Book Review: The Woman the Library by Sulari Gentill

My Rating:

4.5⭐

“And then there is a scream. Ragged and terrified.”

Australian author Winifred ‘Freddie’ Kincaid is in Boston on a writers’ scholarship and is spending time in the reading room of Boston Public Library, seeking inspiration for her next book when a piercing scream shatters the silence and becomes a conversation starter for Freddie and the three other people sharing the table – psychology student Marigold Anastas, law student Whit Metters and published author Cain McLeod (initially dubbed Freud Girl, Heroic Chin and Handsome Man respectively by Freddie, based on her observations). Initially, the source of the scream is not revealed until the next day when it is made public that the body of a young woman, who worked for a local tabloid, had been found. As the story progresses, the four of them become friends and find themselves embroiled in the mystery surrounding the death of the young woman and it is revealed that one of them is connected to the murder.

Guess what? This is the plot of a work of fiction by Australian author Hannah Tigone. Unlike her protagonist Freddie, she is in Australia, working on her new book, and is sharing her chapters with Leo Johnson, a struggling writer and fan of Hannah’s previous work. Leo is based in Boston and shares his opinions and suggestions with Hannah. (Hannah also names another character in the book, Freddie’s friend, neighbor and fellow scholar, Leo). Travel restrictions on account of the COVID pandemic render Hannah unable to travel and Leo attempts to help her in her research, the tone of his letters becoming more forceful and disturbing as the plot progresses.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Woman the Library by Sulari Gentill. I loved the story within a story structure of the narrative. The narrative is in the form of draft chapters written by Hannah Tigone interspersed with her correspondence with Leo. This is a smart, well-written whodunit with an interesting cast of characters and a well-developed plot. The mystery element was intriguing and I found myself pleasantly surprised with the way both the stories progressed. Though the pace does waver in parts, at no point did I find myself losing interest. This is the kind of book that needs to be read in one sitting. This was my first Sulari Gentill novel and I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.