Book Club - Sulari Gentill's The Woman in the Library

Today I am finally bringing in for you, Sulari Gentill’s The Woman in the Library. I don’t often bring in mystery fiction, because, well frankly if you want mysteries there are much better qualified people here at 2ser to talk to (more on them later). As we get started though, know that this isn’t your typical book club. I haven’t finished the book yet for one (again more later) and two, because Sulari is something of a master of metafiction. I want today’s book club to get a little meta… Every week I begin my show Final Draft with a little riff on how great a privilege it is to read and speak with incredible Australian authors. It is. But often it also means I am mired in tough, challenging topics. That’s the power of literature that we get to go into these spaces and find out about our world from the comfort of our armchairs. Every now and then though I carve out a little bit of time for something that will just energise me, and sure that book might involve a gruesome murder but as Flex and Herds over on Death of the Reader would point out, there’s a reason it’s called cosy crime. Sulari Gentill’s The Woman in the Library takes us into the fictional world of Hannah Tigone, bestselling Australian crime writer. And Hannah Tigone takes us into the fictional world of Winifred Kincaid, Australian writer in residence in Boston, working hard to plot out her new novel. Winifred is in the Boston Public Library when a blood curdling scream throws her into the path of Cain, Whit and Marigold and together they form a bond that just might throw them into the path of a killer. Hannah is meanwhile crafting Winifred’s story in correspondence with Leo, a super fan of dubious social acumen. Keeping up so far? Sulari’s whodunnits are delightful riffs on crime conventions and an absolute blast to try and figure out. They take us into the world of the writer and often blur (or perhaps I should say cross) the lines between where the story ends and reality begins. And this is where we get a little meta. Because our book club is diving into another book club of sorts… Because whilst the Poirots and Holmes of the world seem to work best alone, where would they be without their Watsons (or Hastings). Now if only I had a dedicated Scooby Gang to help me unravel the mystery! But in a way I do!! Flex and Herds broadcast on 2ser every Sunday evening as Death of the Reader. Each week they take you on a world wide murder mystery tour, breaking down incredible whodunnits over three episodes so you can read along and try to solve the mystery with them. I’m reading The Woman in the Library alongside Flex and Herds, following on through the Death of the Reader podcast. It’s like having two good friends arguing over the top of you as you wonder naively if perhaps the butler might have done it after all. So far I’m a third of the way through The Woman in the Library and I don’t have a strong suspect. I’m not even sure if the murder we think we are solving is the real killing, such are Sulari’s twists and turns. My running theory is that there is some slight of hand at play and it all relates to the way we are told the story through this strange email correspondence. My lack of clear direction is nothing to worry about though as Herds has some theories of his own. I quite like the organised crime angle even though I don’t know if the text supports it. Meanwhile Flex is beguiling us with clever misdirection. So today on our book club I want to recommend Sulari Gentill’s The Woman in the Library but I strongly suggest you listen along with Flex and Herds and tune in to Death of the Reader every Sunday night from 9am. Discover Death of the Reader on 2ser 107.3 Book Club is produced and presented by Andrew Pople<