Reviews tagging 'Murder'

The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill

128 reviews

bk2nocal's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Fun read. Some surprising twists and turns. 
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migalu23's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This was such a gripping read! I needed something fast-paced and mysterious, and stumbled across this and thought the premise could fit the bill. But it surpassed my expectations - I was totally blown away by how quickly I was hooked on the unfolding drama.  Gentill left me with plenty of juicy prompts to think on too. Loved it!
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e_flah's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

The Woman in the Library had a lot of different things happening in one fairly short book. For the most part, I found the layers of mysteries entertaining though I was disappointed with how brief the whodunit wrap-up at the end was. My biggest complaint was the lack of character development. All of the main characters felt a bit flat and didn't do much to keep me invested in the story.
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tamara_joy's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes

3.5

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robotswithpersonality's review against another edition

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mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Okay, THIS is what I want my murder mysteries to be like. Book w/i a book w/i a book? If a book tells the story of an author writing a story that begins with an author writing a story...feels kinda M.C. Escher! Speaking of drawn hands, can I just say how much I love this cover?
Incidentally, I'm sorry for anyone who picked this up thinking it was a thriller. The pace is slower, though the gradual build up of information, tension, suspicion and reveals really worked for me. There are many charming moments, even charming characters, which has not been my (brief) experience of thrillers either.
I could make a lot of individual character commentary but it's more fun if you learn it as you read. 
The remarks throughout on social issues playing into the narrative, make for interesting reflections for the reader. The clap back with the hoodies? The Australian cafe uniform? Ohmigod I LOVED it. 
The epistolary portion of this work does cover 2020 events - Australian bush fires, pandemic outbreak, Black Lives Matter protests and (prejudiced character) discussing race so be warned; might be redundant for murder mystery but warning also for descriptions of violence/murder.
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someryarns's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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aliciaurbain's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix

5.0

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ckraney's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

3.5 stars. I loved the format of this book—the book within a book. I thought the crimes and clues were well plotted and I was prepared for a masterful reveal. I was disappointed by the twist at the end and it felt like it cheapened all of the previous work. Such crimes seemed more intricate than how they were tied up in the end. (It’s hard to explain without spoilers!) I wish the ending had been as well thought out and crafted as the rest of the story. It would have been a 4 star book in that case.
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linneak's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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notartgarfunkel's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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