The Woman In The Library by Sulari Gentill
(Format used for this read: Audiobook)
Ned Kelly award winning author Sulari Gentill sets this mystery-within-a-mystery in motion with a deceptively simple, Dear Hannah, What are you writing? pulling us into theornate reading room at the Boston Public Library.
In every person’s story, there is something to hide…
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.
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.
I have realized that I am quite fickle when it comes to reading books that are classified as “thrillers” or “mysteries”.
I *generally* used to say I wasn’t into them…but over the past few years I HAVE read way more than I ever before…and admittedly ENJOYED most of them.
So I don’t think I can allow myself to say anymore that I do not like this particular genre EVER…but I think I can safely say that I only do SOMETIMES. 🤣
Thankfully, this book was one of those sometimes.
I was a bit confused as I started listening, I must admit.
I did not read the summary and had no clue what this book was about before diving in…actually, I have no recollection of how it got in my Scribd list to begin with. (Hmmmm now I have MY OWN literary mystery to untangle 🤣)
It took me a couple chapters to realize this book has the whole “story within a story” thing going on…
Which actually is LOADS of fun and just keeps you on your toes even MORE as things progress in the multiple plots.
This book has all the good characteristics that make a thriller interesting and intriguing—surprising twists, unexpected turns, random romantic entanglements with possible murderers, and snappy dialogue and literary pace that never lingers longer than it needs to.
The reader is CONSTANTLY guessing at who did what in BOTH stories so interest is consistently peaked throughout every chapter.
There WERE some underdeveloped and rickety pieces that didn’t quite fall into place as they were intended—some details are rushed and a bit muddled and some just seemed sudden and unnecessary—but for the most part, this was just a really enjoyable read.
Double fun to listen to because the narrator is authentically Austrailian, which is fun in and of itself to hear, but she also has great vocal range and is able to replicate many American dialects and various genders with ease and believability.
If you enjoy mystery/thrillers, you’ll for sure want to grab ahold of this one.
I WAS able to figure out “who done it” before it was officially revealed…BUT not until close to the last chapters of the book, so I think the author does a great job of keeping you guessing almost to the very end.
This would be a super vacay/pool/beach read for those summer days ahead!