The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill is a real treat for bibliophiles and mystery fans. This clever literary mystery revolves around four strangers who meet by chance in the Reading Room at the Boston Public Library. Friendships develop when a body is discovered at the library and the four new friends decide to investigate further.
The novel’s first twist is that Cain, Marigold, Freddie, and Whit exist only as characters in an Australian author’s work in progess. Each chapter of Hannah Tigone’s story about the amateur sleuths is followed by a thoughtful response from an earnest beta reader living in Boston. Along with his personal observations about the emerging pandemic, fanboy Leo offers unique insights into American customs and Boston geography. As the story progresses, uncanny similiarities begin to develop between Leo's correspondence with Hannah and the mystery within the story.
Just like her character Hannah, Sulari Gentil is an Australian author whose books are finding fans around the globe. The Woman in the Library is a masterfully crafted example of metafiction, a novel that emphasizes its narrative structure to remind readers they're reading a fictional work.
Other works of metafiction include Slaughterhouse-five by Kurt Vonnegut, Hell of a Book by Jason Mott, Beatlebone by Kevin Barry, and Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth.
Visit your local library to find your next read and maybe discover a mystery of your own.
Alicia Cavitt
Information Specialist
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| Boston Public Libary Reading Room Monica Volpin image via Canva |
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