This was DNF for me at 42%. Unfortunately it was too slow and I I just couldn't get into it.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Review in progress and to come.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

I received an E-ARC with a request for my honest review.

This unsettling psychological thriller follows Ava Warrington, a librarian at the Tate Modern Gallery.

Over the last ten years an incident has left Ava living a life of safety with no risk, to avoid any more unwanted instances.

However, after she refuses a man’s advances at the Bistro, her life starts to take a destructive and terrifying turn.

Who is out to get her? Can it all be down to one refusal?

I really enjoyed reading this psychological thriller and it did leave me feeling unsettled as it shows you don’t always know who you can trust.

I did feel for Ava as she has led such an isolated life for so long, and although she has friends and has a job she loves, she is still missing out all due to one incident in her past.

I liked the detectives added into the storyline too, it was kind of disturbing to read that he had heard worse than the incidents Ava was describing.

Overall, an unsettling psychological thriller where one night leads a librarian’s life to take a terrifying turn.

Ava leads a simple life, she works at one of the worlds prestiges library/museum in the world and tries stay invisible as possible. On a girlie afternoon catching up with her friend Poppy she encounters a man who doesn’t understand the meaning of “No”, his last words to her as she leave after seeing her friend chatting up her latest fling were “you will be sorry”. This tiggers Ava into memories of a situation that haunts her 10 years on. Subsequently this now effects her current day life and the tale that unfolds and the trauma it will cause. Will Ava be able to survive the chaos and solve the mystery.

This took me about six hours to read which for me is rare to read a whole book in one day. Although the story was a little confusing in parts as it was drawn out quite long the end result was that the mystery was uncovered and finally the connections were made. It took until the end to actually find out who was responsible for the events that took place which meant throughout I had no idea. I felt that because Ava lead such a simple life I wondered what was so interesting about her past that could cause all the events to happen. I did not really build any connections with the characters in the book as I felt they were very surface level. I did enjoy the ending though when all the pieces of the puzzle were put together, and finally all made sense. The whole chase was very back and forth and I didn’t see the “villain” until the very end, there weren’t any clues that pointed this person out.

I have read a few of Valerie’s books now and love her writing style and the twists/turns and secrets each book has had, but this one fell a bit short for me.

There seemed to be a lot of repetition, the phone forever being tossed to one side, then later changed to dropped, and the end of some chapters being repeated at the beginning of the next one, just in case in the few seconds it took to turn the page you’d forgotten what you’d read. I enjoyed the overall story and the guessing of who was who and why they were doing what they were doing, but that felt a bit too obvious in places too. The main character also flitted from being strong and capable to weak and feeble.

A quick read that keeps you reading but just not as enjoyable as previous books by the same author.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5 (3.5/5 rounded up for Goodreads and Amazon)

A slightly slow start but worth persevering with. Ava holds the prestigious role of Head Librarian at the Tate Modern and enjoys the quiet life. However, she lives in fear of a secret from her college days coming back to haunt her. When Ava begins to experience strange things happening to her, she believes it is the work of the nameless man she turned down in a bar but struggles to convince anyone around her of this. Is it all in her mind? And is there a link to her dark secret? This did keep me guessing to the end and the ending was not what I expected. However, I did find it a little unbelievable. Despite this, the writing style kept my interest throughout.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.

Ava is a librarian. She loves her job and the quiet life she lives. Her friend Poppy is the glamorous one. An unwelcome chance encounter at a bistro with a man who won’t take no for an answer, shakes Ava’s confidence. Then everything in her life starts to go wrong. Is it all coincidence, related to this mystery man, or does it relate to an incident in her past?

I enjoyed this. I found it slow, right up until the last wee bit. Ava’s past is teased and is very drawn out. Definitely a decent read.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Valerie Keogh for the opportunity to read the advance copy of THE LIBRARIAN, to be published 21 April 2023. This psychological thriller was a slow burn until about 86 percent of the way through it when it was revealed what the 10 year anniversary of the heroine was all about. I really enjoy this author but I think this novel was a little off - perhaps because a librarian’s life is expected to be quiet with fewer psychological events occurring. 4/5 Stars. #NetGalley. #BoldwoodBooks. #ValerieKeogh

The book started well, but then slowed in the middle. That said, I enjoyed reading the book, and got the killer wrong. I would recommend this, and was hooked through mist of it.

I couldn't get into this book. I managed a few chapters but it didn't click for me. That said, I do like this author, so I may have a break and try it again sometime, if I do I will update my review.

This was a slow burning thriller, with not a lot happening until the middle to end of the book, so sadly I didn't really enjoy this. I struggled to get invested in the characters and storyline. It overall felt very repetitive with Ava's monologue, although the ending was good I felt it couldn't make up for the lack of storyline.

