Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
Ultimo Press (2022), 266 pages
Description
"The beautifully ornate reading room at the Boston Public Library is completely silent one weekday morning, until a woman's terrified scream echoes through the room. Security guards immediately appear and instruct everyone inside to stay put until they determine there is no threat. While they wait for the all-clear, four strangers who had been sitting in the reading room get to chatting and quickly become friendly. Harriet, Marigold, Whit, and Caine each have their own reasons for being in the reading room that morning--and it just happens that one of them may turn out to be a murderer. For readers of Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore, with shades of The Secret History, THE WOMAN IN THE LIBRARY is an unexpectedly twisty literary adventure that examines the complicated nature of friendship and shows us that words can be the most dangerous weapons of all"--… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member pgchuis
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.
This purports to be chapters of a story set in Boston narrated by an Australian author and critiqued by an American fan. Initially I found it all a little 'meta' and tiresome, but it grew on me and by the end I was really enjoying it.
This purports to be chapters of a story set in Boston narrated by an Australian author and critiqued by an American fan. Initially I found it all a little 'meta' and tiresome, but it grew on me and by the end I was really enjoying it.
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It kept me guessing, and the references to Black Lives Matter and Covid were done with a light but thought-provoking touch. Show Less
LibraryThing member troymcc
This mystery had some intriguing components, including three different people writing similar mystery novels (two of which were characters in the novel itself), and a character critiquing the novel itself. I was disappointed with the ending because the motivations of the final culprit's actions
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weren't fully explained. It was definitley a page-turner. Show Less
LibraryThing member jfe16
Review of Advance Reader’s Edition eBook
The reading room of the Boston Public Library becomes the focal point for four people sitting at the same table in the ornate room. Winifred Kincaid, recipient of a Marriot Scholarship, has come to Boston from Australia. She is at the library to work on her
The woman seated beside her, arms covered with tattoos, reads a book by Freud. The young man sitting across the table wears a Harvard Law sweatshirt. Next to him sits a man working on his laptop. Freddie wonders about each of them as she considers the possibility of making each of them characters in her story.
And then a terrifying scream interrupts the quiet.
The four head for the Map Room, the closest place to get coffee. As the four ponder the reason for the blood-curdling scream, Marigold Anastas, Whit Metters, Cain MacLeod, and Freddie strike up a friendship. Soon they learn of the murder of a woman, Caroline Palfrey, in the Chavannes Gallery.
As the newly-formed group of friends seeks answers to the murder, they will find danger awaits around every turn. Soon they will wonder if one of the four of them could be the murderer.
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This book has an interesting format. Australian writer Hannah Tigone converses with a colleague, Leo Johnson, in Boston about the novel she is writing. She sends him a completed chapter; he offers comments, provides appropriate facts, and does what he can to support her writing. The narrative, then, becomes a chapter of Hannah’s work, followed by Leo’s comments.
The plot twists and turns as readers eventually realize the story about Freddie, Marigold, Whit, and Cain is Hannah’s manuscript. The story-within-a-story keeps the pages turning as readers try to determine the identity of the murderer in the library.
As the unfolding narrative reveals Leo’s replies to Hannah’s chapters, readers realize the comments Leo makes have become increasingly critical as if he is seeking to change Hannah’s story. It definitely adds a strong creepy factor to the telling of the tale.
The characters are well-drawn and believable; the twisty story complex and unpredictable. Guaranteed to entertain as it cleverly highlights the struggles of a writer, the evolving story is complex, creepy, and smart.
One caveat . . . the author’s continual propensity to use exclamatory phrases that include the name of Jesus in a disrespectful manner becomes quite off-putting and is the sole reason for lowering the rating for the book.
A reading group guide and a conversation with the author are also included in the book.
Recommended.
I received a free copy of this eBook from Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley
#TheWomanintheLibrary #NetGalley
The reading room of the Boston Public Library becomes the focal point for four people sitting at the same table in the ornate room. Winifred Kincaid, recipient of a Marriot Scholarship, has come to Boston from Australia. She is at the library to work on her
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manuscript.The woman seated beside her, arms covered with tattoos, reads a book by Freud. The young man sitting across the table wears a Harvard Law sweatshirt. Next to him sits a man working on his laptop. Freddie wonders about each of them as she considers the possibility of making each of them characters in her story.
And then a terrifying scream interrupts the quiet.
