Ava Warrington is head librarian at the Tate Modern. She had dreams of travelling after her degree in fine arts and working in Europe, but after a traumatic incident at University, leading to a student’s death, she decided to do a graduate degree in librarianship and now ten years later feels lucky to have a job combining art and books. However, during lunch at a bistro with her best friend Poppy, she has an encounter with a man who threatens her for refusing his advances in a way she finds chilling. After that strange things start to happen including a dreadful accident at work means she may lose her job and Ava starts to feel that these events must be connected to the man in the bistro.

For the first half of the novel, this psychological suspense is a slow burn as strange events start to mount up and we gradually learn what happened to Ava at University to cause her to become timid and reserved. However, just as Ava’s inner thoughts about the man in the bistro start to sound overly repetitive and paranoid, the suspense really ramps up. For me the plot required some suspension of belief, but overall the novel would make a good weekend or beach read with some good twists and turns and an excellent scene at the end involving Ava and her sister Judy.

This was my first, but hopefully not last, read from Valerie Keogh. I feel I have 'found' another author to add to my list of favourites!

The Librarian was an engaging psychological thriller - I struggled to put it down, and couldn't wait to pick up again at any opportunity!

The story see's protagonist Ava (the librarian), living a nice, (if slightly dull) life, arrange to meet her best friend Poppy for lunch in a bar, one Saturday afternoon. Poppy is on the hunt for a new man, and doesn't waste time when she sees a couple of men she likes the look off. When Ava returns from the loo, she finds Poppy getting cosy with one of the men, and makes her excuses. As Ava leaves the bar she is prepositioned by the other handsome man, and is disturbed by the malevolence she feels radiate from him when she thwarts his advances. Is this event the catalyst to some crazy events that see Ava in serious hot water at work? I won't even hint at the other events that follow, as I wouldn't want to spoil this book for anyone else fortunate enough to pick it up!

As will no doubt be clear by now, this is a book I wouldn't hesitate to recommend!

My thanks to NetGalley, author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an advance copy.

A librarian with laser focus…….

Book Information

The Librarian was written by Valerie Keogh. It’s due to be published on April 21, 2023 and is 281 pages. Keogh is a bestselling international author of crime and psychological thriller series. Thanks to Boldwood Books for providing me with an advanced reader copy for review.

Summary

Ava Warrington holds the coveted position of Head Librarian at the Tate Modern, a dream job that she adores. The peaceful and serene atmosphere of the library provides her with an escape from the painful memories of her past. A decade earlier, during her university days, Ava experienced a traumatic incident that still haunts her. Despite her sister's assurances that it was not her fault, she can't shake off the feeling of guilt.

One night, Ava's best friend Poppy convinces her to step out of her comfort zone and join her at a local bistro. While Poppy finds love, Ava has an uncomfortable encounter with a persistent man. After finally extricating herself from the situation, the man ominously warns her that she will regret her actions.

Strange things start to happen to Ava, leaving her wondering if the man from the bistro is behind it all. But what is his motive, and how does he know her? The haunting memories of her past and the ominous warning from the man begin to merge, as Ava tries to unravel the mystery and discover the truth behind the strange events happening in her life.

My Thoughts

The Librarian is an engaging, well-written book that is easy to read. The story starts off quickly with an exciting incident, but then takes some time to rebuild momentum as the protagonist, Ava, worries and ponders. However, once the story picks up pace, it becomes a thrilling rollercoaster ride.

The book is full of twists and turns, keeping readers guessing until the end. There are plenty of red herrings and surprises that will keep you on the edge of your seat. While some of the surprises may be expected, not all of them are predictable. The suspense and tension steadily build up throughout the book, leading to a satisfying conclusion.

Overall, The Librarian is an enjoyable read. Despite the slow build (and a small confusing reveal at the end which I found unnecessary), the book is a quick and entertaining page-turner that will keep you engaged until the very end.

Recommendation

For readers who enjoy engaging "who done it" stories with relatable characters and plenty of twists and turns, The Librarian is a fantastic choice. I recommend it.

Rating

3.5 Quiet Stars

A twisted and slow psychological thriller. An easy but long winded read with unbelievable characters.

Ava is haunted by an incident that happened ten years ago at university. Now working as a librarian at the Tate and living in Streatham she tries hard to not let the events of her past get to her. Can she ever get away from her past though? Along with her outgoing friend Poppy she goes to a bistro and then the story really picks up its pace. Don’t want to say too much without giving anything away but this had twists and turns and kept me guessing right to the end. Believable characters and some real look over your shoulder moments. I really felt for Ava and wanted everyone to take her seriously! This is the first Valerie Keogh book I’ve read but I don’t think it’ll be my last! Thanks to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I love reading Valerie Keogh's' novels and The Librarian went to the top of my reading pile.

I really enjoyed reading about Ava. Ava is a librarian working at the Tate in London. She loves her job immensely. We know immediately that Ava has had an awful past experience, and the writer leaves us needing to know what - there are hints of what happened throughout the novel but we have no idea of what occurred until much later in the book.

Ava lives alone and meets her friend Poppy one evening, Poppy is a "good time gal" who enjoys drinking and men. At the restaurant Poppy meets a man and Ava decides to head home, upon leaving the bistro a man asks her to stay but she says no, his response is quite negative and scary. Ava's life is then thrust into disarray and lots of things begin to happen to her and Ava can only relate it to the Bistro Man.

