Hazel, Jonathan, Astrid, and Sophie, are employees at a library, and each have secrets they’ve never wanted revealed. They slowly become friends and confidants and when two library patrons are murdered shortly after an inaugural game night at the library, they come under scrutiny, some as possible suspects. Each fear that their carefully built lives will shatter unless they can work together to try to solve the murders and keep their secrets buried.

There's a lot of backstory on each individual, but it's interesting to see why they've done what they've done.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a complex mystery with good character development. There were lots of descriptions, introspection, and info dumps whI like. Yes, there are very clunky time jumps and questionable character motivations. But I liked seeing their backstories and secrets unfold as they worked together, so this was good for me.

A longtime library employee, I avoid books set in libraries. I just never feel that the staff members reflect the coworkers (or patrons) I've known but the characters in The Librarians could fit in to every library I've worked in.

Set in a public library in Austin, Texas, it is told from the perspective of 4 staff members who have rich backstories an even secrets. Hazel is an heiress whose life has become complicated after the death of her sketchy husband. Sophie is the branch head who is terrified that her big secret will be exposed and destroy her life. Astrid is a children's librarian heartbroken after a relationship with a patron ended badly. Jonathan a handsome former athlete who regrets his life before he came out.

The staff members grow closer after a board game program ends with the murders of two patrons. Of course the library staff decides to investigate the crimes.

I really enjoyed this book. If I had a complaint it would be that the solution to the murders is a bit too complicated and takes a long time to conclude but I really enjoyed that our four main characters have positive endings despite their secrets being revealed.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publsiher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

This book follows a group of librarians who all have secrets. When two people wind up dead, the police zero in on the librarians and secrets come to life.

Unfortunately, this book did not work for me. I found the writing to be too descriptive. For example, every time a new character was introduced, the author described a lot about them like their race and what they were wearing. Even when the character was very minor and the details were not needed. The writing was just getting too tedious for me and I found myself getting annoying with all of the descriptors.

I also found the main characters to be annoying. I think the author was tring to make them quirky but instead they just came across as annoying to me. It just didn't feel realistic to me.

The mystery was also obvious to me and just didn't hold my interest.

This book was not for me but I hope others enjoy it.

This book is doing a lot and sometimes too much! It took me a while to settle into the flashback / present format for every character (there are a lot of characters). But once I did, I had a really good time. All of this character setup made it feel like it was the first in a series. If it is, I would gladly read more. Everything winds up neatly at the end, but an author as clever as Thomas could easily unwind a few things for a new adventure.

Such a fun read! A Halloween game night at a small-town library ends with not one, but two murders—and the librarians have to figure it out. Loved the mix of cozy setting, quirky characters, and twisty mystery. Starts a little slow, but once it picks up, I couldn’t put it down.

Hazel recently moved back to Austin, TX, from Singapore, to care for her grandmother (or so she says). After the death of her husband, she learns of his less-than-legal business dealings and needs to separate herself and her own history from him. Upon her return, and job at the local library, Hazel is reunited with the love she lost in her early twenties. Now, she does not know how to move forward and leave the past behind.

Astrid, another member of the library staff, lost herself and replaced it with life story of Swedish farmers (and a Swedish accent). After the death of her lost love, she realizes it is time to come clean and try to find herself and her lovers murderer.

Jonathan, a librarian at the public library, is a well-known local high school athlete (from back in the day) who never understood his feelings until graduation when a party got out of hand. Now, after a class reunion he dreams of a life with Ryan, but will he accept Jonathan after what happened?

Sophie, the library's director, is also running from her past which comes to light after a Halloween-themed game night. After a patron at the event approaches Sophie about her "secret", Sophie knows all may come to light, until she learns of the patrons death of which she is a suspect. Soon, more a dead, and the librarians decide only they can solve these murders.

I liked the premise of The Librarians but the execution is awful. I am a librarian, and I was bored by the descriptions of the "daily" library stuff. It was excessive and did not add to the story. I was also annoyed by Thomas's use of "The Den of Calories" constantly. It was too much unnecessary stuff and not enough substance. Thomas also struggles to tell a cohesive story. The murders were truly unnecessary because she could have created the story without it. It felt like Thomas was focused on the four library workers and their shady pasts instead of the actual murders. The murders were an afterthought. The constant jumping between character's stories and the present day stories is very choppy and often does not connect. I had more questions than I answers while reading. Finally, the cover is very misleading. I thought this was going to be about spy-librarians, but it isn't. It's instead about shady pasts and secrets, not the thrill of a mystery.

The Librarians by Sherry Thomas finds the employees of a branch of the Austin Public Library confronting their own secrets when two mysterious deaths lead back to their doorstep. Thomas delivers a well-plotted, sharp and intriguing mystery with dashes of romance and suspense.

Astrid, a children’s librarian with a suspect Swedish accent, looks up to see a patron approach the beautiful new staff member, Hazel. A patron who she had dated but who then disappeared. Hazel, the granddaughter of an extremely wealthy Singapore family, has returned to Austin to stay with her other grandmother, following the discovery that Hazel’s husband had stolen large amounts of money and art from his clients. Jonathan, the second in charge and Sophie, the branch manager, have their secrets too. Then the disappearing patron/previous love interest is killed. Then a patron attending board game night who seemed to know Sophie, is also killed. Follow along as secrets are revealed, the library staff team becomes a family, and the murders of those patrons become even more connected. Great characters, fast-paced story, intricate secrets and connections, and a perfect library branch based story compose a winner of a mystery.