The four head for the Map Room, the closest place to get coffee. As the four ponder the reason for the blood-curdling scream, Marigold Anastas, Whit Metters, Cain MacLeod, and Freddie strike up a friendship. Soon they learn of the murder of a woman, Caroline Palfrey, in the Chavannes Gallery.
As the newly-formed group of friends seeks answers to the murder, they will find danger awaits around every turn. Soon they will wonder if one of the four of them could be the murderer.
=========
This book has an interesting format. Australian writer Hannah Tigone converses with a colleague, Leo Johnson, in Boston about the novel she is writing. She sends him a completed chapter; he offers comments, provides appropriate facts, and does what he can to support her writing. The narrative, then, becomes a chapter of Hannah’s work, followed by Leo’s comments.
The plot twists and turns as readers eventually realize the story about Freddie, Marigold, Whit, and Cain is Hannah’s manuscript. The story-within-a-story keeps the pages turning as readers try to determine the identity of the murderer in the library.
As the unfolding narrative reveals Leo’s replies to Hannah’s chapters, readers realize the comments Leo makes have become increasingly critical as if he is seeking to change Hannah’s story. It definitely adds a strong creepy factor to the telling of the tale.
The characters are well-drawn and believable; the twisty story complex and unpredictable. Guaranteed to entertain as it cleverly highlights the struggles of a writer, the evolving story is complex, creepy, and smart.
One caveat . . . the author’s continual propensity to use exclamatory phrases that include the name of Jesus in a disrespectful manner becomes quite off-putting and is the sole reason for lowering the rating for the book.
A reading group guide and a conversation with the author are also included in the book.
Recommended.
I received a free copy of this eBook from Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley
#TheWomanintheLibrary #NetGalley
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LibraryThing member Hostie13
The Woman in the Library is a story in a story making it difficult to describe but I’ll give it a go.
Hannah is an Australia writer. She is writing a mystery story based in Boston. We learn very little about Hannah herself.
We read the story as Hannah writes it.
The main character in Hannah’s
Marigold, a psychology student with tattoos who Freddie nicknames Freud Girl.
Cain McLeod who is also an author with a secretive past. She refers to him as Handsome Man
Whit Metters a law student and handsome sone of a powerful lawyer who she calls Heroic Chin.
A scream pierces the silence in the room. The security people quickly lock down the library pending an investigation. While unable to leave the four of them begin to chat to each other and discuss what has just happened. When no body is found they move onto a coffee shop and begin to get to know each other, forming a friendship that leads into their own investigation.
Each has their own story gradually revealed as the story progresses. Freddie falls in love with the mysterious Cain. As their stories are revealed another murder occurs. There is another murder, a mysterious disappearance and strange phone messages. It becomes apparent one of the four is a stalker and one is a murderer.
As the main story unfolds Hannah sends each chapter to a fan, Leo, in Boston. This is the second story within the main story. We get to read Leo’s emails with his comments on the storyline and correction of Australian idioms not used in the US. Gradually his emails become stranger as he suggests major changes to the manuscript including sending photos of actual crimes. The author becomes concerned and contacts the authorities.
It is complicated but very clever, well plotted, and easily followed.
Thank you to Netgalley, Sourcebooks, Poisoned Pen Press, and Sulari Gentill for the opportunity to read this book.
Hannah is an Australia writer. She is writing a mystery story based in Boston. We learn very little about Hannah herself.
We read the story as Hannah writes it.
The main character in Hannah’s
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story is an Australian writer Winifred Kincaid (Freddie). She is in Boston after receiving a Marriott Scholarship. While visiting the library for inspiration three people share her table. She begins to write a story about them in her mind. They are:Marigold, a psychology student with tattoos who Freddie nicknames Freud Girl.
Cain McLeod who is also an author with a secretive past. She refers to him as Handsome Man
Whit Metters a law student and handsome sone of a powerful lawyer who she calls Heroic Chin.
A scream pierces the silence in the room. The security people quickly lock down the library pending an investigation. While unable to leave the four of them begin to chat to each other and discuss what has just happened. When no body is found they move onto a coffee shop and begin to get to know each other, forming a friendship that leads into their own investigation.
Each has their own story gradually revealed as the story progresses. Freddie falls in love with the mysterious Cain. As their stories are revealed another murder occurs. There is another murder, a mysterious disappearance and strange phone messages. It becomes apparent one of the four is a stalker and one is a murderer.
