Scan barcode
ruth24's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I read this book in two days which is testament to how unputdownable it was! I love a story within a story and a tense, suspenseful mystery that keeps me guessing. Sometimes a story within a story can be confusing, or you feel attached to one part but not the other, but this was not at all the case with The Woman in the Library. I found it really well done. I'll definitely be checking out more books by this author.
bound2africa's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
mollyvh's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 rounded up. An interesting method of story telling that I really liked. It was a fun mystery story, perfect to read on vacation.
justagir1's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Toxic friendship, Violence, Murder, Toxic relationship, and Death
Moderate: Gaslighting, Stalking, and Gun violence
Minor: Sexual content, Abandonment, Blood, Racism, Pandemic/Epidemic, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, Grief, and Sexual assault
a_reader_obsessed's review against another edition
4.0
4 Stars
By no means am I murder mystery connoisseur, but I will say this has several points in its favor. Fast paced, short chapters that always leave you with a cliffhanger of sorts easily propelling momentum, and two ongoing parallel storylines told in such a way that I’ve never experienced before.
This had an unique and clever execution of a classic whodunnit interwoven with another underlying sinister creepy thread that lent a different bent.
Again, original storytelling that made this an easy compelling read with an overall satisfying conclusion with just a hint of dubiousness to leave you with a queasy unsettling feeling.
By no means am I murder mystery connoisseur, but I will say this has several points in its favor. Fast paced, short chapters that always leave you with a cliffhanger of sorts easily propelling momentum, and two ongoing parallel storylines told in such a way that I’ve never experienced before.
This had an unique and clever execution of a classic whodunnit interwoven with another underlying sinister creepy thread that lent a different bent.
Again, original storytelling that made this an easy compelling read with an overall satisfying conclusion with just a hint of dubiousness to leave you with a queasy unsettling feeling.
paolas_shelf's review
4.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️.75- An author writing about an author who’s writing their own book. Inception vibes
themrsmcfarland's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
A nearly perfect murder mystery set in the Boston Public library, told from two uniquely intertwined perspectives. But there's a sinister underlying tale woven throughout that makes this story too good to miss.
bargainsleuth's review against another edition
4.0
For my complete review of this and other books, visit www.bargain-sleuth.com
This book has a long hold list at my local library, both print and digital copy. Much to my surprise, both the digital and physical copies became available to me at the same time. I couldn’t remember why I wanted to read The Woman in the Library, other than it was supposed to be set in a library. I was surprised to see that the book only had a 3.5 average rating on Goodreads given the popularity of the book. I decided to give the book a chance, anyway. After all, there are plenty of books that get rave reviews and I found them just okay.
The Woman in the Library is a locked room mystery at its heart, along with a bit of metafiction thrown in, which was a fun twist for me since I couldn’t remember why I requested the book from the library. There are only a few suspects, and for the majority of the book, the clues lead to one suspect. Well, I thought, that’s not much fun for the reader, and concluded that it was just a red herring. I was right.
Very little of the mystery takes place in the Boston Public Library, so I felt a bit cheated by the title. That’s only where the story starts. I still liked this mystery, though, and would recommend it to anyone who likes a locked room mystery with a few twists.
This book has a long hold list at my local library, both print and digital copy. Much to my surprise, both the digital and physical copies became available to me at the same time. I couldn’t remember why I wanted to read The Woman in the Library, other than it was supposed to be set in a library. I was surprised to see that the book only had a 3.5 average rating on Goodreads given the popularity of the book. I decided to give the book a chance, anyway. After all, there are plenty of books that get rave reviews and I found them just okay.
The Woman in the Library is a locked room mystery at its heart, along with a bit of metafiction thrown in, which was a fun twist for me since I couldn’t remember why I requested the book from the library. There are only a few suspects, and for the majority of the book, the clues lead to one suspect. Well, I thought, that’s not much fun for the reader, and concluded that it was just a red herring. I was right.
Very little of the mystery takes place in the Boston Public Library, so I felt a bit cheated by the title. That’s only where the story starts. I still liked this mystery, though, and would recommend it to anyone who likes a locked room mystery with a few twists.
coopercodes's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
So fucking good, had me actually guessing right up till the very end.
The parallel stories were so good.
Loved this.
The parallel stories were so good.
Loved this.