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The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill

10 reviews

tamarareads's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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tlaynejones's review against another edition

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medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This is a cute twisty contemporary murder mystery. There is a bit of a book within a book plot which adds an extra layer of interest, and I enjoyed the idea of the book (that I’m reading) being critiqued chapter by chapter as a literary device. This is great for when you want something that will engage you and entertain you without too much effort. It’s not gory, and wasn’t particularly dark (considering it’s a murder mystery) in tone. There were a few chuckles; I figured out the murderer early on, but not how the murderer actually did the murder-y things, so the ending was still a good result. The character development and relationships aren’t very fleshed out, and one of the characters was so annoying, but I think that’s sort of the nature of this style/genre. No queer rep.

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magdalenahai's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

Ajoittain häiritseväkin kahden itsenäisen tarinalinjan dekkari. Aluksi olin skeptinen siitä, miten kerronnallinen ratkaisu mahtaa onnistua immersion rakentamisessa, mutta sitten "fiktiivinen" dekkarijuoni alkoi vetää kivasti ja

"todellisuuden" Leo alkoi vaikuttaa juuri oikeassa tahdissa creepyltä. Erityisesti nautin siitä, miten kirjailija Leon kautta paljasti omankin valkoisen lukijan biakseni. Häiritsevää ja oivaltavaa! "Todellisen" maailman konfliktin ratkaisu tapahtui aavistuksen helposti, mutta Leon creepiys sai "fiktiivisen" juonen lopun tuntumaan odottamattoman karmealta.

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readingwithcoffee's review

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adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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j_emerson18's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

What a great book to start the year. It was inspirational and well written. I love the plot twists near the end. The writing style was super intriguing. I loved the story with the four unlikely friends in the midst of a murder. **spoiler warning**
I am honestly a little upset by the lack of depth or detail about the secondary story between two writers in which one is a serial killer. I would have loved more information about the two of them.

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laura_keoski's review

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This was one of the more creative murder mysteries I've read this year! I thought the plot-within-a-plot device was used in a really clever way, and allowed space to explore some interesting topics about the genre itself.

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caseythereader's review

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adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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chaotically_katie's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

It had so much potential, and it’s such an interesting style of writing. But the lack of focus on the murder victim, and the main plot point of the scream, really disappointed me.

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leandrathetbrzero's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

↓ Other Mystery/Thriller Hybrids ↓

Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore by Matthew Sullivan
The Playground by Jane Shemilt
The Guest List by Lucy Foley

Thank you so much to Poisoned Pen Press and #Netgalley for gifting me an ARC of The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill in exchange for this honest review!

Freddie Kincaid visits the Boston Public Library in the hopes of making good progress on her current mystery manuscript. She finds inspiration in the table’s three other inhabitants, nicknaming them Freud Girl, Heroic Chin, and Handsome Man. As she creates their personalities and backstories in her head, a woman’s scream breaks the library’s silence. This mysterious scream acts as a bonding experience, and the four strangers forge an unexpected friendship. They become almost inseparable when a body is found.

The novel’s first few chapters had me on the edge of my seat. I found myself immediately invested in Gentill’s first-person protagonist, Freddie. Her thoughts and dialogue were authentic and very believable, although she did read older than 27 years old (imo). On that note, I also found characters like Marigold and Whit to act younger than they are meant to be. I was 100% on board for the brilliant chemistry between Freddie and Cain (aka Handsome Man). As thrilling as the narrative, was with each new clue and the ever-rising tensions between the four main characters, there are a few aspects to this novel that made it a less than satisfying read for me.

At the end of each chapter, the reader experiences an extra layer of metafiction with a letter from Leo (beta reader/pen pal) to Hannah (the “author” of Freddie’s storyline). The reader learns quickly that Leo is responding to Hannah’s most recent additions to an ongoing manuscript. To recap: Gentill is writing about Hannah as she writes about Freddie. While the correspondence intrigued me at first, it soon grew tiresome. The red flags and creepy intimacy of Leo did give me goosebumps, but then I just found myself annoyed by Leo. For instance his insistence on including COVID into the novel, and his obviously wrong assumptions about the culprit(s) and the characters’ relationships had me yelling at him aloud in frustration. The psycho pen pal is a fun idea, for sure, but I felt it was forced into this novel, and I would have preferred to simply read The Woman in the Library without the epistolary commentary.

I was most disappointed with the ending. I correctly identified the person(s) responsible for the crimes committed, but the actual motive was surprisingly less complicated and sinister than I imagined it would be. In fact, this is a rare moment in which I believe my imagination came up with a better motive to match the narrative’s tone. My only additional critique focuses on Gentill’s tendency to rush things. The relationship between Freddie and Cain is measured in weeks, yet they have fallen in love with each other already. Furthermore, the story ends a bit abruptly, and at a strange moment. I assume the final scene shines a light on Gentill’s dark humor which I would not have minded, but I wish it was grounded in more substantial past clues/scenes that support such an ending.

I do not regret reading this novel in the least. The blend of thriller and mystery ingredients kept me on edge for most of the novel. I enjoyed the “frame-up job” angle, as it added to the tension and feelings of distrust among the characters. I believe this book could be a good match for those who enjoy metafiction, multiple storylines, and mysteries that are thriller-leaning.

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booksteastories's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Hannah, a successful novelist, is writing a book about four strangers who bond and become friends over the shared experience of hearing a scream in the Boston Public Library and later decide to investigate when a girl is found dead in the same place. We read the book as she writes it and the chapters are interspersed with email feedback from Leo, a desperate not-yet-author.

Essentially, there are two main plot lines — the one wherein we follow Freddie and the one where we get glimpses of what is happening within Hannah’s life through the emails that she receives. Although at first I felt as though the fact that Freddie’s story is fiction-fiction detracted from my engagement, I quickly became invested in both plots. I quite enjoyed the fact this was, essentially, a writer writing about a writer writing about a writer writing a story based on her life (try to say that quickly five times), it was a level of inception I’ve never seen before.

The writing style was also quite novel to me — less descriptions and a lot of dialogue and deliberation. However, Leo felt very distinct from the book itself. I was completely consumed by this book — I stayed up late just to find out what was actually happening and whether my suspicions were correct, which was a really fun experience. My one qualm is that at times, the book feels like a vessel for commentary on the world of writing, as well as social commentary. It felt a little overwhelming at certain moments but it was also interesting.

The characters are usually the most important part of the book for me, what gets me invested. I cannot say I was really invested in any of the characters, however, because of the framing of the book and the plot, I was still deeply invested in the plot.

Overall, a deeply addictive story that I would definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys mystery-thrillers.

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