As the main story unfolds Hannah sends each chapter to a fan, Leo, in Boston. This is the second story within the main story. We get to read Leo’s emails with his comments on the storyline and correction of Australian idioms not used in the US. Gradually his emails become stranger as he suggests major changes to the manuscript including sending photos of actual crimes. The author becomes concerned and contacts the authorities.
It is complicated but very clever, well plotted, and easily followed.
Thank you to Netgalley, Sourcebooks, Poisoned Pen Press, and Sulari Gentill for the opportunity to read this book.
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LibraryThing member oldbookswine
4 stranger hear a women scheme in the Boston public library. They decide to search for the killer. As they become friends they find they have common interests, one is a murderer, two are writers and a spy student. There is also a letter written to the Australian grant winner author who like the
Good read.
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Book Crime Story, writes hints and correction to the story.Good read.
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LibraryThing member bell7
*E-book ARC received from the publisher through Edelweiss Plus - thank you!*
The mystery of the woman in the library brings four people together - Cain, Whit, Marigold, and our narrator, Freddie (short for Winifred). They're sitting in the Boston Public Library's reading room when a scream pierces
The meta aspect of this book is at least as interesting as the mystery itself. Having Leo's letters between the chapters reminds us that we're reading fiction, but also played with my reading of the story as I figured out where I might agree or disagree about his interpretations, and exactly what was the purpose of his letters. It also brought in "real life" - mentions of the pandemic, for example, and comments on words or phrases that were particularly Australian and what would have been more common to say in the U.S. The mystery portion was also compelling, the tension building as the story went on. There were a few quibbles I had with Freddie - she falls in love awfully quickly, can be very naive and trusting, and calls Marigold and Whit young for being approximately four years younger than her if I did the math right. But it was a fun ride, and a book I'd recommend.
The mystery of the woman in the library brings four people together - Cain, Whit, Marigold, and our narrator, Freddie (short for Winifred). They're sitting in the Boston Public Library's reading room when a scream pierces
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the quiet and, though they've never met before, they start talking and form a friendship before finding out that the woman who screamed was murdered. The frame of this, however, is letters being sent to the Australian author, Hannah, by aspiring writer Leo, who lives in Boston and helpfully sends recommendations, info about the city, and photos to help Hannah in her writing.The meta aspect of this book is at least as interesting as the mystery itself. Having Leo's letters between the chapters reminds us that we're reading fiction, but also played with my reading of the story as I figured out where I might agree or disagree about his interpretations, and exactly what was the purpose of his letters. It also brought in "real life" - mentions of the pandemic, for example, and comments on words or phrases that were particularly Australian and what would have been more common to say in the U.S. The mystery portion was also compelling, the tension building as the story went on. There were a few quibbles I had with Freddie - she falls in love awfully quickly, can be very naive and trusting, and calls Marigold and Whit young for being approximately four years younger than her if I did the math right. But it was a fun ride, and a book I'd recommend.
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LibraryThing member cathyskye
The joy of Sulari Gentill's The Woman in the Library is that it's a story within a story within a story, and each successive chapter reveals one or two more puzzle pieces for readers to ponder. I could compare the unfolding of the plot to peeling back the layers of an onion, but not only is that
A series of emails from Australian writer Hannah Tigone to Leo Johnson tells readers that Hannah is in Australia writing a novel about a murder set in the Boston Public Library and Leo is her American contact who reads Hannah's manuscript and searches out locations and offers tips on clarification. But that's not the only thing going on with the Hannah and Leo layer. The Freddie/Cain/Marigold/Whit layer also blossoms with the steady infusion of kernels of information about each character. These stories play off each other beautifully.
The Woman in the Library is one of those books that you can't talk about very much without giving something away, so I'll just say this: I decided right at the beginning to let myself become a leaf caught in a current in the river. This means that I didn't bring out my deerstalker hat and magnifying glass in order to solve the mystery before the characters in the book had a chance to. No, I simply went along for the ride and enjoyed every page. Once the rose that is The Woman in the Library has completely blossomed, there was nothing left to do but marvel at the story Gentill created. Wow!
(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)
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comparison worn out, but it also doesn't really fit. No, this story is a beauty, and much more like the slow but certain blossoming of a rose, petal by soft, scented petal.A series of emails from Australian writer Hannah Tigone to Leo Johnson tells readers that Hannah is in Australia writing a novel about a murder set in the Boston Public Library and Leo is her American contact who reads Hannah's manuscript and searches out locations and offers tips on clarification. But that's not the only thing going on with the Hannah and Leo layer. The Freddie/Cain/Marigold/Whit layer also blossoms with the steady infusion of kernels of information about each character. These stories play off each other beautifully.
