A slightly slow start but worth persevering with. Ava holds the prestigious role of Head Librarian at the Tate Modern and enjoys the quiet life. However, she lives in fear of a secret from her college days coming back to haunt her. When Ava begins to experience strange things happening to her, she believes it is the work of the nameless man she turned down in a bar but struggles to convince anyone around her of this. Is it all in her mind? And is there a link to her dark secret? This did keep me guessing to the end and the ending was not what I expected. However, I did find it a little unbelievable. Despite this, the writing style kept my interest throughout.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.

Ava is a librarian. She loves her job and the quiet life she lives. Her friend Poppy is the glamorous one. An unwelcome chance encounter at a bistro with a man who won’t take no for an answer, shakes Ava’s confidence. Then everything in her life starts to go wrong. Is it all coincidence, related to this mystery man, or does it relate to an incident in her past?

I enjoyed this. I found it slow, right up until the last wee bit. Ava’s past is teased and is very drawn out. Definitely a decent read.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Valerie Keogh for the opportunity to read the advance copy of THE LIBRARIAN, to be published 21 April 2023. This psychological thriller was a slow burn until about 86 percent of the way through it when it was revealed what the 10 year anniversary of the heroine was all about. I really enjoy this author but I think this novel was a little off - perhaps because a librarian’s life is expected to be quiet with fewer psychological events occurring. 4/5 Stars. #NetGalley. #BoldwoodBooks. #ValerieKeogh

The book started well, but then slowed in the middle. That said, I enjoyed reading the book, and got the killer wrong. I would recommend this, and was hooked through mist of it.

I couldn't get into this book. I managed a few chapters but it didn't click for me. That said, I do like this author, so I may have a break and try it again sometime, if I do I will update my review.

This was a slow burning thriller, with not a lot happening until the middle to end of the book, so sadly I didn't really enjoy this. I struggled to get invested in the characters and storyline. It overall felt very repetitive with Ava's monologue, although the ending was good I felt it couldn't make up for the lack of storyline.

Truly page turning thrill read that will keep you going till you get to the last page.

The Librarian by Valerie Keogh is about Ava a librarian who has her dream job working in the Tate. Ava believes she is an easy pushover as her best friend Poppy told her she can’t say no to other people. Whilst having a trip out with Poppy a moody looking man won’t take no for an answer.. what a way to finally saw no and this is what happens. After this daunting moment has been over and done after a farewell warning Ava’s life starts crumbling and everything and everyone around isn’t safe. We learn about a backstory 10 years prior but the thrill and suspense keeps you guessing who and what is behind this turn of events for Ava.

Ava is a very likeable character as is all the characters around, I only disliked the one but the way they were all portrayed was very well.. you felt for them and got angry with them for what is going on. You wanted to push them and tell them go on!!

The librarian is a very well written thrill/suspense book that straightaway from the first pages keep you on your toes and wanted to read till the end to see what becomes of Ava.

I loved this book and would recommend to all fellow readers who enjoy a good thrill/suspense read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this amazing ARC in exchange of an honest review.

5*

A thriller that I found difficult to stop reading. A lot of tension, fear and doubt kept me reading towards the resolution. Ava is a character that I found very likable and wanted to route for. I liked the details of her daily life and how it was interrupted by circumstances beyond her control and how she coped. I want to read all of this author's books since I liked this so much. Very exciting read!

In my opinion this was a slow burner, nothing much happens until around halfway through. It was an enjoyable read after that, with a good twist that you don’t expect. The characters were okay.. apart from the narrator who I found rather annoying. The story itself could have been better but the ending made up for it, although the style of writing was perfect.
This is the first book I have read by this author, I’ll be keeping my eye out for more in the future.
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a honest review.

ABBA isn’t enjoying her life as much as a paranoid person can. She barks at the tape museum in London and lives in a terrorist house given to her by her parents one day with her and her best friend poppy go out to a tavern a guy asked her if he could buy her a drink when she says no he tries to insist. Ava is not in the mood and she finally makes her escape but while leaving she hears him say you’re going to regret it! She tries to blow it off but strange things instantly start happening there’s a painting better ruin by what looks like her laser at work and she has put on leave but the head of security doorwood believes she isn’t at fault and says he will help her unfortunately on his way home that night he is murdered ever knows this is targeted towards her but who could be doing this she thinks it all has to do with the man she refused to have a drink with at the tavern and although stranger things have happened more of her loved ones will be in danger before she finds out the truth. I love Valerie keels thrillers/mysteries they always keep you on the edge of your seat and although this one wasn’t as good as some of her books it’s still a book I highly recommend I think she is one of the best riders when it comes to the Chandra and I always look so forward to her books the librarian is a mystery/thriller about how even when we forget they may be someone else out there who hasn’t. I love this book and highly recommend it I did think alba got annoying with her paranoia but it all made for one quirky character and I definitely was rooting for her by the end of the book despite her mistakes. I received this book from NetGalley and Bookoucher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

I found this book to be a very slow start with a lot of inner monologue.

