Sulari Gentill

In every person's story, there is something to hide. . . The ornate reading room at the Boston Public Library is quiet, until the tranquility is shattered by a woman's terrified scream. Security guards take charge immediately, instructing everyone inside to stay put until the threat is identified and contained. While they wait for the all-clear, four strangers, who'd happened to sit at the same table, pass the time in conversation and friendships are struck.Each has his or her own reasons for being in the reading room that morning-it just happens that one is a murderer. Award-winning author Sulari Gentill delivers a sharply thrilling read with THE WOMAN IN THE LIBRARY, an unexpectedly twisty literary adventure that examines the complicated nature of friendship and shows us that words can be the most treacherous weapons of all.

A Novel

The Woman in the Library

A layered, book within a book, with a complex web of characters. For me, it didn't move along as quickly as I thought it would, but the ending wasn't as satisfying as a proper slow burn, so it fell somewhere in the middle. Overall enjoyable, but not my absolute favorite.

Megan Murray 

This book was written in a way that really caught my attention initially, but felt like it could’ve ended in a more interesting manner. I quickly saw where things were headed as the correspondence between the author and “Leo” in real life became more unsettling, and the ending was somewhat predictable but still tense and thrilling all the same. Very unique format though and I did enjoy both the manuscript and the real world storylines. Overall, I think I would’ve enjoyed this a bit more with a slightly different ending, but would still recommend!

Erin Goss

A story hidden inside another story about a writer’s building another thriller story. Confused yet? Same. I loved everything about this book. It was unique, twisty, and kept my attention the entire time.

The ornate reading room at the Boston Public Library is quiet, until the tranquility is shattered by a woman's terrified scream. Security guards take charge immediately, instructing everyone inside to stay put until the threat is identified and contained. While they wait for the all-clear, four strangers, who'd happened to sit at the same table, pass the time in conversation and friendships are struck. Each has his or her own reasons for being in the reading room that morning—it just happens that one is a murderer.

Brooke McBride

A story hidden inside another story about a writer’s building another thriller story. Confused yet? Same. I loved everything about this book. It was unique, twisty, and kept my attention the entire time.

The ornate reading room at the Boston Public Library is quiet, until the tranquility is shattered by a woman's terrified scream. Security guards take charge immediately, instructing everyone inside to stay put until the threat is identified and contained. While they wait for the all-clear, four strangers, who'd happened to sit at the same table, pass the time in conversation and friendships are struck. Each has his or her own reasons for being in the reading room that morning—it just happens that one is a murderer.

Claire Durand

The plot of this book was really cool. I liked the letters that were being written back and forth between the writer in America and the actual writer in Australia. I also think it was really interesting how they incorporated current events into it but not into the actual book. I just thought that the way there were two different things going on was interesting. Unfortunately, I basically didn't like any of the characters at all. I found them all to be a little bit too stupid, also completely blew past the fact the Marigold was fully stalking Whit. I know he turned out to be a murderer, but still. That’s not a great quality and can lead to murder. I also just don’t think that his reason for murder was valid, obviously there was something ese going on in his mind but it just didn’t seem like there was a lot driving his decision.

Not very involved hard to emerge and become interested in the book . The story had good potential how it was written made it to trivial and immature 

Maria youngberg 

Courtney

5⭐️
Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and Poisoner Pen Press for the E-ARC of The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill. The below is my honest opinion!

This is an unputdownable thriller murder mystery. The best part is that this is a story within a story! 

Hannah Tigone is writing her next best seller, an almost reversed locked room murder mystery. The story is about 4 strangers meeting in the Boston Public Library and whose lives become entangle with one another after hearing a woman scream. They come to find out that the woman was murdered in the library. The main character on the novel Hannah is writing, Freddie is also an author who was at the BPL to gain inspiration for a novel she is writing. The 4 strangers quickly become each other’s alibi, but as they become closer, secrets are revealed that lead to the woman in the library’s murder and murderer. 

Hannah sends drafts of her manuscript to a betareader and almost deranged fan, Leo. At the end of each chapter of manuscript, we get Leo’s correspondence about the chapter and his suggests/comments to help develop her story. However, Leo’s suggestions become increasingly darker as the story unfolds. 

I really enjoyed this murder mystery and this bookception take on Inception. The story had a strong start and some plot points I did not see coming. The end felt a tad bit rushed but overall, it was beautifull executed and makes for a fun thriller read.