The Woman in the Library is one of those books that you can't talk about very much without giving something away, so I'll just say this: I decided right at the beginning to let myself become a leaf caught in a current in the river. This means that I didn't bring out my deerstalker hat and magnifying glass in order to solve the mystery before the characters in the book had a chance to. No, I simply went along for the ride and enjoyed every page. Once the rose that is The Woman in the Library has completely blossomed, there was nothing left to do but marvel at the story Gentill created. Wow!
(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)
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LibraryThing member bfister
I was intrigued by the description of this book. The setting: the Boston Public Library reading room. The plot: a locked-room mystery involving a group of people who are in the reading room when a woman is murdered in a nearby room; they hear her scream and want to solve the crime. On top of that
In the end it didn't totally work for me. The ongoing relationship with a pushy fan who has an exaggerated sense of importance seemed implausible though it did provide a layer of suspense. The mystery itself seemed a bit drawn out though the slowly revealed information about the key characters was fairly effective. There was something about the protagonist that grated on me as she pronounced on the writing craft. But it's a clever idea and no doubt will appeal to readers who enjoy new takes on the classic locked room mystery.
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(and the feature that I found most intriguing) the story takes place inside another story, as the author corresponds with a fan who becomes a stalker, a kind of metafiction. And writing itself becomes a major part of the story. (The fan also becomes a character in the story.)In the end it didn't totally work for me. The ongoing relationship with a pushy fan who has an exaggerated sense of importance seemed implausible though it did provide a layer of suspense. The mystery itself seemed a bit drawn out though the slowly revealed information about the key characters was fairly effective. There was something about the protagonist that grated on me as she pronounced on the writing craft. But it's a clever idea and no doubt will appeal to readers who enjoy new takes on the classic locked room mystery.
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LibraryThing member eyes.2c
Murder incredible!
I’ll admit that I was unsure where this unusual murder mystery arose from and where it was heading. It’s definitely not a cosy mystery. It hangs around in the thriller zeitgeist.
By the time I was into the second chapter I was still trying to build a picture of events, and who
So we begin with four unusual strangers hearing a woman’s scream in the Boston library. This single fact draws them together. The four Boston Library would-be-friends are amazing, somewhat weird, and all have secrets. I loved the whole crazy group encounter—built on a scream and held together by that event.
I really enjoyed the plot. Australian writer Hannah, a Marriott Fellowship Holder who’s working on a novel about—Yup! You guessed it—a murder mystery involving an Aussie in the US. I laughed at the writer’s comments on Chocolate, Thanksgiving and Coffee. All so true.
We also have our fictional author and our author both embedded in the novel with strange happenings occurring for both. I’m still unsure if this is fiction imitating life, or vice versa.
I should add that Sulari Gentill is one of my fav writers, and this novel keeps her there!
A Poisoned Pen Press ARC via NetGalley
I’ll admit that I was unsure where this unusual murder mystery arose from and where it was heading. It’s definitely not a cosy mystery. It hangs around in the thriller zeitgeist.
By the time I was into the second chapter I was still trying to build a picture of events, and who
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was who. Talk about needing bits of tape to join the pieces together! Reality and fiction became intertwined—despite it all being fiction. By this time I’d been neatly suckered in and there was no way I was leaving.So we begin with four unusual strangers hearing a woman’s scream in the Boston library. This single fact draws them together. The four Boston Library would-be-friends are amazing, somewhat weird, and all have secrets. I loved the whole crazy group encounter—built on a scream and held together by that event.
I really enjoyed the plot. Australian writer Hannah, a Marriott Fellowship Holder who’s working on a novel about—Yup! You guessed it—a murder mystery involving an Aussie in the US. I laughed at the writer’s comments on Chocolate, Thanksgiving and Coffee. All so true.
We also have our fictional author and our author both embedded in the novel with strange happenings occurring for both. I’m still unsure if this is fiction imitating life, or vice versa.
I should add that Sulari Gentill is one of my fav writers, and this novel keeps her there!
A Poisoned Pen Press ARC via NetGalley
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LibraryThing member bibliovermis
Incredibly cool and creepy and metafictive, with two interlocking stories: the chapters of the mystery novel of the title, an interesting, expertly done mystery story itself, are interspersed with email feedback on each chapter from the "author's" beta reader, which themselves begin to form a
I enjoyed the well-crafted, familiarly titled "woman in the/girl on the/etc." core mystery, and as for the metafictive framing story, I thought it was absolutely terrifying, and just very, very cool. Couldn't put it down!
