In the centre of New York stands the city’s most notorious library.
It has a history of mysterious disappearances and freak accidents. But tonight, it opens its doors to welcome a group of strangers for an exclusive after-hours tour.
The famous author. The journalist. The professor. The bookseller. The architect.
They are here to see a legendary book – one of the most valuable in the world. But each visitor also has other, more sinister reasons for being in the library after dark.
As the tour takes them deeper into the building, one of the guests meets a gruesome, inexplicable end – and the others realise they are living on borrowed time.
The search for the murderer forces them to confront awful truths about themselves and decide which secrets are worth dying – or killing – to keep.
What did I think?
Having loved Ande Pliego's debut, You Are Fatally Invited, I was very excited to read her new novel as it is set in a library! Books about books are like catnip for book lovers and I couldn't put this fabulously bookish book down.
When you first open the book there's a floor plan and a cast of characters in the form of a guest list so it has the feel of Cluedo about it before you even read a single word. I love this kind of whodunnit mystery but Ande Pliego goes one better by each of the characters having secrets and things to hide. I suspected everyone at one point or another but as the suspect pool gradually grew smaller I still didn't guess right.
Told from multiple points of view, I'm so glad there was a cast of characters to refer back to. I sometimes had to flip back a few pages to see who's point of view I was reading as it frequently flips between characters. I was also wearing my virtual running shoes and reading far too fast, which didn't help me remember who was who.
The library setting is absolutely stunning and Ande Pliego's vivid descriptions made me feel as if I was walking round the building with the characters. With so many exhibits in the library there's a plethora of murder weapons and the plot is very clever and original. It twists and turns so much I was almost dizzy but I loved every second of it.
With vibes of Murder of the Orient Express, Knives Out and Only Murders in the Building, it would be a travesty if The Library After Dark isn't made into a film or TV series. It's unpredictable, entertaining and unmissable - I loved it!
I received a gifted hardback for the Instabooks Tours readalong and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
