Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Well, there is a lot to unpack in this book : an ancient invaluable book, a protagonist with a memory who remembers everything she sees, cops on both sides of the law, and two groups of murderously evil and powerful women who tentacles reach into every stratum of society.

What knocked one star off for me? In short, believability - there are few accounts of women historically commiting mass murder, and non that I am aware of of larger groups of women doing so.

If you are a fan of art, historical times, fathomless power, give this one a read!

From reading the blurb, this did not really sound like a story I would enjoy. It is a Gilly Macmillan book, and I love her books, so I gave it a shot and actually liked the story for the most part. No, it's what I normally read, but sometimes that is not a bad thing! The gist is two rival groups of women are fighting over a medieval manuscript. This has been going on for over a century. There is a lot going on here. Murder, Latin, a dark academia theme, spies. Basically, Anya Brown PhD. is asked to help decode The Book of Wonders from Latin. Things start happening. Yes, I did skim through a few parts, but overall, an interesting story. I do wish the Book of Wonders was explained a bit more, but I think that was just me. I recommend to fans of stories like The Davinci Code and think this would be a good movie. I would like to see the author go back to her usual psychological thriller style, but this did turn out to be pretty good for a change.

Thank you to Gilly Macmillan, #NetGalley and William Morrow for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I will post my review to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Instagram and other retail and social media sites upon publication day of November 18, 2025.

I debated on 3.5 or 4 ⭐️ and decided on 4, because the story did hold my attention to the very end.

I won’t go through what it’s about as many other reviewers have, but I will reiterate the frustration in not knowing what The Book of Wonders actually held. Why was it so significant that there are 2 orders of powerful women going back at least a century, fighting and killing for it?
I’ll never know. 😥

Despite the entire point of the story not having a resolved answer to the question, “What’s in THE BOOK, DAMNIT?!”… I did enjoy the mystery, the high-powered women out doing whatever it took, and I also really enjoyed Anya, poor woman. All she wanted was some recognition, to go through manuscripts, and her father’s love. What she got was betrayal and murder around every corner.


Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for this ARC!

"The Burning Library" begins with a gradual pace, yet the murder of Eleanor I captivates the reader's attention. Eleanor is affiliated with a clandestine women’s organization. The narrative revolves around two pivotal secret groups: one adheres to traditional values, while the other embraces a more modern and liberal ideology. I appreciated the Scottish setting, which added depth to the story. Dr. Anya Brown emerges as a compelling character with whom I easily connected. Although the book's slow beginning led me to rate it three stars, it ultimately offers an engaging exploration of its themes.

This book shocked me. I found myself mumbling, “okay now. I see you” several times when something exciting happened. The writing was excellent, the characters were well flushed out despite there being several to keep track of. Even the characters that made quick appearances were vividly written. With all that said, it was full of holes, and questions, but I’m hoping that means there will be a sequel. There were characters that simply disappeared or left unattended, and the ending did not offer sufficient answers. Yet, I loved it? Please write a sequel that ties up all the loose ends!

We have two powerful, rivaling organizations of women who seek to empower women: The Larks who fight the patriarchy by breaking the glass ceiling, and The Kats who use powerful men as their puppets. Both groups are after the same ancient artifact, and Anya Brown is handpicked by the Larks (under a pseudonym) for her ability to decode transcripts. As Anya starts her employment, strange things start happening. With the help of her boyfriend, Sid, and Clio, a detective thrown into the case, they start to uncover what is actually happening. For fans of The Da Vinci Code. I want a sequel, an extended version, a movie, all of it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It was just an okay book to me! Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review!

3 stars - pretty "meh" - I've read this author before & the writing itself was good, but I did not connect to the plot or characters at all. I had to skim to get through it - just a struggle, especially the history of the "manuscript" and the Latin!! I thought the two groups that were after it were also rather polarizing & I did not care for that aspect either. Just really not what I thought it was - a bit sorry I downloaded it, but I do thank the publisher & NetGalley for my copy, I am sure other reader's may appreciate it.