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horror/mystery story of their own...I enjoyed the well-crafted, familiarly titled "woman in the/girl on the/etc." core mystery, and as for the metafictive framing story, I thought it was absolutely terrifying, and just very, very cool. Couldn't put it down!
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LibraryThing member she_climber
A book within a book within a book. Interesting premises that was new to me and in the beginning rather confusing but thankfully one book dropped off and just became something one of the characters was writing.
Four strangers in the Boston Public Library hear a scream and begin discussing that they
Super quick read, characters were okay, but it was entertaining and kept me interested.
Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Four strangers in the Boston Public Library hear a scream and begin discussing that they
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heard, from which a friendship begins as they see if they can solve the mystery. The friendship continues as do the murders with lots of twists and turns. Between every chapter is an email from Leo to the author of the four strangers book, Hannah, as she's writing it with feedback which gets increasingly weird with each email. Super quick read, characters were okay, but it was entertaining and kept me interested.
Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
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LibraryThing member shelleyraec
Metafiction is a rare narrative technique, and often difficult to execute successfully, but The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill does so with ease, offering a clever and compelling mystery novel.
In this story within a story (within a story), Australian author Hannah Tigone is writing a murder
As Freddie, along with psychology student Marigold, law student Whit, and published author Cain whom she meets when a scream disturbs the quiet of the Boston Public Library Reading Room, tries to solve the murder of a young journalist, it’s testament to Gentill’s skill that I was invested in the story, and often forgot it’s place in the novel’s structure, in fact I occasionally resented the reminder when disrupted by Leo’s missives. With its air of a ‘locked room’ mystery, I was deftly led astray by Gentill’s misdirects, and found myself eager to discover who, how, and why the murder was committed.
I feel I have to mention the adroit way in which Gentill navigated the world events of 2019/2020, the years in which this book was set, with the CoVid pandemic, the BLM protests in the US, and the fires that ravaged the Eastern coast of Australia, all acknowledged in interesting ways.
Ingenious and intriguing The Woman in the Library is a terrific read.
In this story within a story (within a story), Australian author Hannah Tigone is writing a murder
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mystery, inspired in part by her correspondence with American aspiring author and fan, Leo Johnson. In Hannah’s developing manuscript, Australian author Winifred ‘Freddie’ Kincaid, is in Massachusetts on a writers’ scholarship, when she becomes embroiled in a murder mystery that takes place in the Boston Public Library. As Hannah completes each chapter, Leo provides feedback via emails, the tone of which grow more imperious, and disturbing, as the story develops in ways he doesn’t like.As Freddie, along with psychology student Marigold, law student Whit, and published author Cain whom she meets when a scream disturbs the quiet of the Boston Public Library Reading Room, tries to solve the murder of a young journalist, it’s testament to Gentill’s skill that I was invested in the story, and often forgot it’s place in the novel’s structure, in fact I occasionally resented the reminder when disrupted by Leo’s missives. With its air of a ‘locked room’ mystery, I was deftly led astray by Gentill’s misdirects, and found myself eager to discover who, how, and why the murder was committed.
I feel I have to mention the adroit way in which Gentill navigated the world events of 2019/2020, the years in which this book was set, with the CoVid pandemic, the BLM protests in the US, and the fires that ravaged the Eastern coast of Australia, all acknowledged in interesting ways.
Ingenious and intriguing The Woman in the Library is a terrific read.
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LibraryThing member EllenH
While this had lots of clever twists, and stories within a story, it was also confusing for that same reason. I liked it, but was also irritated by the twists and layers.
LibraryThing member rmarcin
Four strangers meet in the reading room of the Boston Public Library when they hear a scream. Frightened, they find out later that a woman has been murdered. One of the 4, Whit, worked with the woman on a publication. Marigold has an affection for Whit, Freddie (Winifred) is an Australian, working
This is a story within a story, as the author writing the story of the woman in the library is an Australian author, Hannah, communicating with another writer, Leo. Leo provides editorial suggestions to Hannah.
The story within a story is well done and the ending leaves you wondering! I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author, as she kept me guessing about who and why.
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on writing a mystery novel, and finally Cain, a handsome man with a secret past. This is a story within a story, as the author writing the story of the woman in the library is an Australian author, Hannah, communicating with another writer, Leo. Leo provides editorial suggestions to Hannah.
