Feedback can be deadly.Sycophantic fan and aspiring writer Leo charms his way into a friendship with successful author Hannah Tigone through a series of flattering letters. In return, she shares a strange incident that happened in the Boston Public Library, where she's working on her new novel, an episode that begins with a scream and ends with this provocative sentence: "And so we go to the Map Room to found a friendship, and I have my first coffee with a killer." This, it turns out, is actually the beginning of Hannah's new novel, sent in morsels to Leo, who faithfully offers thoughts and encouragement after every chapter. Gentill mines similar metafictional territory as in After She Wrote Him (2020), teasing readers with the challenge of deducing which of two narrative threads presents the author and which his or her story. As the mystery unfolds, the book expands into psychological thriller territory, with Leo becoming increasingly unhinged and describing the world as a rage-filled dystopia. Winifred "Freddie" Kincaid, Hannah's mystery-writer protagonist, is as curious and resourceful as Miss Marple, and Hannah's buoyant whodunit provides a bracing contrast to Leo's dark world. Based on their appearances and their behavior in the library, Hannah gives her suspects names like Heroic Chin, Handsome Man, and Freud Girl. Lines blur. Freddie is so caught up in the twists and turns of the puzzle that she feels unable to write. Does Hannah have the same problem? Can Leo help her, does he genuinely want to, and where does he fit into the larger picture?A sharply drawn fictional hall of mirrors sure to tantalize and occasionally frustrate.

This thrilling excursion into metafiction from Australian author Gentill (Crossing the Lines) wittily examines the writing process itself. Australian mystery writer Winifred -Freddie- Kincaid has come to Boston after receiving a prestigious writers- fellowship. While she-s seeking inspiration in the Boston Public Library, a woman-s scream breaks the silence. Freddie seizes on this incident as the ideal start for her new opus, which involves -a group of people united by a scream.- Each chapter of Freddie-s book includes a letter written to famous Australian author Hannah Tigone by a dedicated fan, Leo Johnson, a fellow writer in residence who offers to be her beta reader. Hannah is writing the story of Freddie Kincaid, who-s writing the story of the murder in the library. Leo-s emails influence Hannah-s view of her characters and subsequently Freddie-s story. Leo-s emails shift from sycophantic to profoundly disturbing when his novel is rejected by Hannah-s agent. The agent dies a few days later, and murders in the two realities begin to multiply. This elegantly constructed novel is intelligent, funny, and profound. Who could ask for more? Agent: Jill Marr, Sandra Dijkstra Literary. (May)