The main character’s journey is full of twists and turns, and watching them grow throughout the book is a real highlight. The story tackles important issues like censorship and the importance of preserving knowledge, but it does so in a way that’s entertaining and easy to follow.

What I loved most about this book was how it made me think about the role of books and stories in our lives. The writing is clear but still beautifully done, and the pacing keeps you hooked from beginning to end.

After the taut brilliance of What She Knew, this feels disappointingly convoluted. The premise—rival women's organizations battling over medieval manuscripts—has potential, but Macmillan gets lost in her own elaborate mythology. The centuries-old secret society subplot overwhelms what should be a straightforward academic thriller.
The St Andrews setting works well, and Macmillan captures the insular world of manuscript studies convincingly. Dr. Anya Brown makes a solid protagonist, though her naivety about being recruited strains credibility. Detective Clio Spicer's investigation provides necessary grounding, but feels disconnected from the academic intrigue.
The dual organizations—Order of St Katherine versus Fellowship of the Larks—never feel fully realized beyond their opposing philosophies. Their methods and motivations blur together, making the central conflict less compelling than it should be. The medieval manuscript MacGuffin lacks the visceral urgency that drove What She Knew.
Macmillan's prose remains polished, and there are genuinely suspenseful moments, but the overstuffed plot dilutes the impact. Fans of dark academia might find more to appreciate, but this doesn't match her earlier psychological precision. A case where ambition exceeds execution.

The Burning Library by Gilly Macmillan is a mix of mystery, spy story, family drama, dark academia, feminist fiction and more! Anya Brown recently earned her PhD while analyzing an ancient manuscript. This leads to the offer of an almost too-good-to-be-true job in the Scottish Highlands. This will allow her boyfriend to come and to remain near to her ill mother. But there is much more happening behind the scenes from family to manuscripts.

Anya is an interesting character—very smart, able to make distant connections, yet often lacking in confidence (but not annoyingly so.) She and her boyfriend are a good match. The other character I particularly liked was Detective Clio Spicer. She is also smart, competent and brave. Both are a good foil to the diabolical women in the competing organizations.

The plot moved very quicky and is a lot of fun. The action was non stop and had the vibe of the Davini Code as answers were chased. I loved the settings as well, so romantic and dangerous. In addition to the manuscripts, it was great to have the embroidery brought into the story since that has long been a symbol of women’s work.

Overall, this was very engaging, and I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the eARC

I really enjoyed this book. A very original premise, more than just a mystery, almost a spy novel! With feminist themes! I liked the different perspectives and the fast pace. Maybe too much packed in, the ending felt a little abrupt. Would you join the Kats or the Larks?

“Female solidarity was a beautiful thing, Eleanor believed; its roots didn’t just grow sideways, binding us to the women who lived alongside us, but also deep, connecting us to the past. Women needed to support one another. It was a terrible shame that not everyone agreed on how.”

so I just finished and I have no idea what the heck I just read?? the premise was giving da vinci code vibes - two secret societies of women fighting over a book that is a manifesto to the future of the women - but it didn’t pan out like that at all 😨

the main characters surrounded in this mystery were not very fleshed out. I wanted more of their background story and how they all got involved with the larks and the kats, rather than jumping into the story right away… and while clio was on the outside looking in to investigate, she wasn’t the focus of the story (boo)

the parts of the story that worked the best were those involving the feud between the two societies and their retaliation against each other! each sabotage and unaliving that happened got me excited to see what would happen next - but nothing really did…

the history of the tapestry and manuscripts, while the entire point of the plot, was quite tedious to get through… I love learning about history, but the way that the author wrote felt like a textbook rather than showing how the art related to society today 🫠

overall, I just wanted more!! more mystery, more in depth looks at the secrets, and more drama! that ending was a snooze fest & I was mostly annoyed at how much time I wasted reading this one

thank you to william morrow for the advanced gifted copy!

