A group of students decide to hide in a rare book library for a ritual party. From the beginning, things don’t turn out the way they plan. When a member of the group dies, panic sets in and they find themselves turning against each other and not knowing who to trust. It was a fast read, and i liked hearing the story from the different narrators. But I had a hard time getting invested in the outcome.

I received an early copy through Netgalley, but all opinions are my own.

From the moment I cracked open "That Night in The Library," I was hooked. I finished within a day because I simply could not put the book down. This enthralling mystery kept me guessing until the very last page, weaving a web of intrigue that had me eagerly turning each page in search of answers. What sets this book apart is its masterful incorporation of Greek mythology, particularly the timeless tale of Persephone. The author seamlessly intertwines these mythic elements into the narrative, adding depth and resonance to the story's twists and turns.

The author's skillful storytelling keeps the reader on their toes, never quite sure who to trust or what to believe. With each revelation and twist, the true identity of the villain remains tantalizingly elusive, keeping readers guessing until the final reveal. It's a testament to the author's talent that they are able to maintain such a high level of suspense and tension throughout the narrative, keeping readers eagerly on the edge of their seats until the very last page.

In conclusion, "That Night in The Library" is a gripping tale of mystery and myth, expertly crafted to keep readers enthralled from beginning to end. With its clever references to Greek mythology, compelling characters, and relentless sense of suspense, it is a book that will linger in the mind long after the final chapter has been read.

I love a good whodunit book. Seven students who work at a prestigious library spend the night in there. Who survives?
It was a slow start, but about the middle of the book it starts picking up and turns into a quick read. There are quite a bit of twists and turns to make you think. Overall, good book!
I received this book from NetGalley.

This one kept me guessing until the very end.

A group of friends, strangers, and frenemies gather in the basement of their university’s library on the night before graduation. Among the rare books collection, they begin an ancient Greek ritual, but events quickly spiral into chaos when one of them drops dead. To top it off… they’re locked in the dark basement until morning comes, fighting to survive the night.

It was hard to get into this story. It starts off slowly, and the majority of the characters aren’t well developed. I also wish the ritual had been described better, as it was sort of glazed over. However, these faults lent themselves to an even more mysterious tone. I was truly terrified at points, and I didn’t figure it out until the very end.

Read if you’re looking for:
🎓dark academia
🔒locked-room mystery
🔪murder
📓unreliable narrators
👓multiple perspectives

3.75/5 ⭐️

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press (I love you.) & NetGalley for the arc. As always, opinions expressed here are entirely honest and my own.

This mystery was very compelling to me and I greatly enjoyed the storytelling aspect. I’m a big fan of this author and I’m glad that I could read another one of her delicious mysteries. I had so much fun reading and I will be recommending!

On the eve of their graduation, seven students convene in the basement of their university's rare books library. Despite the prohibition on accessing the library after hours, they decide to carry out a ritual inspired by the Demeter Persephone story. Little do they know that their actions will result in the death of one of their own.

The subsequent events unfold like a riveting locked room mystery intertwined with elements of slasher horror.

However, their celebrations are cut short when the lights suddenly go out, and one of their friends is found dead. With the body count increasing and only the books as their shield, the group must find a way to outlast the night amidst a faceless killer. As the remaining students find themselves trapped with a murderer, they must employ their wits to survive the night. This night, on the threshold of embarking on their respective paths in life, seems like the perfect time to turn to the wisdom of ancient gods.

Throughout this gripping narrative, the reticent narrator Faye's internal monologue adds a remarkable touch as she chronicles the frantic and terrifying events that unfold within the confines of the library's basement cage.

Jurczyk skillfully crafts a shocking ending that leaves readers stunned, while expertly delivering spine-chilling moments laden with a sense of narcissistic malevolence and suffocating claustrophobia.

Each character is meticulously developed, allowing readers to delve into their hidden secrets and unveil them gradually, heightening the suspense. That Night in the Library emerges as a chilling literary mystery that transports readers to a world where secrets reside in darkness, books breathe life into fears, and the only escape is to await the arrival of dawn.

This novel exudes an extraordinary atmosphere and presents an intriguing concept, intertwining mystery, horror, and thriller elements.

The initial premise may not be wholly original, but the infusion of Greek mythology and related references adds a captivating layer.

Not bad but not that great either. So I gave it 3 stars. It could have been better but it just wasn't it. Thank you Netgalley.

This is a locked room thriller where seven very different characters meet in the basement of their university's rare books library in order to carry out a strange Greek ritual designed to make them free from the fear of death. None of them are particularly likeable or a good fit as friends. They are doing this on the eve of their departure from this place, but as they are about to find out, not everybody will depart as planned...

Shortly after their arrival, the lights go out, and the first person is discovered dead. A fairly violent massacre follows, with the students looking for places to hide, terrified and locked into the library until morning.

