Anyone who knows me knows that I am prone to hyperbole. Cheese? Best thing ever. My cats? Also the best things ever. My husband? You guessed it: best thing ever.
So, yeah, when I say that I just finished the best book of the year, I recognize that it’s only February 11. There is plenty of time for me to read books that will surpass what I am now calling the best book of the year. However, if I do read better books, then those are going to be some damn good books, because one of the books I finished reading this week was sooooooooo fricken good.
This week, I read The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill. Sure, I’m a little late to the game – this book was published in 2022 – but, holy crap, this book is one I’m going to be recommending to everyone. And yes, I’m a little annoyed that I’ve had this book in my to-read list pretty much since it was published, but I’m glad I finally got to read it. Now, I’m going to recommend it to you, because, seriously, everyone should read this book.
Four strangers are sitting in the reading room of the Boston Public Library when a woman’s scream sounds out from somewhere nearby. The strange situation brings this foursome together, and what follows is a great reverse locked-door mystery. Why? Because one of these four people is a murderer.
That, alone, is a great premise. If they’re all sat at a table together, how could one of them possibly murder the woman who screamed? Well, that’s why you have to read this book.
But this book is so much more than a murder mystery. There’s another component to this novel, which I won’t spoil for you, but it, combined with the mystery, keeps you turning the page. I knocked out the book in a couple of days, but, to be completely honest, this is one of those books where I would have stayed up for a whole night just to finish reading it. The story is so compelling that I hated having to close it at night so I could get a good night’s sleep before work. But trust me, the minute I got home from work, I jumped right into reading.
If you’ve read this book, I’d like to hear what you think. Feel free to leave me a comment with your thoughts. If you haven’t read it, buy it, check it out from your local library, or download it to your favorite e-reader, then let me know what you think.
Mindy Kinnaman 