rating: 2 stars
wine pairing: williamette valley pinot noir

Set amid the misty halls of St Andrews and the wild Hebrides, this dark-academic thriller delivers murder, secret societies of women, and a cryptic manuscript with deadly consequences. Expert palaeographer Dr. Anya Brown and Detective Clio Spicer unravel a century-old rivalry that proves: knowledge can be more dangerous than you think. Twisty, cerebral, and richly atmospheric. Perfect for fans of Ruth Ware or Alex Michaelides. 📚🔍✨

#TheBurningLibrary #GillyMacMillan #DarkAcademia #BibliophileThriller #Bookstagram #4StarRead #LibraryMystery #FemalePower #TwistyThriller

This one really surprised me! It’s a twisty, atmospheric thriller set in Scotland that mixes mystery, historical fiction, and suspense—all rolled into one. I was definitely kept on my toes the entire time.

We follow Dr. Anya Brown, a cryptic manuscript expert (which I loved), as she uncovers a deadly rivalry between two secret women’s organizations. It starts off a little slow, but once it picked up, I couldn’t stop reading. The premise felt kind of far-fetched, but honestly? I didn’t care—I was all in.

The writing is beautiful, especially the descriptions of Scotland. And while the long chapters and occasional side character POVs threw me off a bit, overall it was Anya’s story, and I was hooked.

If you’re into layered mysteries, secret societies, and a good dose of gothic vibes, definitely give this one a try.

One early morning in Scotland's Western Hebrides, Eleanor Bruton's body is discovered on the shore. To her family, she was an ordinary middle-aged woman. But she was harbouring precious secrets and a priceless piece of embroidery. For over a century, two rival organisations of women have gone to great lengths to secure the artifact in the hopes of finding something even more precious. The Order of St Katherine and the Larks have great power.
Dr Anya Brown is handpicked by a professor to join the exclusive Institute of Manuscript Studies in St Andrews but she is unaware of the personal danger that comes with the job. Meanwhile, Detective Clio Spicer at Scotland Yard, investigates the death of Eleanor Bruton and all of the tiny threads come together to form a great mystery.
There were so many pieces to this one and it was complex and completely fascinating. I always enjoy books by this author and though this one was a completely different turn, it was so enjoyable.

Woah, this author is actually brilliant!! She has written a twisty, complicated and atmospheric thriller that had me hooked from page one. Set in Scotland, this story follows cryptic manuscript expert Dr Anya Brown as she uncovers a deadly rivalry between two secret women's organizations.

I loved it. I always felt like I was guessing as to what was coming. The only thing I didn't love were the very long chapters and how some chapters did feel a little too drawn out.

Overall, this book is creepy, intellectual and totally original. I loved the secret-society vibes, gothic setting and the way everything built to a totally shocking ending.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book is a dark, academia thriller. I was overall well written and kept me entertained though the book, wanting to find out how it ends. I feel this was another winner fy Gily macmillain

This book was a mashup of multiple genres and the writing kept me engaged in the story. I very much enjoyed the plot and the characters.

I have mixed emotions after finishing this. There are many things about it that worked for me, especially the dark academia, the remote and moody setting, the deceptive father, and the well-heeled rival lady gangs. I'm also an avid needleworker, so the torn piece of embroidery and where it fit into the story was intriguing to me also. The big problem here is that the ending was a total let-down and didn't make sense. After all the buildup about the manuscript and keeping it safe, the explanation about what it was and why it was important to so many women was insufficient and spoiled the plot for me. There also were some other unresolved storylines regarding the women who worked at St. Andrews before Anya. Overall, it could have been tightened up with less of an abrupt "can't we all just get along" ending. Thanks to William Morrow and Netgalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Quite a slow burn. Super hard for me to get into and unfortunately I didn’t finish. I tried but just struggled relating to anything. Thank you NetGalley for this arc