This book has been one I have devoured in one sitting. I have been keen to read this since discovering the author is Welsh. It hasn’t disappointed.

This is one unlike anything I’ve read previously. I found myself pulled in quickly and unwilling to put this book down.

Dafydd introduces us to characters Ana and Nan. Twin sisters who are in a period of time after their mother has committed suicide. However, do they know the real reason for this?

I found myself completely absorbed in this one. It is written in a way that you feel as though you are watching the events play out in front of you.

Dafydd has given us multiple perspectives in this one which has really made me feel as though I have got to know the individuals on the pages. The multi perspective has allowed an added dimension to the book for me.

There has been plenty in this one to make me gasp. Lots of secrets to uncover and reading the reactions from both Ana and Nan has been something I have loved.

The ending of this has made me gasp and left me a little speechless. It was completely different to what I had anticipated. However, Dafydd has nailed it with this book and I’m a converted fan.

I absolutely cannot wait to see what is coming next from this author. I definitely recommend this one.

2.5 stars rounded down to 2 stars for NetGalley.
I wouldn't class this as a thriller (as advertised) and it's set in a dystopian world which isn't mentioned in the blurb.

Plot - The blurb initially caught my eye but I felt it failed to deliver; it tried to combine too much (genres and plotlines). I wish it just concentrated on the library and the state "control", as there was a whole world that could have been explored here.

Writing Style - I felt there needed to be more descriptions, I struggled to fully picture the library (and the state) as intended. Also it took a while before I figured out what the twins looked like.

Characters - I didn't really care for any of them, plus I found the relationship between the twins creepy and couldn't relate - it starts with them bathing together, so I assumed they were children... no, they were adults.

Believability - I struggled with this as I felt there was a whole avenue about the library that was dropped in but not really explored; that would have been the more interesting storyline rather than what was actually presented.

Pace - Some chapters kept me riveted but a lot seemed to drag.

Ending - I actually found myself annoyed with the ending, I went through all that for a slightly incomplete and "unjust" ending.

So…this book is so good, I love the way you get the sense of being a voyeur of these people’s story. You get just a short glimpse of the World that the characters live in but in that time you actually see so much. I loved the twists and turns along the way. A really unique story with an edgy atmosphere. Brilliant!

The premise of this sounded right up my street, twin sisters wanting revenge on the man that they believed pushed their mother to suicide. Post pandemic the place the story is set, which could be anywhere have closed themselves off from any neighbouring places. The library is seen as a place that harbours germs and illness. So it becomes a controlled area, everyone coming in and out are checked thoroughly.

The story is told from the points of view of the twins Ana and Nan as well as Dan who is a security guard at the library, and Eben the man the twins want revenge on. As you go through the chapters you learn more and more about the motivations that the twins have to go through with their plan, along with the impact it has.

Unfortunately, I just couldn’t engage with the characters and for me personally that is something I like to actually root for at least one person. It left me slightly disappointed.

I would like to thank #netgalley and the publishers for an ARC of this, in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review.

You can get in. But you can’t get out. Welcome to the library...Twins Ana and Nan are lost after the death of their mother. Everyone knows who drove Elena, the renowned novelist, to suicide - her long-term literary critic, Eben. But the twins need proof if they’re going to get revenge. Desperate to clear his name, Eben requests access to Elena’s diaries at the National Library where the twins work, and they see an opportunity. With careful planning, the twins lock down the labyrinthine building, trapping their colleagues, the public and most importantly Eben inside. But as a rogue security guard starts freeing hostages, the plan unravels. And what began as a single-minded act of revenge blooms into a complex unravelling of loyalties, motives and what it is that makes us who we are.

What an absolutely brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.

Imagine a world where paper carries diseases, so physical books are banned, a world which celebrates female authors and forgets their male counterparts. In this world, the library is suddenly a much more significant place.

Set over one day, The Library Suicides follows four people as they all enter the library with their own agenda. Ana and Nan, twins who work in the library, seek revenge on the man they blame for their mother's death. Eben, a book reviewer, is researching a famed author, hoping to find some interesting information. Dan, the security guard, hopes to survive yet another shift.

I had high expectations for this book, thinking it would be similar to The Starless Sea, however, it fell flat. I felt the world-building was lacking, and the reader was left guessing about the history of this dystopia. The characters were unlovable, but also a little one dimensional, the only character I had an empathy for was Dan.

Unfortunately I just couldn’t get into this book. Reading the blurb I thought it was my cup of tea but it just wasn’t. DNF.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Thank You to NetGalley and publishers for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest and fair review.

Unfortunately I was unable to get into this book. The blurb and title had me intrigued and seemed like a book I would enjoy, however I was unaware it was of the dystopian/fantasy genre, which is something I personally don't enjoy reading.

If you enjoy mystery/thrillers and also enjoy dystopian/fantasy then this book could be for you! Don't let reviews put you off, as I think it is more down to personal preference and the genre being a bit unclear. 1/5 stars due to DNF and personal preference.

