The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill
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Web ID: 15058475223 reviews
Fun and mysterious
The Woman In The Library is an important read for cozy mystery lovers and sleuthers alike. Cognac vibes in a leather chair beside a fireplace with a cigar and woodwick candles, anyone? The Woman In The Library is delightful and told from the most unique mixed media standpoint. I think you will enjoy this in a quiet and rainy day in, cuddled in a blanket and preparing yourself for fall! Thank you to the author and Poisoned Pen Press for the chance to read and review an eARC.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Great mystery.
Buy this one because you'll want to share it. Starts a little slow, but the end surprised me, and that's rare.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Writer writing about writer writing about writers
The Woman in the Library Writer writes about writer writing about writers Sulari Gentill is the writer who wrote the novel, “The Woman in the Library” which is about a writer named Hannah Tigone who is writing a novel about a writer named Winifred Kincaid who is writing a novel about a writer. Got it? The main novel is about Winifred (Freddie) Kincaid with the Hannah Tigone frame story only making brief appearances. In the process of writing her story, Hannah sends updates of her manuscript to a fellow writer/fan named Leo who is living in Boston which is also the location of the story. Leo in turn sends her his thoughts about the manuscript with suggestions on changes regarding plot and characterization as well as local idioms. How Hannah came to know Leo is a bit of a mystery, although you could infer that maybe Leo just cold-called the correspondence due to his admiration of her work. Leo’s knowledge of the Boston area and the Boston Public Library presumably would be useful to Hannah which would justify her interest in maintaining the correspondence, if not for the fact that Hannah pretty much ignores almost every suggestion Leo has regarding the manuscript. One example of this is Leo’s obsession with putting references to Covid in the story. Hannah does not use a single one of these suggestions. As far as the main story goes, the mystery there centers around who is the murderer among a group of 4 newly minted friends. This is the story involving Freddie Kincaid and the 3 friends she meets in the Boston Public Library – Cain, Whit and Marigold. While they are all together in the library, a murder takes place and Freddie reveals right from the outset that one of her newfound friends is the murderer. Freddie has her suspicions about each of them in turn and almost makes a fatal mistake before the identity of the killer is finally revealed. This book is a fun read, but I think it would have been better if the frame story had been developed more so that we could get into Hannah’s head to see how she viewed her relationship with Leo. Also, to that point, what could have made it even more interesting would have been if the interior story (the one Freddie was writing) had the Leo character from the frame story in it, and even better if we could read a few passages in parallel to the frame story. At the risk of sounding more and more like Leo, I will refrain from making any more suggestions.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
catching a killer across the world
The mystery starts in the Reading Room of the Boston Public Library, where four individuals are quietly working, until they hear a scream in the next room. Security doesn’t find anything amiss, so they are all allowed to leave the library, but the four agree to meet again. Marigold is a psychology student. Whit is studying law. Cain is a writer with a book already in The New York Times. And Winifred, Freddie, is a visiting writer from Australia, in the country for a prestigious writing fellowship. And Freddie can’t help but be inspired by what they experienced in the library. Especially after she sees the news later and finds out that the body of a woman had been found in the library. Had she been sitting in the Reading Room with a killer? If so, having three witnesses during the woman’s scream was a fantastic alibi, Freddie can’t help but notice, as her pen goes flying across the pages. Freddie doesn’t know anyone in Boston, so she’s happy to meet these other three and learn more about Boston’s restaurants and attractions. She also makes the acquaintance of Leo Johnson, another writer with the same fellowship she has, who can help her adjust to America as well. As Freddie and her new friends start to investigate the woman’s murder, she keeps up with her writing and finds herself drawn to Cain. But when his phone is used to call her, and all that’s heard is a scream, exactly like the scream they all heard in the library, Freddie doesn’t know what to think. Cain said that his phone had been missing, but who would know that she’s looking into the murder, other than the three other people who were in the library with her when it happened? As Freddie keeps writing her story, the killer comes closer, sending photos of her door and then coming after those she cares about. And when she finds out that Cain had spent time in prison, Freddie doesn’t know what to believe. But she’ll need to figure it out quickly, as her novel takes shape, because she doesn’t have much time before the killer comes for her. Meanwhile, as readers get caught up in the story of Freddie and her Boston mates, the real writer of this story, bestselling author Hannah Trigone, is writing this story from her home in Australia, and she sends each chapter to Leo in Boston, who fact checks for her and offers her the American equivalents of the words or phrases she uses. It’s like pulling back the curtain and seeing the magic of the writing. And where these stories go will surprise and thrill. The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill is a funhouse of thriller stories, with the details of one story bleeding into the other and sometimes making you forget where you are. It’s layers of questions, compounded by secrets and lies and danger and intrigue. And it’s an amazing story that sucks you in and won’t let go, or at least, that was my experience. The Woman in the Library is a suspenseful story on more than one level, and I’m not sure any description would do it justice. But if you love a good thriller and haven’t yet visited Boston with Freddie and her library friends, then this is a trip you’ll want to take. But make sure you’re seatbelt is on nice and tight and keep your hands inside the car at all times. Things get a little wild. Egalleys for The Woman in the Library were provided by Poisoned Pen Press, with many thanks.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Suspenseful and cozy thriller.
I absolutely adored this book. A murder mystery taking place in the library? Truly does it get any better? Full of twists and suspense. The Woman in the Library was a quick read that kept me engaged from start to finish. I look forward to reading more from this author. Thank you to NetGalley and Poison Pen Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. Review also being posted to Amazon and Barnes & Noble pending approval.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Gripping Read!
Wow this book was a nonstop page turner. While it started out a little slow and confusing, once I got the gist of it I couldn't read it fast enough. A chance meeting of four strangers in the library sets off a chain reaction like none other. Definitely a cat and mouse thriller between the four new friends. My first read from this author and won't be my last.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Book within a Book within a Book
I started this an audio book and was so confused. It was read by a woman and even though she did a great job with the voices there seemed to be more male characters than female. When I switched over to print things seemed a bit clearer. There are letters from Leo in Boston to the author in Australia ostensibly helping her with the scene and some of the American lingo. In the book Winifred is one of four people in the reading room at the Boston Public Library when they hear a woman scream. They start talking and become friends over the bonding experience. Honestly I don't even know how to describe the book within a book within a book. None of the characters seemed really developed and I didn't feel invested in the outcome or really even care who was the murderer. While the end was exciting it just seemed to wrap up too quickly and I never understood the reason why or what the last line even meant. I would like to thank Netgalley and Poison Pen Press for providing me with a digital copy.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Terrific Thriller
Wow, hold on! There are enough twists in this story and story within a story to leave you reeling. You might think, knowing that one is the story and the other a sub-story, that Gentill might ease up on the latter giving it less time, less attention, less to cause knuckle biting. Yet, the opposite is true. The sub-story is the center of focus with well developed plot, intriguing characters, and enough suspense to keep you wrapped in a blanket in a corner hoping no one knocks at the door. You might even wonder why she bothered with the outer story through the first half of her novel. -But there is nothing wasted here, nothing extraneous. The two stories build together weaving a web that leaves you dangling with possibilities even as the main questions are resolved.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com