The Woman in the Library

Four strangers. A quiet library. The perfect place for murder.

‘And then there is a scream. Ragged and terrified. A beat of silence even after it stops, until we all seem to realise that the Reading Room Rules no longer apply.'

Hannah Tigone, bestselling Australian crime author, is crafting a new novel that begins in the Boston Public Library: four strangers; Winifred, Cain, Marigold and Whit are sitting at the same table when a bloodcurdling scream breaks the silence. A woman has been murdered. They are all suspects, and, as it turns out, each character has their own secrets and motivations – and one of them is a murderer.

While crafting this new thriller, Hannah shares each chapter with her biggest fan and aspirational novelist, Leo. But Leo seems to know a lot about violence, motive, and how exactly to kill someone. Perhaps he is not all that he seems…

The Woman in the Library is an unexpectedly twisty literary adventure that examines the complicated nature of friendship – and shows that words can be the most treacherous weapons of all.

‘Wickedly clever, highly original and thoroughly entertaining – I loved it!' Chris Hammer, author of Scrublands and Treasure and Dirt

‘A seriously fun read.' Dervla McTIernan, author of The Ruin and The Murder Rule

‘This elegantly constructed novel is intelligent, funny, and profound. Who could ask for more?' Publishers Weekly

‘Sulari Gentill pulls back the curtain on writers and their fixations, revealing the duplicity, the secret rages and the jealousy. Everything, no matter how dire, is material in the end.' Jock Serong, author of The Rules of Backyard Cricket and The Burning Island

‘An enormously clever book. I lay awake thinking about it every night until I finished it.' Jack Heath, author of Hangman and Kill Your Brother

‘The Woman in the Library is devious, tricksy and unpredictable. Gentill kept me guessing to the end. Clever, layered and highly original.' Karen Viggers, author of The Lightkeeper's Wife and The Orchardist's Daughter

‘A vibrant, twisty murder mystery told vividly and with great humour.' Kaaron Warren, author of Mistification and The Grief Hole

‘Great characters, beautifully written. Sulari Gentill delivers another murder mystery gem.' Tim Ayliffe, author of The Greater Good and The Enemy Within