1.5 stars.

This could've been so good but it just wasn't unfortunately. A very near DNF but some others had said the twist ending was good so I kept going. Personally I don't think it was worth it.

Sorry :(.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

Nope...nope...definitely not *said in my Olivander voice from Harry Potter.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

I hate to say what so many people are saying but this just wasnt it. The idea of this book was so cool if it has been delivered a different way. The characters were either dull and uninteresting or way over the top. Between that and the slow pace, I couldn't connect at all.

I loved the premise of this book and the setting. Unfortunately I was really disappointed in the story and the twist. None of the characters were likable and the plot was literally unbelievable. I have a strong tolerance for suspension of disbelief but I just could not get there with this book.

There wasn’t any real time spent on the ritual itself or even any of the deaths or major elevating plot points. Any of the elements, the rare book library, the Eleusyinian Mysteries, the murders, could have been focused on and really hooked me but everything seemed so tenuously woven together. Just enough continuity to keep the book going but not enough to absorb me.

It was somewhat interesting for the moments I could suspend disbelief and, again, the premise and the setting were so promising but ultimately I was disappointed.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

That Night in the Library was not really what I was expecting. I thought there was going to be a lot more intrigue around cult like rituals and secret library societies. Instead, we follow a group of (mostly) graduating college students as they spend the night in the dark basement of the library and proceed to murder each other because no one trusts anyone and most of them are high on drugs.

I wanted to enjoy this book, but it fell flat for me. It is the night before college graduation and a group of seniors secretly hideout in the basement of the library after hours for an ancient ritual. I was disappointed from the beginning of the book, but had high hopes it would pick up. It didn't. Others might feel differently about this title, but I would have rated it a zero if I could have.

Davey and six invited guests agree to spend the night before their graduation in the basement of a Vermont university campus's rare book library. Each person has a connection to the library as a worker, student, or family member of a donor. Davey plans to replicate the ritual of the Homeric hymn to Demeter. Relationships and trust begin to unravel as events turn deadly. That Night in the Library is truly an academic locked room novel with its setting and literary references.

I have very mixed feelings about this book. It was super slow and difficult to keep interested in, but the twists were really good. I think if this book was reworked it could be much better.

The setup of this book is compelling for lovers of locked-room murder mysteries, secret rituals, and the gothic feel of old, deserted libraries late at night. However, the plot and characters of this book did not live up to the promise of its premise. One issue I had when reading was the rapid switches between character points of view, especially in such a tight/closed situation. It might have been more effective to pick fewer characters to tell the story and develop them further, as I never really connected with any of the characters. At times, it felt like the novel became overstuffed with the dark academia/Secret History-esqe tropes that are popular now, and the final twists felt underthought.

Oh my goodness. I can say one thing that this novel did really well - I can genuinely say that I never saw the twist coming. That is about the only good thing I can say about this cross between The Secret History and Lord of the Flies. A group of graduate students locks themselves in the basement of an old research library with no emergency exits to perform a secret Greek ritual (that's The Secret History.) One of them dies and everything falls apart (that's the Lord of the Flies.) No one is trustworthy, no one is likable, and at the end of the day, no one cares. An easy skip unless dark academia is your favorite genre.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

What could go wrong when students plan to do a ritual in the basement of the library the night before graduation?

What a slow burn!

This story had multiple points of view, but not from each of the main characters. It was interesting to get a little back story about each of the characters, but things got a little muddled before the end. I felt like I only knew most characters at a surface level. It still made me keep turning to the next page to see what would happen.

The space of the basement of the library seemed massive while reading it, but the layout still leaves you wondering about each part and how it may look in real life. I still have lots of questions since finishing it…

Thank you so much to the author, Eva Jurczyk, Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for an eARC of That Night in the Library!

Tragically, I don't think this author is for me!

I loved the concept, but had such a hard time with the third person omniscient, as well as the mass amounts of telling. Further, I had a hard time understanding how so several people would agree to break into a library and do drugs as part of a ritual they don't really know about, with a bunch of strangers?!

Still, very grateful to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc--I really thought I'd love this one!

This is a locked door thriller that takes place in a library with a group of college friends.
I was excited to read it going in, but I struggled to get into the book. Too many characters and not enough development. I just wasn’t that invested.
It did keep me mildly entertained and I would try another book from this author.
Thank you

Well - this is one book where I definitely did NOT see what was coming at the end! While I didn’t love the book - I couldn’t stop reading! I was engaged and needed to know “who dun it”. I so wanted to love this book - dark and twisty and real sounding characters, seeped in academic politics, set in a library - lots of fabulous elements. In the end, it just felt like too much… That said, it’s gripping and fast paced! Thanks to Net Galley for an ARC and the opportunity to review.