The story within a story is well done and the ending leaves you wondering! I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author, as she kept me guessing about who and why.
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LibraryThing member Maydacat
I had no idea what I was getting into when I started this mystery, and, listening to the audio ebook, I have to say I got more confused before it all started to make sense. Yes, it is a book within a book, but the publishing blurb doesn’t tell you that. The “book” characters are by far more
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compelling than the “real” characters. Readers will get caught up in this engrossing mystery, what is real, what isn’t, and just who IS the psycho killer, anyway?! My rating varied from a 2-star to a 4-star but I settled on a 3-star because of the peculiar conclusion. It is a fascinating tale, but don’t be surprised if you shake your head at times, wondering what in the world is going on. Show Less
LibraryThing member fredreeca
There is a scream that shatters the silence in the reading room at the Boston Public Library. A dead body of a woman has been discovered by a cleaning lady. This leads to four strangers, who just happen to be sitting at the same table, to become sleuths and fast friends.
I enjoyed the setting of
The narrator, Katherine Littrell, did a pretty good job. She needs to work on her southern accent though.
Need a good book in a good setting…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
I enjoyed the setting of
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Boston and the Boston Public library. It is now on the bucket list. The story itself is just ok. I had trouble connecting to the characters. But, I did enjoy the mystery and the convoluted way the author gets you to the killer!The narrator, Katherine Littrell, did a pretty good job. She needs to work on her southern accent though.
Need a good book in a good setting…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
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LibraryThing member Dianekeenoy
This book was definitely confusing in the beginning especially on audio. It's a book within a book type story which took me a little time to get used to. But, once I got into it, I listened through most of the night to finish.
LibraryThing member smik
I have found this novel very difficult to review without revealing too much of the plot. I would rather leave it so the reader can travel on the same journey that I have.
So we have a cleverly constructed plot within a plot, a novel within a novel, a mystery within a mystery. I suspect that most
So I have written my thoughts in a section below, rather than here, with an appropriate spoiler warning, and still trying not to reveal too much of the novel.
My rating: 4.5
About the Author
After setting out to study astrophysics, graduating in law and then abandoning her legal career to write books, SULARI GENTILL now grows French black truffles on her farm in the foothills of the Snowy Mountains of Australia.
Gentill's Rowland Sinclair mysteries have won and/or been shortlisted for the Davitt Award and the Commonwealth Writers' Prize, and her stand-alone metafiction thriller, After She Wrote Him won the Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Novel in 2018. Her tenth Sinclair novel, A Testament of Character, was shortlisted for the Ned Kelly Best Crime Novel in 2021. --This text refers to the paperback edition.
I've also read
5.0, A FEW RIGHT THINKING MEN
4.8, A DECLINE IN PROPHETS
4.8, MILES OFF COURSE
4.7, PAVING THE NEW ROAD
Warning: Might contain spoilers
Celebrated Australian author Hanna Tigone is in Sydney writing in her latest novel which she sets in the Boston Public Library. Winfred (Freddie) is an Australian writer who has won a Sinclair writer in residence scholarship to live and write in Boston and is living with other scholarship winners in an apartment house at Carrington Square. Among the others living there is another writer in residence named Leo Johnson.
So we have a cleverly constructed plot within a plot, a novel within a novel, a mystery within a mystery. I suspect that most readers, like me, will find this a challenging read. The story that Freddie is writing is based on a group of people united by a scream. Freddie reveals her story to the others she has met at the BPL and they react enthusiastically, seemingly not realising she will be basing her story on them.
Hannah's novel also begins with the scream. As she completes her written segments she emails her novel off to a fan Leo, who, rather confusingly, is in Boston. Leo provides advice to Hannah about American customs and terminology. Leo talks about the need to give the novel a time frame, to say what colour/race the characters are and so on. He also keeps saying that he intends to come to Sydney to meet Hannah in person. The emails with Leo provide a third plot.
At the end of the novel the author has provided a Reading Group Guide, a set of questions readers might discuss. In the next section A CONVERSATION WITH THE AUTHOR Sulari Gentill reveals some uncanny parallels with the plots of the novel and what was happening in her own life.
I found the discussion between Freddie and the other characters about how she writes her story interesting: she likens the construction to a bus picking up passengers who then determine the direction the action takes. Whereas Cain plots his novel more conventionally, rather like a spider web.
So we have a cleverly constructed plot within a plot, a novel within a novel, a mystery within a mystery. I suspect that most
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readers, like me, will find this a challenging read.So I have written my thoughts in a section below, rather than here, with an appropriate spoiler warning, and still trying not to reveal too much of the novel.
