I’m not quite sure what to make of this. Trying to be a cozy but was too gritty - but not gritty enough for a traditional mystery or thriller. It was kind of one note the whole way through. And written pretentiously. Way way way too much going on.

...and yet... I think there was something kinda special there? Certainly unique. Thoughtful.

I’ll read almost any book that features library workers—that's a huge selling point for me. The Librarians is a mystery set in Austin, Texas, and it’s told through the eyes of multiple characters. I liked the story, but I’ll admit, all the switching between perspectives had me feeling a little scattered at times. Plus, every character had some kind of secret, which made things a bit more chaotic than mysterious—not bad, just somewhat distracting.

That said, the characters were well-written and actually grew throughout the book, which I appreciated. If you enjoy cozy mysteries and amateur sleuths figuring things out, I’d certainly recommend it. It reminded me a little of Jesse Q. Sutanto’s Vera Wong mystery series—so if you’ve read those, you’ll probably enjoy this one too.

Thomas delivers a solidly plotted mystery, but it lacks some of the warmth and character development found in her other novels. As a librarian, her description of the profession was authentic. However, I had a difficult time connecting with the characters emotionally.

A small library in Austin, Texas employs several librarians, each with their own personal secrets. As their secrets might become exposed following the suspicious deaths of two library patrons, they band together to find the killer(s) before the police look too closely at each of them.
Each librarian's story is told as background information for the reader so we can understand each one's motivation for solving these murders.

Aside from some legal issues surrounding a library worker handing over information to the police without a court ordered search warrant, the depiction of the typical day in a small library feels accurate. As the separate threads of their stories weave together, we realize that these people have becomes much more than co-workers to each other - they are indeed a family.

More background information about Hazel and her family ties in Singapore would have helped the reader have a better understanding of her character before she moved to Austin. Hints that she needed bodyguards and heightened security as well as her own self-defense training lead readers to believe she could have stepped right out of "Crazy Rich Asians" without any solid background provided.

A mystery involving found family and a library? Sign me up! The premise of The Librarians is incredibly appealing, blending a cozy-yet-intriguing murder mystery with the warm, emotional threads of unlikely friendships and chosen family—all set against the backdrop of a library. The novel shines in its character development, especially in the arcs of Astrid, Sophie, Jonathan, and Hazel. Their evolving relationships felt authentic and were one of the strongest aspects of the story.

However, while the beginning hooked me and the emotional core kept me invested, the last third of the book started to lose focus. It felt like the novel was trying to juggle too many themes and plotlines at once, which muddied the momentum and diluted the impact of the mystery. That said, readers who love rich characters and atmospheric settings will still find plenty to enjoy here, especially if you're drawn to stories about community, secrets, and second chances.

I’ve read a few books that try to tackle this non linear/multi POV/ unreliable narrator combo thing recently, but this was the most successful.

I enjoyed getting to know the librarians and finding out all of their secrets. It’s definitely more of a slow burn than a thriller but I was still very much invested in the story.

If I had to nit pick, the romantic relationships were a little bit unrealistic, I liked the idea of meeting a stranger, having the perfect day and then never meeting them again, but then ending up dating them over a decade later was too neat of a box for me.

Unfortunately i could not finish this book. I did try but just couldn't get into it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book.

3 murder stars

This promising premise features four librarians and murder in Austin.

Astrid, Jonathan, Hazel, and Sophie are librarians at the same library. The police pull them in after two library patrons are murdered after game night. Who knew that librarians could have so many secrets and be so quirky?

I think this one suffered from too many characters, a complicated plot, and not enough showing. The promising premise didn’t quite deliver for me. It’s definitely a slow burn.

I know this author has other highly rated books, so I will check those out someday.

I'm going to be honest here, this book sounded so interesting and I was so excited to read it. When two patrons turn up dead after the library’s murder mystery night and the librarians have to work together to save the library and themselves. This sounds amazing and I wanted to love this but none of the characters were likeable to me, I didn't care what happened and there was far too much back story. I'm so sad I didn't love this but I must DNF at 50%.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was not able to access this title - neither in the Netgalley reader or as a Kindle file...................................................................................................................

Having not read anything from Sherry Thomas yet it might seem odd to start with something outside of her normal genre but The Librarians is a stand alone, for me it is an easy entrance to see if I like the writer. That said, I think your enjoyment of the story will hinge on a few things.

① - Do you like the characters
② - Are you a patient enough reader for the set up
③ - Can you deal with the PoV and Timeline jumping

Let's start with item ① the Characters. The story is told from four different PoVs, all of whom currently work at the Austin Library. I was the most interested in Hazel's in the beginning, but eventually all of them grew on me. Hazel is an heiress, who lived most of her life in Singapore, but due to some personnel issues with her now deceased husband is in the states to lick her wounds and help take care of her grandmother. I liked Hazel right away and wanted to know much more about her story. Especially after the idea of a second chance romance rolled in.
“I know very well that the person I’d have left my then-fiancé for isn’t you but a construct of my own making . All the same, there isn’t a single day in the last twelve years when I haven’t thought about you. And there isn’t a single time I think about you that I haven’t regretted letting go of your number. Not because I lost a soul mate, but because in the vacuum created by your absence, you became untouchably perfect. You became whatever my psyche and my neuroses needed you to be.”