While I love a book that grips me and forces me to abandon all things for it sometimes other books can be good without making you feel as if you need to ignore life. When reading this book, your fully present and enjoy it but it’s not a fast paced thriller that will consume you. The slow burn of this book leaves you wondering why would these students need to do this ritual at this time in the semester and who benefits… then when you figure that out maybe it will lead you to the root of who murdered whom!

That Night in the Library is a tantalizing locked room mystery. When a group if college students decide to recreate a Greek ritual that centers around a death they get way more than they bargained for as the bodies pile up and a night of terror ensues.

This book had a lot of promise, with an interesting and self absorbed cast of characters and good use of misdirection and changing suspicions over who the killer was. Unfortunately the character development was uneven, focusing more on some characters than others and it missed the opportunity to really root the mystery in the Greek ritual the gathering centered around.

I really liked the way the author was able to unbalance your perspective of who the villain was and kept you guessing about who was to blame. However the pacing was very erratic with a lot of downtime and then sudden upswing of action.

In "That Night in the Library," Eva Jurczyk crafts a chilling narrative that ensnares readers in a web of suspense and intrigue from the very first page. Set against the backdrop of a university's rare books library, this locked room mystery unravels with a sinister intensity that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the final, cut-throat twist.

The story follows seven students who, on the eve of their graduation, embark on a ritual borrowed from ancient Greek tradition. However, their plans take a terrifying turn when the lights suddenly go out, and one of them is found dead. Trapped within the confines of the library, the remaining students must confront their deepest fears as they face the looming threat of a murderer in their midst.

Jurczyk's prose is as captivating as it is atmospheric, expertly weaving together elements of suspense, horror, and psychological tension. Each character is meticulously crafted, their flaws and vulnerabilities laid bare as they grapple with the terrifying reality of their situation. As the body count rises and secrets come to light, the tension escalates to a fever pitch, leaving readers breathless with anticipation.

What sets "That Night in the Library" apart is its masterful blend of literary sophistication and pulse-pounding suspense. Jurczyk deftly explores themes of mortality, identity, and the power of storytelling, all while keeping readers guessing until the very end. With its immersive setting and spine-tingling plot, this is a novel that will haunt you long after you've turned the final page.

In conclusion, "That Night in the Library" is a must-read for fans of gripping psychological thrillers and classic locked room mysteries. Eva Jurczyk proves herself to be a master of the genre, delivering a tale that is as thought-provoking as it is spine-chilling. Prepare to be enthralled, enchanted, and utterly terrified by this unforgettable literary masterpiece.

That Night in the Library by Eva Jurczyk follows a group of seven (5 grad students, 1 drug dealer and his friend) that are having a ritual in the basement of the school library. Soon they are trapped and high on acid when the lights go out and everything is dark. One by one the 7 are being picked off and no one claims to be the killer. Its either be killed next or kill to survive the night. I found that chapeters could have been shorter and that the same concept of the book kept repeating itself. I did like that last 1/4 of the book to the end. I felt like that kept my attention on wanting to know who was behind the killings. I was just an ok read for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this Advanced Reader’s Copy in exchange for a fair review, appearing on Goodreads.
A fun college-age mystery full of characters with human flaws and all of the angst and bravado that college students have . Fun premise of students locking themselves into the basement of a library overnight -only for it to go horribly wrong. The cast of characters are stereotypical like The Breakfast Club, but nonetheless after a VERY slow start- almost excruciatingly slow, the pace picks up.
3*
Not for my historical fiction book club, but younger audiences than me will like it.

We as a community need to start gatekeeping the Secret History!! I am dead tired of reading knockoffs that aim for but fall short of the atmosphere and intricacy of character that cause you to root for morally corrupt people even as you recognize their flaws. Without this skillful character design, you are left with a collection of mean, boring characters rattling around in a tropey murder mystery loosely garbed in ~dark academia~ vibes. I have to give a few points for the author taking a jab at the White, colonial roots of the ''dark academia'' trope but this is ironically nullified by the excruciatingly pretentious tone and the degree to which every theme is a blunt weapon aimed at your brain without the slightest hint of subtlety or self-awareness.