The premise here is not particularly original, but the Greek element and the related references add as a nice touch. The pacing of the story is a little off, and at times the writing feels like it could use some editing. But there are some good twists in the story telling, and the conclusion is unpredictable enough to be satisfying.

That Night in the Library by new to me author E. Juczyk, published by PPen Press, is a full length. stand alone.
A thriller that grips you and doesn't let go anmore. Twisty and full of unexpected turns the book kept me in suspense til the last page.
Blurb:
One night locked in the library. What could go wrong?

On the night before graduation, seven students gather in the basement of their university's rare books library. They're not allowed in the library after closing time, but it's the perfect place for the ritual they want to perform—one borrowed from the Greeks, said to free those who take part in it from the fear of death. And what better time to seek the wisdom of ancient gods than in the hours before they'll scatter in different directions to start their real lives?

But just a few minutes into their celebration, the lights go out—and one of them drops dead. As the body count rises, with nothing but the books to protect them, the group must figure out how to survive the night while trapped with a murderer. That Night in the Library is a chilling literary mystery that transports readers to a world where secrets live in the dark, books breathe fears to life, and the only way out is to wait until morning.

This was a little helter skelter for me. For a book under 300 pages, there were quite a few boring parts, followed by super intense parts. The pacing needs to be worked on. The good parts were very good, though. The characters were insufferable but what college students aren’t, right?

This book is absolutely bonkers and the ending is a total WHAT THE HECK (I went back and re-read a couple of things to make sure all the details made sense); but it was a very clever locked room mystery and if you're a fan of the genre, this is a crazy ride you should take.

Wow wow wow!,!,!!! This was so good! What a fun premise. The Greek tie ins were so good! This was a fun dark academia book!

I am an absolute sucker when it comes to locked room mysteries so I was very excited to read this book, especially when it's a locked room mystery that takes place in the library. It sounds like the best mystery ever.

Is that being said, it was a little bit of a letdown. The story itself was good and very entertaining. There's definitely some intense thrilling moments and the mystery was decent. However, the resolution was not entirely believable.

This book revolves around seven people who are all invited to this sort of ceremony that will take place overnight in the library at their school. They're very mixed bag of people, not the kind of group that you would necessarily see together.

All of the characters did feel very flushed out and well developed. So through the course of the book you do get to know more about them and little secrets that they're hiding that does help build some of the suspense.

All in all, I would say that if you're looking for a traditional kind of YA locked room mystery then this is definitely one that you should pick up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an arc in exchange for an honest review

I really loved the idea of this novel, but I did not enjoy it much. The pacing, to me, felt very slow up until the end. I also felt like there were numerous moments where I was reading page after page of completely useless information. I get building your world, characters, and your story, but they were just completely irrelevant. I also felt like the writing was hard to follow. I did like that the chapters were short, but overall it just never really held my attention.

You had me at Library. Anything involving books or libraries will draw me in. I was ready for something epic but this story fell short for me. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it but this scenario has been done too many times. College kids, drugs, death. Same old story. I did like reading things from every characters POV. I wish there was a bit more character development. There wasn't a character who stood above the rest. Faye was intriguing to me but I needed more. Overall, an easy read but not one I would be recommending easily.

While I love a mystery that has multiple characters, Suspects, and motives, the circular writing was not for me. I found the characters to be lackluster and only a few were fleshed out. I found the writing to be repetitive which lowered the score for me.
While the body count was right up my alley, I found the motivations and the explanations lacking. The characters were a type of selfish I've never seen before and it did not lean well to my reading experience.

I have never read anything by this author before, but I will be watching out what else they publish! This book kept me on the edge of my seat all the way to the end.

THAT NIGHT IN THE LIBRARY is a twisty, violent whodunnit that I thoroughly enjoyed. When a murder occurs when a group of students is trapped in their library basement, everyone is a suspect. Throughout the night, suspicion shifts around in a compelling, effective way. Definitely recommend for all fans of closed-door mysteries!

This was a fun read with an interesting premise: a group of (mostly) students decide to lock themselves in a college library basement overnight to perform a drug-infused ritual. As a classic whodunnit set-up, it's only a matter of time before someone dies. The reason why I only rated this 3 stars is that after the first death, which was quite creepy, the author didn't bring me along in truly believing any one person might be guilty. The potential motives or lack thereof made the latter portion of the book feel more like a comic bloodbath. While I did not anticipate the ending, and that was satisfying, the plot wasn't quite enough for me.

I love a locked-in mystery, but sometimes it's hard to execute. I think that Jurczyk did a great job at developing the story and the characters. Yet, I just wasn't connected to the story. It could be that I'm reading <i>The Secret History</i> at the same time (similar setting - college in Vermont), or that I want to pick up other books.

There aren't really any likeable characters - which is hard in a locked-in mystery - because you kind of want SOMEONE to root for. Even Faye was frustrating. Not sure if I would recommend this one, but curious to see other readers' reviews once this book is published.