The other three PoVs all added something but took longer for me to care about. Sophie runs the library. As a single mom she seemed like she was going to be the boring character but once the secret from her past was revealed I liked how it adjusted her role in the story. Astrid, made a stupid mistake in college and it changed how she interacted with everyone. Perry, the man that ghosted her after a whirlwind romance, is back at the library and after he ends up dead she starts examining if the killer might want something from her too. Jonathan the last PoV, has a huge crush on someone from high school spends a bit of time trying to figure out how to connect with him. Perry's death gives him an opportunity to ask his long time crush, a medical examiner, some questions about the murder.
"I see that your character has caught up to your physical appeal, that you are as good a person to know as you are to look at.”

This leads us to number ② the set up time. This takes awhile. There is character introductions and a little backstory for all of them along with day to day at the library. There is a long chunk of reading where you wonder is anything going to happen. I am by nature a patient reader, as I'm usually reading a few books at a time and if one is taking a little longer to get where it is going it may just mean that I read that book slower until it gets there. If you are not a patient reader some of the library day to day and the set up might be a little long for you.

My last point, number ③, can you deal with the PoV and timeline jumping. Most of this is done in musings or memories of the various PoVs. Hazel has a few flashbacks, one to the day she found out her husband had died and the other was over a decade ago when she met a man for a day and it had changed her life. That is the man she dreamed about, hoped to see again and thought of often. I really enjoyed the flashback to the day they met and why Hazel and Conrad didn't seem to get together then, now years later they have a second chance.

Sophie's time jumps into her past set up nicely the dilemma she is facing in the present. Years ago her ex made a choice that changed her life forever, but if anyone finds out it might tare her family apart.

All of the other timeline jumping is done in less dramatic time shifts. Usually just a day or too to explain the set up to catch the murder. I liked this as the story brings you to the moment of reveal and then backtracks a little to show the set up in more detail. A really good way to make sure everyone has all of the relevant details.

I did well with all of these things and the quirky cast helped to carry the story for me. I was the most invested in Hazel and Conrad finding there second chance though and held onto the story to get to that part. But Jonathan and Ryan's romantic journey also had it's moments. I will say this had a very satisfying conclusion for me and I enjoyed the author dedicating some time to close out each characters PoV so you knew where they were at in life at the end of the story.

If you are down for a slow and cozy workplace mystery with a splash of romance this could work for you too.

his book never caught my interest. Too much back story, confusing at times. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Four librarians, each with secrets of their own, attempt to solve a double murder that happened after a game night program at their small library in Texas.

Sounds like a great premise, but way too much back story and rambling for me. Skimmed lots of it. Still, some of the library’s procedural anecdotes and patron interactions were hilarious.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkeley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

There were some points that I felt a little confused with the story line and had to go back and read things a few times to make sure I was following. I work in a HS library and definitely think this book is more appropriate for adults.

Hazel is starting her new job at an Austin Public library. She and her co-workers all have secrets. After "Game Night" at the library, two patrons end up dead and all those secrets are sure to come out.

I love the set up of this mystery/suspense novel -- four librarians who set out to solve a mystery. The action is swift, the mis-directions ensure that readers are kept on their toes. Of course, the figure out the killer and all ends well. There's lots to like about this book, but there's also a lot to dislike.

LIKES -- For a reader/library junkie, there are LOTS of literary references that sent me looking for paper & pen to create a "to be read" list. There are also lots of pop culture references that serve to entertain the reader and humanize the characters. Speaking of the characters -- Jonathan, the gay librarian who has been longing for his high school crush is smart, witty, and adorable. Hazel is believable as the grieving widow who has come home to live with her grandmother. Sophie is also believable as the single mother who will do anything for her daughter. Astrid is just a sweetheart -- the middle-aged woman whose heart has been broken. The plot builds slowly to an exciting, dramatic climax that had me holding my breath to see who would survive.

DISLIKES -- There are just too many storylines. One mystery would have kept my interest, but there are two distinct "secrets" that are really not connected and that seemed unnecessary. The main story of Hazel's husband's deceptions is way too complicated and the efforts to explain how crypto works really drags the story down. But the thing I really disliked -- the climax of the story occurs at about 85%, then the rest of the book is an epilogue, although it's not labeled that way. Yes, I was a bit curious about what happened next for the characters, but way too many pages were devoted to the follow-up, and this section reads like a Hallmark movie (only with sex!) -- just too happily ever after for my taste.

Not a terrible book, just a disappointment for me.

Sherry Thomas can literally do no wrong! I find myself completely entranced with everything she writes and this was no exception. The characters were intriguing, the story was compelling and I certainly didn’t guess what was going on with anyone!

Thank you for the early copy for review!