Honestly it was a DNF for me. After 28% completed I still didn’t have any suspense to keep me reading

An engaging thriller with lots of twists and turns. Kept me on the edge-of-my-seat from beginning to end,

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great psychological thriller.
Ava likes a quiet life but when things start to happen around her, she becomes very unsettled.
It’s the ten year anniversary of an incident which Ava can’t forget and this is also playing on her mind.
When a friend who tries to help her gets killed, Ava knows she needs to find the man who she thinks is responsible, before anyone else gets hurt.
This is a gripping psychological that I really enjoyed.
Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

As a librarian, by degree not occupation, I am obligated to read all books about librarians and libraries.
I am glad I read this one, although I Hated Ava for ruining her Victorian home by putting in an open concept kitchen and probably painting it all white and gray. She is definately the type to do that. I didn't feel like she deserved the stuff at her job.
I liked it. I liked the end. I hope Ava learns how to relax a little.

I rounded up but would give this a 3.5 stars

I am a sucker for this kind of psychological thriller, and what drew my attention was how unusual it is for the quiet life of a librarian to center around this type of genre.

Ava is a librarian who lives a quiet life ever since something that happened ten years before that changed her and her dreams for her future.. One night she goes out for drinks with her friend Poppy and has an unnerving interaction with a man that leaves her unsettled. From that moment on things begin to go wrong for her and she can't help but wonder if it is connected or if it has to do with what happened all those years earlier
.
While this book started off grabbing my attention, I found the plot to be somewhat flimsy. It took a long time to build, and most of the details were so sparse that I struggled to care because she seemed to be getting so worked up about nothing. Once things started to come together at the end it picked up and I rather enjoyed the ending. I just feel that the book would have had more weight if we would have known more of "the incident" earlier in the book.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this ebook for an honest review.

A quick, twisty read with lots of scary scenes! It is well laid out with good character development and plenty to keep you engaged. Another hit from Ms. Keough!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC!

I like how Valerie Keogh writes. The Librarian is anything but dull. This librarian, Eva, experiences a few seemingly odd mishaps that might, coincidentally, be related to a chance encounter with a stranger but as the story twists and turns you won’t be sure until the very end. It’s a page turner!
Thank You to NetGalley, Boldwood Books, and Valerie Keogh for the opportunity to enjoy this ARC.

A good read. Something happened to Ava 10 years ago that has shaped her life ever since even though she’s tried to put it to the back of her mind. A strange meeting leads to lots of twists and turns and unexpected events.
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Having read a previous book by this author I was excited to be granted The Libarian. Unfortunately this book did not live up to my expectations- it referred to an incident which happened 10 years ago to Ava, the main character. I found this book to be very banal, repetitive and managed to reach the end but for me it was a hard slog.

This was a story with potential and yet despite some interesting twists at the end, fell short for me.

Ava is a librarian at Tata Modern. Many of her friends graduated and travelled abroad getting into fancier jobs, but she is content as she loves her job and has a nice house her parents have given her. There is an incident from 10 years back, when she was in college, which continues to prey on her mind. Her sister Judy and good friend Poppy urge her to move on and have some fun in life. Poppy appears to be having Ava’s share of fun as well. One day Ava and Poppy visit a pub for a drink. Poppy gets chatting with a man very quickly. Another man approaches Ava, offering her a drink. She feels uneasy in his presence and declines. The man aggressively pursues her and when she moves away, warns her that she will be sorry. After this incident, a lot of things go wrong for her – she is suspended at her job, a dead bird is outside her window, and she feels unsafe. She feels the man from the pub is most likely involved as she has no other known enemies.

The story could have done with some more plot depth and despite a twist at the end, it still feels very usual for this genre. There are repeated references to the incident 10 years back with the details being revealed only near the end, and I found this very repetitious and tedious to read. The book does build good tension around Ava, but I found many aspects including incidents involving a couple of friends who try to help to be force-fitted.