Amanda

Excellent story within a story within a story situation. The way the different stories unfold is so satisfying. It's a little bit difficult to follow in the audiobook format and might have benefited from having a couple of different voices, but it was still an incredibly enjoyable read. 
Particularly enjoyable was the chapter ending letters from penpal Leo. They originally seemed a bit of an odd add-in, but the way they unfold a second story is really well done. I began to see hints of something early on and had to double-check that the author was indeed a woman and that I was reading those hints for what they were. 
Very, very cool story-telling. Loved every minute of it. I sometimes get too anxious to complete a story like this, but it had just the right balance for me to stay interested and curious without becoming too overwhelmed that I needed to skip to the end.

Thank you so much to the author, the publishers, and Netgalley for making this story available to me.

tina

i found the story within a story concept really interesting and from the first chapter i was already hooked. however, the problem with this book was that the subplot was much more interesting compared to the main plot, but we only get like 10% of the subplot in the entire book. the main storyline was intriguing in the first few chapters but it quickly became dull and boring because the main characters themselves were dull and boring. i don't mind a slow paced mystery thriller book with lots of dialogue as long as the characters are compelling and have substance, but this book didn't have those characters. halfway through reading the book i was far more interested in the subplot, but there wasn't much page time for it so it wasn't developed enough. i also think the revelations for the main plot was so poorly executed and some of the things didn't make sense to me. i thought the revelation, at least, would pay off for the mediocrity of the book but it was so unsatisfying as well. moreover, i found the main character to be so annoying. she's pushing 30 but she kept acting like a 16 year old and i just could not understand how impulsive and irrational she was throughout the entire second half of the story (especially because she acted that way for someone she met only a few weeks ago, like, that isn't enough of a reason to throw your common sense out of the window girlie). 

i would've enjoyed this had the author focused on the subplot and not the main plot.

An interesting concept that turned out to be an absolute snooze fest.

Deborah Kerr

Cheri McElroy

This is a book about writing. And it has a story within a story on it, and was a fun mystery. The problems I had were the use of a couple of unnecessary plot devices and some plot holes. But it was fun.

Whitney Pickle

Took me several attempts to understand the storylines going on and to stop being confused. I'm not really sure why the "in real life" storyline even exists to be honest. It added a level of intrigue though, which is the only reason I'm even giving it three stars. It was an interesting concept, but would have fit better in a different book. There wasn't enough explaination of how they met to begin with.

ingrid

loved the book! the premise itself was interesting so i’m glad the book lived up to my expectations. i had some minor issues with the relationships between the main characters but nothing i couldn’t get past after a couple of chapters. the subplot was genius and made this book stand out to me. i received an arc through netgalley

catelyn o

** spoiler alert **
           this book was definitely not what i thought it was going to be. the emails took me off guard at first and I struggled for a bit with what was reality and what wasn’t. email leo unnerved me from the start and by the time of the first fbi letter i was completely shook! i was nervous for hannah so i’m glad that he was arrested, even if it was just a subplot. as for the main plot, i knew it was never going to be cain, that is simply too obvious. i never suspected marigold, but around the 200th page i suspected whit was behind it all. my theory wasn’t 100% right, i hadn’t suspected the scream was merely a ploy (an interesting twist since before then the issue of who could the killer be if they were all at the table at the time of the scream limited things). i pride myself on always figuring out mysteries before the end so i was glad i was right in the end. freddie and cain and truly adorable and marigold is sweet at heart if a little.. unbalanced? whit just in the end seemed like a spoiled little rich boy unhappy with his privilege (eye roll). i am a bit confused by fictional leo’s presence at the hospital at the end, is it a gesture of goodwill like he saw the news and went to help? or is it more sinister? i never got a good read on him, maybe i overlapped him too much with real leo/wil saunders. it was an interesting note to end on, i can’t decide if i liked it or not. i also am assuming the fictional story of freddie we are reading is hannah’s manuscript? i noted many of the spellings of words in the australian/european way which would traditionally be taken out of an american print, but not if it was a manuscript. overall, a book that defied and exceeded my expectations! the plot was very different from what i imagined but i enjoyed it possibly even more. this book truly made me think and i felt smart for figuring out all the things i did before they were revealed (lol).

Lauren Stewart

"It was a normal weekday morning, nothing out of the ordinary, until a woman’s scream echoed throughout the Boston Public Library. During the subsequent lockdown, strangers Cain, Marigold, Whit, & Winifred connect while sitting at the same table. They form a fast friendship & start spending more time together than apart. The library incident is initially ruled a false alarm, but soon after a body is discovered. Now the newly-formed group of friends is caught up in a police investigation, & it seems like not all of them are innocent witnesses. One of them might be guilty of murder."