When the library staff of a small branch library in Austin, Texas, find themselves in the middle of a double murder investigation, all four staff are anxious to keep their own secret hidden... and solve the murder that has turned their small library upside down. Full of quirky characters, real-life library problems that are true-to-life, and the found family that makes cozy mysteries charming, this was a delightful read.

As a librarian, parts of the story are so spot-on I laughed out loud!

You would think that a book set in a public library about four librarians trying to solve 2 murders would be a book I would love. Unfortunately, in this instance, you would be wrong. The writing is uneven, at times beautifully descriptive and at others exceedingly dull. The library as setting is well done but there are too many cutesy descriptions, like calling the staff break room the Den of Calories. I didn't care about the murders at all and found the plot hard to follow. If you go into this expecting to read a book about four odd people who work at a library you might enjoy it but if you're looking for a tight and well written mystery, this just isn't it.
I was given an advanced reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with an eARC.

This was a chill cozy mystery. I liked the characters and their backstories even if some of them were quite dramatic. The mystery itself, I didn't find it as intriguing but I went in with low expectations. I know I can't really expect as much from the cozy types because it has to have a happy ending. I found the timeline and PoV switches confusing at times but overall it was easy to read and I binged it pretty quick. I found their friendship dynamic quite wholesome, the way it developed. The tying up of the case at the end had some elements that turn me off when not done properly (I can't mention it here without spoilers) but apart from that it was a fun book to read.

The Librarians. They say don’t judge a book by its cover. I am absolutely AWFUL at that… I have a habit of looking at a title and/or cover while not reading the description and just requesting a book with no other context. Sometimes it backfires on me and what I get is far from what I was expecting. But sometimes the title and cover deliver on what was promised and I have no regrets about making a snap judgement and not reading the book description before requesting. This one… NO REGRETS. The title… The Librarians. Easy enough. I’m here for all stories about books, book stores, librarians, and archives. A smoking gun… a promise of action and/or adventure. Add in that red background… blood red… and maybe we have some murder. Ah yes, that little caption that says only quiet murders allowed. (The are librarians after all, although, I’d expect a silencer on that gun.) So cover, fully judged, not found lacking, interest fully peaked.

The story. I’m going to go with a 3.75 to 4.0 star rating. I enjoyed the story. In fact I’d say I loved the story. The author herself says she’s not a librarian and consulted with her librarian friends on the inner workings of a library so that it would be accurate. I have worked in a library. I will say that the author did a great job with that aspect, I have no complaints there and just one confused observation. There are libraries with drive through’s?!?! Like where do I find these?? The libraries near me barely have parking lots so finding a parking spot is considered a win… being able to drive up to pick up your hold and not have to get out of your car? I have days where that would be beyond amazing. I assume though that these libraries with a drive-through must be a modern building. Libraries in my area tend to be old historic buildings donated to the city by old historic people with big names that are long since dead to be used as a library… modifying the buildings themselves is close to impossible (like I said parking is barely a thing) so adding a window for a drive-through or having the space outside to drive around is beyond impossible. Anyway… back to my review. The author accurately described what I’ve seen in the way of regular patrons, including the weird ones that each librarian hopes someone else will have to deal with… especially the female librarians and the creepy guy patrons. We all have em… and we all hope our male co-workers will step in and deal with them while we try our hardest to look REALLY busy.

Now, I don’t doubt that everyone has their secrets. I’d say most of our secrets though are a bit more mundane than the ones the librarians in this story have. I don’t want to give out spoilers on that since I want anyone who reads this one to enjoy how that unfolds, BUT that is why I’ve knocked down the star rating from being a perfect 5. Although the story is great, its a bit over the top if you want me to believe that not just 1 librarian, not just 2, but 4… are connected to this wild story in different ways and not JUST because they work in the same library together. Maybe 1 might have a super interesting super secret background. Maybe. If it had just been because hey, we’re co-workers and this is fascinating and I can’t let you go this alone or I don’t want to be left out so I’m joining the investigation, I could see that. However, to have all their backgrounds also link together was conspiracy theory worthy… too fantastical. Having worked at a library and done all the schooling to get my MLIS and growing up wishing I was Indiana Jones or one of the Librarians from the movies/TV shows or that i worked in Warehouse 13… I can say IF ONLY something exciting like this happened to librarians LOL. What I can say is that if something even remotely close to this happened in real life, the actual librarians in a real library would not have these super interesting ‘secret’ backgrounds, the police would probably charge them with obstruction, and likely more than one of them would have gotten killed. Hell… even finding cool rare books mixed in with donations would be remote at best. I’d say you’re more likely to get old books that are moldy, smelly and unusable that someone just didn’t want to throw away… and as the librarian you end up deeming them a hazard and having to throw them away.

So points for how a library really does work but points off for the way far fetched ‘secret’ lives of 4 librarians who happened to work in the same library whose backgrounds happen to tie together in such a way to make this story possible. In general though, a fun twisting story of who the heck done it made harder by not knowing all of the why’s or the how’s of what is connected to what. And books and libraries make it a bit more fun. Overall I highly recommend… just don’t go looking for a realistic story about real librarians.