strong female characters, you will want to check out this book.

So many twists in this book, and all linked to an event that happened ten years earlier. I could never have imagined how it would all tie up, but what an ending. Brilliant story . I loved it !!! Worth far more than five stars

This was a very entertaining read. I enjoyed the plot and I thought it was unique, there was a major sense of fear of the main characters past which wasn’t disclosed to the reader until near the end. I enjoyed the pace of this book as it wasn’t too fast but it did pick up when incidents happened. The ending became very sinister and this is when Ava’s past catches up with her and everything gets revealed.

I thought Ava, the main character, was definitely introverted and she was an over-thinker. In between these incidents that took place, she would ponder over what happened and who could have done it. She managed to work out some answers on her own but she did get deceived at some points during the book. I like how the author made Ava a character would could work things out on her own because it showed how she was independent and determined. Ava’s friend Poppy is the opposite of Ava, she is carefree and extroverted, I liked the dynamic between the duo and how well they get along. Ava’s sister, Judy, also has an important role in Ava’s life and she goes through her own traumatic events in the book.

This book was well written and as I mentioned before, the pace was good. The beginning started slow as the reader was being introduced to new characters and the world building but it picked up a few chapters in. I found this book was gripping and it was a page turner, I couldn’t wait to find out the truth behind it all. There were many twists in this book which made me want to carry on reading. The ending was satisfying and it gave the characters closure on all the events that happened.

I highly recommend this book and this author, I would love to go back and read more from this author.

The story gives you a quick build up that convinces the librarian, Ava Warrington, that someone, possibly the man she rejected at the pub, is setting her up with continuous small incidents that are progressively getting worse. But maybe, the incidents are related to her past, a repeated topic that is slowly explained as Ava tries to find the source of her current troubles. While this storyline may not be original, the twists and unexpected characters Valerie Keogh sets up the reader for a very unique reveal. This was a quick read for me, finished in an afternoon.

The Librarian by Valerie Keogh

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

Since that fateful night I have always kept myself to myself. Reserved. Private. Alone.

Some people think I am too quiet. That life is passing me by. But I know there is safety in my own company. That no one can hurt me if I don’t let them get too close.

Until the day I meet him. A handsome, charming stranger. A chance for me to take a risk…finally?

Or a man who threatens everything I’ve worked so hard for?

You’ll be sorry…

And that’s when my whole life begins to fall apart….

My Opinion

When Ava is persuaded to go out for the night with her friend Poppy she has no idea that her life is about to change. Ava is already jumpy from previous events so when weird things start happening around her she is very on edge.

An entertaining thriller that makes for a great read. This was the first book that I have read by Valerie Keogh and what a clever book it was. The first chapter was enough to grab my attention.

Rating: 4/5

Talk about the past coming back to haunt you, bloody hell. What a gripping, dark, and disturbing read. I was hooked! It was a very mysterious read with too many coincidences for my liking. I was beside Ava the whole way, from losing her job to her best friend to her sister and finally all the little strange things. I was shocked Ava didn't go mental herself. She is one determined woman who knows who is behind everything. Or at least she thinks she does. A clever read. Messed up. Toxic. Brilliant ending. A well-deserved four stars from me.

WOW! This was one hell of a crazy ride that had me flying though the Pages. The twists had doubting every little thing we were told. After finishing this I thought to myself just how far would someone go to get revenge? If you love a twisty fast-paced thriller then this is perfect