The Woman in the Library

A book that asks the audacious question “What if a story-within-a-story structure had no purpose or payoff at all?”

(Its side question is “What if we went out of our way to assert things like ‘Americans don't use the word beanie' or ‘Americans never call it a phone, they call it a cell phone'?” The errors were so obvious and unforced that I thought they would comprise some kind of plot point. Incorrect!)

I love a book that has a side character that's honestly creepier than the main cast. I just loved the format of this book.

This was very confusing honestly. With 3 different storylines? but I can't tell if they're actually different? I don't know I just couldn't keep up

3.75/5 stars

Not very interesting, there were interruptions that had little to do with the story, and the ending was not a surprise.

I really enjoyed it. It was kind of predictable in the second half, but I very much enjoyed the story and the style in which the novel is written. The narration was also very good.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Love the cover of this one!

This was a thoroughly entertaining read. A mystery within a mystery that was amazingly well written and paced. A plot that is clever and keeps you guessing until the end. Wonderful characters and a great setting. What more can you ask for? I knocked this one out in two days.

What a fun, refreshing, clever mystery! This is my first book by Gentill but I'll certainly be going back to check out her previous ones. You know the feeling when you're only a few pages in to a new novel, but you still let out a giant sigh of relief, knowing that regardless where the story takes you, you're in the hands of a writer who knows what she's doing. That was my experience with this fun romp of a mystery, with a murder taking place right under the noses of our four leading characters (who are strangers to each other) at the Boston Public Library and being informed that one of them is actually the killer, though seemingly none of them could be. Add in a clever conceit of a man who's a neighbor of one of them and is corresponding with a well-known mystery author, trying to interest her in using the event as the springboard for her next book. Thoroughly entertaining, lively prose, and a plot that kept me guessing.

Thanks to NetGalley for my advanced reader copy.

I love books that have bookish scenes or content in them. I snagged this one from NetGalley because of the title. I didn't expect to like this one so much to be honest

I liked the way it went back and forth between chapters and letters. The storyline with both of them was strong and suspenseful. I suspected several people and in the end one of my suspects were right because I suspected everyone at least once. The bad guy gets caught at the end, but it still ends in a creepy note. These characters will stick with me.

The only thing I liked about this book is what most other reviewers hated: the interspersed letters from a rabid fan. Maybe I liked these bits of commentary on the preceding chapter because they criticized differences in American and Australian word/phrase choice or weaknesses in characterization, plot, etc. Otherwise, this is one of the worst locked-room mysteries I've read. All of the characters begin and end as caricatures with no development.

I'd also like to know how many writers can afford to eat out every meal in expensive Boston. Or why the author chose to set the book during the COVID-19 pandemic, but not one of our main characters ever seems to wear a mask, avoid going out, or take notice of a worldwide plague other than creating a device to keep the fanboy at home for awhile.

I could go on about how many things are wrong with this book, but it's partially my fault; I know better than to read a book with woman or girl in the title.