After a game night at the local library, two patrons are found dead. Both patrons had recent connections to the branch, one attending the game night and the other visiting earlier that day.

This book had a slow build and while I can imagine some people being frustrated and quitting the book, I feel it came together well. There's lots of flashing back in the timeline, either to earlier that week or ages ago, and it takes some time before you understand the whole picture, but that feels pretty familiar for mysteries. I enjoyed it even more once the backstories were revealed and the characters came together. There were lots of plausible suspects and the final guilty party made perfect sense- so it wasn't predictable or a disappointing ending. Plus, I enjoyed the setting and the characters immensely, especially their interactions with each other.

I'd recommend it for anyone who likes mysteries and/or bookish books- especially anyone who loves the two paired together!

the librarians | sherry thomas

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When not one, but two people are found dead after visits to a local library, the librarians find themselves caught up in the police investigation - and band together to find a killer who's a little too closely connected to their inner circle.

As a big fan of Sherry Thomas' Lady Sherlock series, I was so excited to get an advanced copy of this book!

While it was totally different from her historical series, it had a lot of the elements that I love in those that make a good mystery: informational build up! scheming and trickery! secrets and questions! crime and danger!

It was a slower paced story, and some of the technical and political aspects of the mystery were a little hard for me to follow. But in the end it came together and, while I don't feel enthusiastic about it, I thought it was a solid mystery.

THINGS TO LOVE:
+ a local library
+ suspicious behavior
+ lovable characters
+ old flames
+ books!
+ tabletop game nights
+ new friendships


{a gigantic thank you to Sherry, Berkley, and NetGalley for the advanced copy!! Out 9/30/25}

The Librarians is about four quirky and disparate librarians who work in Austin, Texas. After a murder mystery theme event at the library where they work, two patrons are found dead. The librarians work together to solve the mystery.

I wanted to read this book because I am a lifelong mystery fan! The library setting was also appealing.

This is a fun, fast read. As anticipated, I loved the library setting. It took me a bit to get to know/like the librarians but I did and enjoyed their interactions.

The mystery aspect of this novel is well done with several plausible suspects.

I recommend The Librarians for other mystery readers!

3 stars - quite disappointed. I requested this title, "The Librarians" based on the blurb - I work in a library and what could be better than a mystery set in one?? Sadly, it was just not what I expected - way too many characters and emphasis on them & not enough on the mystery. I started skimming, which is never a good sign, sigh. Oh well, marketing did their magic with that cover & blurb, so I don't feel bad about not liking it. My thanks to Net Galley for the advance reader's copy - I always appreciate the opportunity to read/review early, even if the book's a let-down

I must start by thanking both NetGalley as well as the publisher for me eARC in exchange for my honest review.
A much to slow a start to what is such a promising premise, librarians solving crimes! I really enjoyed getting to know the background of the characters, but the mystery left me wanting.

I really wanted to love The Librarians - it sounded perfect: a murder at a small-town library and four quirky staff members with secrets? Sounds like my kind of story. But OMG - What was up with all that boring backstory data dump. Did anyone edit this book?!!!

In addition to the neverending backstories, the time jumps were super confusing and hoenstly, I had no idea how these were all connected. I struggled to connect with any of the characters despite all of the backstory given

And we get it - you know how libraries work, but OMG please do not describe it to me. And by the time the book paid like ANY attention at all to the mystery, I could've cared less I was so bored and confused.
Great concept

This will be an easy recommendation at work. I thought it was just fine, but I think patrons will enjoy it. The way everything wrapped up was both convoluted and too neat but that's mysteries for you!

This is a different type of mystery from Thomas’ historicals. Not sure I was completely sold, although I do enjoy her romance/mysteries. I liked the characters here, but they did not have enough depth for me. The mystery plot seemed thin and a bit contrived. Interactions between the librarians were the best part. I wasn’t completely sold on the romance. Enjoyable, but not her best.

This narrative revolves around the daily life of the four diverse quirky librarians who man a small branch library in Austin. Hazel is looking for a new beginning far from her usual habitat, Astrid is recovering from romantic heartbreak, Sophie is hiding a haunting secret and Jonathan is trying to fit in. When two patrons are found dead in suspicious circumstances following a game night event the co workers quiet lives are upended. As they put their heads together to clear their names and restore the library's normal routine they discover the very human side of their cohorts and form bonds. This was not what I was expecting as the crime solving was pushed to the back burner as the reader explores the back story of the protagonists. At first I was dismayed as I read for the mystery but the characters were all so interesting and their stories so engaging I was sucked in. When the focus returned to the murders and the hunt for the killer the plotting was solid, complicated and convuted unraveling slowly to build tension. I have read some of the author's historical novels and found this departure from her usual fare surpprising but well crafted. It was a slow read and I could have done with a little less romance but overall a good read.

This story was kind of slow to start, and a little too busy for me and too many characters. I found it confusing and I couldn't be engaged in it. However, I did enjoy it, so I will recommend.

Let me start by saying that I am biased about Austin librarians so a big part of why I enjoyed this book is because of the who and where.
A small Austin library branch becomes a murder scene when a patron dies during an event and is gets worse when the police question on of the librarians as a possible suspect. The librarians then band together to solve the crime on their own. This means that some of their own secrets may come to light in the process and there is a lot that isn't shared in the staff lounge. The connections they all have to the murder victim take a while in coming but you get there eventually. There is a lot about the behind the scenes at the library and perfect details about Austin that some readers will not care about but I enjoyed. Readers of THURSDAY MURDER CLUB , HOW CAN I HELP YOU and other mysteries involving everyday people with secrets will like this. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.