This book kept me guessing until the end, even when I was sure that I knew what was going on. Honestly, it is not hard to keep my guessing; I am terrible at predicting what will happen in a story and I do not spend much time trying to figure out plotlines and cliffhangers.The Woman in the Library is Sulari Gentill’s latest book and this mystery opens in the Boston Public Library. As four people, who initially appear to be strangers, share a table in the Reading Room, they hear a scream. They are briefly instructed to stay where they are while the police search the library, and they begin talking to each other and new friendships are formed.

One of the four people is Freddie, an Australian author who is working in Boston as part of a fellowship. The other three strangers are Whit, Cain, and Marigold. They each have their own reason for working in the library that day, and as even as their friendships quickly develop, they realize how much they do not know about their new friends. Freddie finds herself writing her new friends into the mystery that she is writing, and she has hit her stride with this new material.

As the story unfolds, we realize that this is a book within a book; Freddie’s mystery novel is actually a fictional novel written by well-known Australian author Hannah Tigone. Hannah is writing in Australia as COVID-19 hits, following the disastrous wildfires that tore through Australia. Hannah maintains a correspondence with Leo, a fan from Boston, who gives her advice and does some Boston-based research for Hannah. At first Leo seems helpful and sweet, but Hannah quickly recognizes some red flags in their emails.

I found Freddie’s story to be more satisfying and engrossing, but Hannah’s story is exciting and engaging as well. Both tales have twists and turns, but Freddie’s is the “core” story, so it is more detailed and has more depth. I still had questions when I was done reading it, and I think that this will be a great book club selection for any book club that enjoys mysteries and thrillers.