Truly page turning thrill read that will keep you going till you get to the last page.

The Librarian by Valerie Keogh is about Ava a librarian who has her dream job working in the Tate. Ava believes she is an easy pushover as her best friend Poppy told her she can’t say no to other people. Whilst having a trip out with Poppy a moody looking man won’t take no for an answer.. what a way to finally saw no and this is what happens. After this daunting moment has been over and done after a farewell warning Ava’s life starts crumbling and everything and everyone around isn’t safe. We learn about a backstory 10 years prior but the thrill and suspense keeps you guessing who and what is behind this turn of events for Ava.

Ava is a very likeable character as is all the characters around, I only disliked the one but the way they were all portrayed was very well.. you felt for them and got angry with them for what is going on. You wanted to push them and tell them go on!!

The librarian is a very well written thrill/suspense book that straightaway from the first pages keep you on your toes and wanted to read till the end to see what becomes of Ava.

I loved this book and would recommend to all fellow readers who enjoy a good thrill/suspense read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this amazing ARC in exchange of an honest review.

5*

A thriller that I found difficult to stop reading. A lot of tension, fear and doubt kept me reading towards the resolution. Ava is a character that I found very likable and wanted to route for. I liked the details of her daily life and how it was interrupted by circumstances beyond her control and how she coped. I want to read all of this author's books since I liked this so much. Very exciting read!

In my opinion this was a slow burner, nothing much happens until around halfway through. It was an enjoyable read after that, with a good twist that you don’t expect. The characters were okay.. apart from the narrator who I found rather annoying. The story itself could have been better but the ending made up for it, although the style of writing was perfect.
This is the first book I have read by this author, I’ll be keeping my eye out for more in the future.
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a honest review.

ABBA isn’t enjoying her life as much as a paranoid person can. She barks at the tape museum in London and lives in a terrorist house given to her by her parents one day with her and her best friend poppy go out to a tavern a guy asked her if he could buy her a drink when she says no he tries to insist. Ava is not in the mood and she finally makes her escape but while leaving she hears him say you’re going to regret it! She tries to blow it off but strange things instantly start happening there’s a painting better ruin by what looks like her laser at work and she has put on leave but the head of security doorwood believes she isn’t at fault and says he will help her unfortunately on his way home that night he is murdered ever knows this is targeted towards her but who could be doing this she thinks it all has to do with the man she refused to have a drink with at the tavern and although stranger things have happened more of her loved ones will be in danger before she finds out the truth. I love Valerie keels thrillers/mysteries they always keep you on the edge of your seat and although this one wasn’t as good as some of her books it’s still a book I highly recommend I think she is one of the best riders when it comes to the Chandra and I always look so forward to her books the librarian is a mystery/thriller about how even when we forget they may be someone else out there who hasn’t. I love this book and highly recommend it I did think alba got annoying with her paranoia but it all made for one quirky character and I definitely was rooting for her by the end of the book despite her mistakes. I received this book from NetGalley and Bookoucher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

I found this book to be a very slow start with a lot of inner monologue.

Honestly it was a DNF for me. After 28% completed I still didn’t have any suspense to keep me reading

An engaging thriller with lots of twists and turns. Kept me on the edge-of-my-seat from beginning to end,

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great psychological thriller.
Ava likes a quiet life but when things start to happen around her, she becomes very unsettled.
It’s the ten year anniversary of an incident which Ava can’t forget and this is also playing on her mind.
When a friend who tries to help her gets killed, Ava knows she needs to find the man who she thinks is responsible, before anyone else gets hurt.
This is a gripping psychological that I really enjoyed.
Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

As a librarian, by degree not occupation, I am obligated to read all books about librarians and libraries.
I am glad I read this one, although I Hated Ava for ruining her Victorian home by putting in an open concept kitchen and probably painting it all white and gray. She is definately the type to do that. I didn't feel like she deserved the stuff at her job.
I liked it. I liked the end. I hope Ava learns how to relax a little.

I rounded up but would give this a 3.5 stars

I am a sucker for this kind of psychological thriller, and what drew my attention was how unusual it is for the quiet life of a librarian to center around this type of genre.

Ava is a librarian who lives a quiet life ever since something that happened ten years before that changed her and her dreams for her future.. One night she goes out for drinks with her friend Poppy and has an unnerving interaction with a man that leaves her unsettled. From that moment on things begin to go wrong for her and she can't help but wonder if it is connected or if it has to do with what happened all those years earlier
.
While this book started off grabbing my attention, I found the plot to be somewhat flimsy. It took a long time to build, and most of the details were so sparse that I struggled to care because she seemed to be getting so worked up about nothing. Once things started to come together at the end it picked up and I rather enjoyed the ending. I just feel that the book would have had more weight if we would have known more of "the incident" earlier in the book.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this ebook for an honest review.