My rating: 4.5
About the Author
After setting out to study astrophysics, graduating in law and then abandoning her legal career to write books, SULARI GENTILL now grows French black truffles on her farm in the foothills of the Snowy Mountains of Australia.
Gentill's Rowland Sinclair mysteries have won and/or been shortlisted for the Davitt Award and the Commonwealth Writers' Prize, and her stand-alone metafiction thriller, After She Wrote Him won the Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Novel in 2018. Her tenth Sinclair novel, A Testament of Character, was shortlisted for the Ned Kelly Best Crime Novel in 2021. --This text refers to the paperback edition.
I've also read
5.0, A FEW RIGHT THINKING MEN
4.8, A DECLINE IN PROPHETS
4.8, MILES OFF COURSE
4.7, PAVING THE NEW ROAD
Warning: Might contain spoilers
Celebrated Australian author Hanna Tigone is in Sydney writing in her latest novel which she sets in the Boston Public Library. Winfred (Freddie) is an Australian writer who has won a Sinclair writer in residence scholarship to live and write in Boston and is living with other scholarship winners in an apartment house at Carrington Square. Among the others living there is another writer in residence named Leo Johnson.
So we have a cleverly constructed plot within a plot, a novel within a novel, a mystery within a mystery. I suspect that most readers, like me, will find this a challenging read. The story that Freddie is writing is based on a group of people united by a scream. Freddie reveals her story to the others she has met at the BPL and they react enthusiastically, seemingly not realising she will be basing her story on them.
Hannah's novel also begins with the scream. As she completes her written segments she emails her novel off to a fan Leo, who, rather confusingly, is in Boston. Leo provides advice to Hannah about American customs and terminology. Leo talks about the need to give the novel a time frame, to say what colour/race the characters are and so on. He also keeps saying that he intends to come to Sydney to meet Hannah in person. The emails with Leo provide a third plot.
At the end of the novel the author has provided a Reading Group Guide, a set of questions readers might discuss. In the next section A CONVERSATION WITH THE AUTHOR Sulari Gentill reveals some uncanny parallels with the plots of the novel and what was happening in her own life.
I found the discussion between Freddie and the other characters about how she writes her story interesting: she likens the construction to a bus picking up passengers who then determine the direction the action takes. Whereas Cain plots his novel more conventionally, rather like a spider web.
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LibraryThing member niaomiya
This was a delicious book-within-a-book mystery. Four strangers are in the Reading Room of the Boston Public Library when a woman's scream shatters the silence. While security guards investigate the disturbance, the strangers strike up a conversation and become fast friends.
As the mystery
Author Sulari Gentill does a great job of slowly revealing details and pieces of information about each character's past. The story is peeled back layer by layer, revealing more twists and complications. In fact, the best twist - in my opinion - actually takes place about halfway through the book and has nothing to do with the mystery about the woman in the library. How devilishly clever of Gentill! I did not see that one coming at all.
This book was so close to earning 5 stars from me, but when I finished, I was not entirely satisfied. I guess I felt that the big reveal at the end happened too fast. Given that the overall pace of the book was steady in its measured revelations, the big reveal felt rushed and a little too pat. Nonetheless, I still found this book quite entertaining.
As the mystery
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surrounding the woman and what happened to her lingers, the four new friends - Cain, Whit, Marigold, and Freddie - find themselves becoming more involved in figuring out the mystery. In so doing, they learn more about each other and realize that coincidences really aren't what they seem.Author Sulari Gentill does a great job of slowly revealing details and pieces of information about each character's past. The story is peeled back layer by layer, revealing more twists and complications. In fact, the best twist - in my opinion - actually takes place about halfway through the book and has nothing to do with the mystery about the woman in the library. How devilishly clever of Gentill! I did not see that one coming at all.
This book was so close to earning 5 stars from me, but when I finished, I was not entirely satisfied. I guess I felt that the big reveal at the end happened too fast. Given that the overall pace of the book was steady in its measured revelations, the big reveal felt rushed and a little too pat. Nonetheless, I still found this book quite entertaining.
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LibraryThing member PinkPurlandProse
Many thanks to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and Sulari Gentill for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are 100% my own and independent of receiving an advance copy.
