The Woman in the Library – ARC Book Review

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 thriller/mystery set inside a library? A dead body inside a library? Sign me up!

Winifred known as Freddie is an aspiring novelist trying to write her novel inside Boston Public Library. While in the library, she meets Cain, Marigold and Whit, three fellow novelists and while they were getting to know each other, they heard a woman screaming. Few minutes later, they find out that a woman was murdered and the woman’s name is Caroline. The police suspect Cain as the murderer as he had a prison record and that Caroline’s father was the judge at his hearing. Freddie who is in love with Cain is the only one who believes in innocence while the rest of them thinks Cain is capable of murder.

To my huge utter suprise–I actually enjoyed reading this book and this book is actually quite unputdownable! From start to finish, I actually was literally hooked into the story. The writing was spot on, with those twist and thrills that you wouldn’t even expect. And as the story progresses, you actually wonder–is Cain the real murderer or is someone framing him? Or is Freddie that naive? Really love the thrill concept of this novel!

I do like the setting and the plot of the story. I also like the fact that Freddie is an Australian and is getting used to the American accent–something which I can also relate with Freddie during my own stay in the United States (I had a British accent when I spoke in English that time). I really also think this was a unique sort of story which I actually enjoyed very much and I like how one meeting could really bring the people together, creating lifelong friend (or enemy)

I also wonder–maybe it’s just me the letters addressed to Hannah written by Leo at the end of each chapter–truly I am slightly confused but then towards the middle I kind of beginning to start those letters. Overall, I enjoyed this book so much that I couldn’t even put the book down!

If you like a book based inside a library with a thriller setting, this book is one for you–worth four stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.