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from Poisoned Pen Press through NetGalley in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

If you’re currently in search of a mystery that’s a thrill ride from the very first chapter, look no further than “The Woman in the Library.” I hadn’t done much research before reading so the first nine pages were enough to hook me. The story lagged a bit in the middle but didn’t take long to pick back up. I finished this book in less than three days because I had to know what happens; it was all I could think about!

The first twist is common knowledge so I’m going to discuss it. The prologue is a letter from American writer Leo Johnson to Australian author Hannah Tigone; they’ve been pen pals for quite awhile but haven’t yet met in person. As a fan of her work, Leo politely but insistently asks for a new book, offering to be her beta reader. We now move into chapter one, setting up a story about four strangers connecting in the Boston Public Library during a police lockdown. After the final sentence, which is quite the enticing cliffhanger, we see another note from Leo to Hannah revealing that he’s test reading her new book. The main plot is her manuscript, & the side plot is her correspondence with Leo, though we only ever see his notes to her. I’d never read anything like that before & thought it was such a brilliant idea. I’ve seen a few reviews saying the line between fiction & reality is confusing at times, but I strongly disagree. It’s always very clear when you’re reading Hannah’s book & when you’re reading Leo’s letters. There is a clear question of how much inspiration she takes from reality, but I would call that intrigue rather than a source of confusion.

I want to give this book all the stars for it’s unique format, but the story did not completely deliver. The whodunnit reveal made sense but disappointed me; I thought there would be more to it, more connection to real life. Speaking of the side plot, there was less development as it went on, & the abrupt resolution was not satisfying. I do feel let down overall, but I must admit the final chapter left me with intriguing questions & theories floating around in my head. My biggest question is why Hannah ended her book the way she did; at the risk of sounding dramatic, that creative choice blew my mind. My final rating is three stars, & I still recommend this thrilling mystery despite an ending that fizzles. The format is a bibliophile version of Inception & fascinating to experience; you won’t be able to put this book down until it ends! 

Preorder your copy now because the release date is not too far away: June 7th, 2022.

•

Content Breakdown:

*Disclaimer: I read an uncorrected ARC so certain things might change before the final copy is printed.

Abuse: An abusive stepfather is mentioned throughtout the book; Chapter nineteen depicts verbal & physical abuse as well as attempted sexual abuse.

Alcohol, Cigarettes, & Drugs: Mentions of alcohol, alcoholics, bars, intoxication, cigarettes, & junkies; morphine & painkillers are also mentioned in relation to a hospital patient.

Blood & Violence: Multiple mentions of blood & blood splatter | A hypothetical murderer is discussed, the killer pounding his or her victim’s head into a hard surface. | Dead bodies described with bloody hair, cut throats, and/or injuries to the breast & pubic areas | Description of a young girl leaning over a lookout to take a picture & falling to her death because of a loose guardrail | One mention & two depictions of attacks that lead to head trauma | Two mentions & one depiction of a stabbing 

Insensitive Language:

A character makes racially insensitive comments about black people, such as being identifiable by living in a certain neighborhood or wearing hoodies.

A character from “It” by Stephen King is referred to as the “fat kid” who might get the “pretty girl.”

In reference to hospital janitors, a character says “Immigrants, they get the job done.” He’s referencing the musical Hamilton but is met with the response “That’s not less offensive because it’s Hamilton.”

Two men involved in a bar fight are described as “thugs”; their physical appearances are not described, but that particular word could be perceived as racially-motivated & offensive.

Language:

*$$hole
Chr*st / Chr*ss*kes
D*mn
F*ck / F*cking
Good L*rd
H*ll / H*lluva
J*sus
My G*d / Oh My G*d
Sh*t
Son of a b*tch

A bakery’s products are described as something that would “make you believe in G*d & willing to forsake Him at the same time.”

Sensual/Sexual:

A character removes her shirt to show off her tattoos; her nakedness is mentioned as well as the sight of her “small breasts.”

Some of the characters go to a restaurant called Oh My Cod which is known for sexually suggestive decor & menu items, a few of which are described. Someone from the group refers to the restaurant as a “sex shop.”

Someone is called a “courteous porn star” in jest.

There’s a detailed discussion about methods of murder that give the killer sexual gratification (i.e. A certain movement while sitting atop a victim or the motion & penetration of a blade).

Two characters sleep together; the scene doesn’t fade to black, but their intimacy is described with minimal detail. In another chapter, they’re in bed together, but nothing happens beyond the two of them waking up side by side.

Two other characters sleep together off-page; it’s mentioned in a conversation with very little detail.

Stalking: There is evidence of one or more characters being stalked: robbery, phone calls, text messages with photos of front doors, & a physical attack.

The Woman in the Library A Novel

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