You know when you are sitting in the library, checking out the strangers at your table, trying to
Yes, it is a murder and the four of them join forces to try and solve the murder. It turns out someone knows the victim, at one point all of them are suspects and at least one love story happens along the way to solving the crime. However, Gentill doesn’t just give us a regular straightforward murder mystery. This is actually a story within a story. Hannah is an author who is writing the story of Freddie visiting Boston. Hannah has a pen pal Leo who lives in Boston who is helping her create a more realistic story by sending her details of Boston.
What a great read! I finished it in one afternoon. You highly suspect one of the four are responsible for the murder but putting it together and the creep factor around Hannah and Leo certainly keep you entertained. It is well written and has solid character development. The lines become blurred between what is real and what is the story being written. Probably best to not think about it and go with the flow. Just let it happen - I promise it’ll be worth it!
You know when you are sitting in the library, checking out the strangers at your table, trying to
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concentrate on your work that you are supposed to be doing and hear a blood curdling scream rips through air. Ya, I hate it when that happens. Well, that’s what happened to Freddie, an Aussie who is trying to write her sophomore book in the Boston Library. The scream serves as the impetus for the 4 people to begin talking “Freud Girl”, “Handsome Man” and “Heroic Chin” as she labels them all start to wonder what could have happened.Yes, it is a murder and the four of them join forces to try and solve the murder. It turns out someone knows the victim, at one point all of them are suspects and at least one love story happens along the way to solving the crime. However, Gentill doesn’t just give us a regular straightforward murder mystery. This is actually a story within a story. Hannah is an author who is writing the story of Freddie visiting Boston. Hannah has a pen pal Leo who lives in Boston who is helping her create a more realistic story by sending her details of Boston.
What a great read! I finished it in one afternoon. You highly suspect one of the four are responsible for the murder but putting it together and the creep factor around Hannah and Leo certainly keep you entertained. It is well written and has solid character development. The lines become blurred between what is real and what is the story being written. Probably best to not think about it and go with the flow. Just let it happen - I promise it’ll be worth it!
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LibraryThing member mookie86
This was ok - struggled to get through the first half. I found the characters were not that interesting and the plot to be choppy and lack the flow of a well-paced thriller. The Leo letter parts were a little confusing and seemed to be unnecessary until they were actually going to have an impact on
Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the ARC.
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the other characters. Not my favorite but the concept was interesting and I enjoyed the Boston setting. 2.5 starsThank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the ARC.
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LibraryThing member lbswiener
The Woman in the Library is a long book that does not seem to go any place at all. The characters are believable and their settings are believable. However, the story makes no sense. The worst part is that the book just came to an end. It is like the author should have hired another author to come
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up with an ending to the book because the author did not know how to end it. The book received three stars in this review. Show Less
LibraryThing member Desiree_Reads
Bailed at 54% when Cain's stepfather is intent on sodomizing him.
LibraryThing member DrApple
This is an extremely clever mystery about a woman writing a mystery and the character who is writing a mystery. The protagonists met in the Boston Public Library Reading Room when a woman screams somewhere nearby in the library. They form a friendship as they try to solve the mystery. One of them,
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however, is the killer, Show Less
LibraryThing member cfk
The core mystery was complex and well done. But overall, I found the book's structure confusing and distracting.
It was setup as a story within a story: an author writing a story about an author writing a story with herself as one of the characters. Plus another character critiquing the author's
The stories seemed to be set in summertime Austrailia (author 1) and autumn in Boston (author 2) which aburptly became sort of wintery. The originial setup for the murder was twisty and interesting at the same time that it setup the unique friendship of the four main characters.
It was setup as a story within a story: an author writing a story about an author writing a story with herself as one of the characters. Plus another character critiquing the author's
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story. The stories seemed to be set in summertime Austrailia (author 1) and autumn in Boston (author 2) which aburptly became sort of wintery. The originial setup for the murder was twisty and interesting at the same time that it setup the unique friendship of the four main characters.
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Awards
Edgar Award (Nominee — Simon & Schuster Mary Higgins Clark Award — 2023)
LibraryReads (Annual Voter Favorite — June 2022)
Library Journal Best Books (Crime — 2022)
Language
Original publication date
2022
Local notes
Harriet is an Australian writer in the US who hopes to find inspiration for a novel while staring at the ceiling at the Boston Public Library. Cain, Whit, and Marigold happen to be sitting at the same table when they hear a woman screams. Shocked, they end up striking up a quick and effortless friendship…only to find out soon after that the screaming woman was murdered. A light whodunnit told from Harriet’s POV, alternating chapters with Leo, a fan of the author, who is reading along as the story is written.