The Woman in the Library: A Novel

USA TODAY BESTSELLER * MARY HIGGINS CLARK AWARD NOMINEE * 2022 BOOKPAGE BEST MYSTERIES AND SUSPENSE * LIBRARY READS TOP 10 BOOKS OF 2022 * CRIME READS BEST NEW CRIME FICTION

"Investigations are launched, fingers are pointed, potentially dangerous liaisons unfold and I was turning those pages like there was cake at the finish line." --Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times must-read books for summer 2022

Ned Kelly award winning author Sulari Gentill sets this mystery-within-a-mystery in motion with a deceptively simple, Dear Hannah, What are you writing? pulling us into the ornate reading room at the Boston Public Library.

In every person's story, there is something to hide...

The tranquility is shattered by a woman's terrified scream. Security guards take charge immediately, instructing everyone inside to stay put until the threat is identified and contained. While they wait for the all-clear, four strangers, who'd happened to sit at the same table, pass the time in conversation and friendships are struck. Each has his or her own reasons for being in the reading room that morning--it just happens that one is a murderer.

Sulari Gentill delivers a sharply thrilling read with The Woman in the Library, an unexpectedly twisty literary adventure that examines the complicated nature of friendship and shows us that words can be the most treacherous weapons of all.

What readers are saying about The Woman in the Library:

"I loved this intelligent, high tension, addictive, unputdownable book so much!"

"I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!"

"This is a smart, well-written whodunit with an interesting cast of characters and a well-developed plot."

"A murder mystery that starts off in a crowded library full of book lovers? SIGN ME UP!"

"What an outstanding job and literary work in the crime-fiction genre!"

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Published Jun 7, 2022

288 pages

Average rating: 6.78

307 RATINGS

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Brockton Public Library Bookclub

The official book club for Brockton Public Library in Brockton, MA.

Mysteries In The Burbs - Chicago Suburbs Style

Calling all female 20/30 somethings in the suburbs of Chicago who love mystery/thriller novels!

Community Reviews

What Bookclubbers are saying about this book

✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI

Readers say *The Woman in the Library* offers a compelling, layered mystery with an intriguing dual narrative and strong, unique characters. Many appr...

Sandiejo20
Feb 25, 2023
7/10 stars
A little confusing at first, but a few chapters in the layout of the plot and how it is developed makes more sense. I enjoyed the easy read and not too many hard vocabulary words so I could follow the plot and not fret researching words. The characters were fun and very different from each other. My favorites were Hannah, Cain, and Freddie. I did not like Leo in or out of the story although this part was confusing towards the end but also provided a solid plot twist. I didn't love this book, but I liked it and found myself wanting to read it from thr entertainment perspective.
tamcconnell1
Dec 25, 2025
9/10 stars
Recommend as a book club choice!
raeallic
Oct 09, 2025
8/10 stars
LOVED! This was so unsettling, absolutely Un. Nerv. ING! The creepy rollout was such a huge blast, I've never read anything like it. Waiting with bated breath for the sequel, please god let there be a sequel...
literarily_occupied
Aug 12, 2025
8/10 stars
⭐⭐⭐
Anne-Marie Eberhardt
Jul 02, 2025
10/10 stars
This was a really interesting approach to a murder mystery. Really good!

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