I will not give too much away in this review but it is a really good read. I did find the text quite repetitive at times and I personally feel the blurb does not match the context of the book, but it is a good read with a few twists and turns.

Thanks to NetGalley, Valerie Keogh and the publishers for allowing me a copy of this novel in exchange for my review.



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I did not enjoy this book at all. It was an extremely slow read which I had to force myself to finish.

The Librarian By Valerie Veogh is the story about a woman whos past has come back to haunt her.
A bit of a slow burn at the start, The Librarian quickly turns into a fast paced thrill ride as we try, along with Ava, to put the pieces together.
I really enjoyed the story and look forward to reading more from this author.
Please find attached my spoiler free youtube review.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVuoCbgulN8

I'm usually a huge fan of this author. I thought a librarian who works at the Tate thriller would be all my favorite things in one! Unfortunately, this book was so slow. 20 percent in and NOTHING had happened. I really dislike when people say a book is slow, but I felt it this time. I wasn't invested in the characters and it felt predictable. But. I'm a fan of the author, so others may find this a great read and I will definitely check out her next one! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Boldwood Books & NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I went into this thriller not knowing much, because the description was a little vague. I soon found out I wouldn’t be able to put it down.

We meet Ava and learn about her very simple (yet satisfying to her) life as a librarian. After meeting a stranger at a bistro with her best friend Poppy, she turns him down for a drink and he tells her “you’ll be sorry”.

The rest of the story is about all the strange things that begin happening to Ava after meeting that man, and hearing him utter those words. Mysterious dead birds, her best friend going MIA, being suspended from her job. And all she can think about is was this all because she turned down that man for a drink, or does it have to do with an incident ten years prior when she was in university.

A fast paced thriller, with a shocking ending. This story will have you greedily turning each page to try and help Ava solve the mystery of what is going on in her life and why/who is causing it.

I recently read another of Valerie Keoghs and when I saw this one was keen to read. Brilliant story about a woman who wants to lead a quiet, subdued life. It doesn’t turn out that way however despite her best efforts. Great characters and storyline that kept me awake to read more!!

I didn’t enjoy this one much. Not as good as others I’ve read so I was a little disappointed. It was very slow and I found the story irritated me. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Another great twisty, mystery thriller. Set in the tate library!!! Brilliant story with dark and somewhat funny parts, highly recommended xx

Another cracking read from this brilliant psychological thriller author.

This was a unique and intriguing storyline with lots of twists and turns which kept the reader on their toes. This started off as a slow burner and then picked up pace as the suspense and tension mounted. I was hooked from the first page and couldn’t put it down

I was glad that a read most of this book in broad daylight as I think it would have made me very jumpy in parts at bedtime.

Highly recommend this author if you haven’t read her books before as each book is even better than the last. I can’t wait for her next one.

I have read the authors previous 2 psychological thrillers and loved them
The Librarian was a quick punchy read with the story revolving around the main character of Ava’ and her past catching her up and now affecting her,her friends and her family…… what happened in her past is revealed in stages throughout the book which keeps the readers interest until the ending where all is revealed
I loved the book being set in the Tate and did like the character of Ava,the story built in tension and although did sometimes cause a ‘surely she would realise’ thought on the whole was a good read
Look forward to the authors next book

Thank you Net Galley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read this fast-paced book. It's a quick read and tells the story of one woman's search for the truth of what happened 10 years ago. An incident occurred at university and has caused Ava to maintain a low profile. She's paranoid much of the time and leads a quiet life as a librarian. Then several unexplainable incidents occur, and she tries to figure out if there is a connection to her past. She appears weak but, when necessary, finds her strength and solves the mystery of her past. She's loyal and the kind of friend everyone deserves putting others' needs before her own. I recommend the book though it's predictable and the end is a bit too unrealistic.

The Librarian by Valerie Keogh follows Ava, a young woman working as a librarian for the Tate Modern, as she deals with the ten year anniversary of an incident in her past and new strange occurrences that start happening after she has a distressing encounter with a man at her local Bistro. It seems like someone is out to get her and she can’t help but think it’s all connected to her past.

This book was a quick, fun read and the short chapters made it easy to fly through. I thought Ava was a likable character as well as her friend, Poppy, and sister, Judy, who both provided a nice contrast to Ava’s overcautious personality. I thought the plot was a little weak and the end reveals didn’t make much sense to me so you probably have to suspend your disbelief with this one. And the writing felt a little repetitive at times, especially with all the paranoia Ava was feeling and I could have done without it being mentioned in almost every chapter. But overall this was a fun popcorn thriller and I recommend it for readers new to the thriller genre and also for those who enjoy British thrillers!

**Thank you to the publisher Boldwood Books and NetGalley for this eARC!**

Truly an enjoyable read. This book kept me enthralled till I finished it. It builds up the suspense beautifully as we try to understand what is really happening to Ava. Highly recommend this book and look forward to more by this author. Thanks to Negalley, the author and publisher for this ARC.

Such a great book and well written. I enjoyed the many twists and turns of the plot and so much mystery involved.

Ava Warrington works at Tate Modern as their head librarian, which is her dream job. Something happened during her university days that makes her cautious and more reserved than she would’ve been. She arranges to meet her friend, Poppy, at a bistro and Poppy hooks up with a handsome stranger, leaving Ava to fend for herself. A man tries to persuade Ava to have a drink with him but when she turns him down, he starts to get nasty. As she walks away, he tells her that she’ll be sorry.

A really great read that had me hooked. Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.