I have very mixed feelings on this book, some parts has me hooked and i couldnt put it down, other parts were so hard work and i felt it would never end. A very average 2/5

A very different storyline than what I am used to. The characters were not inspiring enough to absorb me into the plot which did not develop until half way into the book. From the reviews many have enjoyed the book so it probably was just not up to my taste. I am sure it will appeal to a wide audience.

I liked the idea of this book but sadly I couldn't manage to engage with it. I found it difficult to find anything to grab hold of with this one & had to give up. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book

DNF at 46%.

I just couldn’t get into the story. I’m not sure what the problem was, other than an act of animal cruelty right at the start which almost put me off immediately. I’m not sure if that’s what caused the issue or whether it just wasn’t for me.

What an amazing book, so descriptive and so very different. The characters were all so interesting and quirky and I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. What a find. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

This is a difficult book to write about, mostly because I feel that it falls between several genres - dystopian, psychological thriller and literary fiction. Set in an unnamed country at some point in the future, it tells the story of how twins Ana and Nan want to avenge the death of their mother Elena. They lock down the library where they work in order to carry out their plan, which inevitably goes wrong.
Clever and funny in parts, too slow and dreary in others, I somewhat enjoyed it but it wasn't fantastic.

The Library Suicides by Fflur Dafydd Narrated by Elena Valentine was a brilliant psychological thriller. I could not get into this book but so glad I had the audiobook to listen to.
Once I started to listen to the audiobook, I found the narrator was excellent especially and she had a beautiful Welsh accent. She bought it to life. But, it was missing something! Something to keep me interested in this book. If it wasn't for the narrator with her beautiful Welsh accent I would of given up on it. .

"When twins Ana and Nan are lost after the death of their mother. Everyone knows who drove Elena, the renowned novelist, to suicide - her long-term literary critic, Eben. But the twins need proof if they're going to get revenge.

Desperate to clear his name, Eben requests access to Elena's diaries at the National Library where the twins work, and they see an opportunity. With careful planning, the twins lock down the labyrinthine building, trapping their colleagues, the public and most importantly Eben inside.

But as a rogue security guard starts freeing hostages, the plan unravels."

Big Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this review copy

This book was brilliant! Very exciting and full of plot twists. The world itself was a little spooky and the story had such atmosphere and dark, thrilling moments. At times it was a bit strange but that just added to the originality of this book. It was so well written and I would definitely recommend if you are looking for a slightly disturbing, page turning bookish thriller.

Unfortunately this one really wasn’t for me, but I could see it had a lot of potential.

I just didn’t like any of the characters so found it very difficult to actually care for their cause and why they were doing what it was they were doing. The Twins didn’t make much sense and it took a very long time to get to know them and their motivations, their voices were not very distinct from each other so became difficult to read. Eben was just so lack lustre I didn’t care for him or his fate. I honestly couldn’t care less what was happening to him. And while Dan felt the most normal and likeable to start with I also found me not really developing any interest in what happened to him either. With no real investment in the characters it just felt very slow.

I also found the dystopian world to be at a strange juxtaposition to the plot. It felt very discordant to what was going on in the central plot and more of a McGuffin to allow certain things to happen (no security in the library etc). I thought the dystopian world had a lot of potential and could have been really fascinating but this was the wrong story for it. There was so much potential in this world though. It was like this interesting glimmer in the background that we never really got to see a lot of. I think if I had read more about what was happening in this dystopian world I would have been a lot more engaged.

Overall I just kept putting this book down and lost interest in it. There wasn’t enough to make me pick it back up. It felt slow and predictable (I guessed a lot of the reveals). I ended up somewhat dragging myself though it so I have concluded I probably wasn’t the correct audience for this one.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was not what I expected it to be. Going in, I initially thought it was going to be a mystery/thriller but it turned out to be dystopian. Not that I minded, it just wasn't what I requested it for. It was interesting to see how some elements in the book are true to recent events in real life. For example this 'great sickness' that has caused a whole bunch of ruled to be implemented. Having lived through that in real life, its was easy to relate to. There were also references to a neighbouring country that was ruled by a Prince but nothing else was really explained regarding that. It would have been to get a bit more information on this element so that I could understand the relevance of even mentioning it.

In terms of the characters, none of them were really nice, they were all a bit odd. Especially the twins that this story is centred around. The prison guard was probably the most real of the characters but again he was not a nice person either.

The story itself started of interesting and then it just fell flat. Apart from the few surprises that happened, I just found the book to be drawn out.

The fantasy setting of this book was not really t my liking. I found the characters a bit annoying and the plot at times confusing. The twins had a very bizarre relationship which just wasn't believable for me. I found it difficult to finish.

Wow, this book was about as unique as you can get. A pandemic, women ruling the world and all set in a library! Not sure if it sits in the fantasy or thriller world but it was both. The thriller element was stronger than the fantasy which was more vague. The story is a complicated mix of political and personal, and although the main characters were difficult to connect with (no real redeeming features), the storyline was gripping enough to keep me interested.