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Episode 43: What Writers Can Learn from the Layers of The Woman in the Library
Welcome to Story Deep Dive!
In this episode, Dana Pittman and Rachel Arsenault dive into the editor brain behind The Woman in the Library—how secrets fuel momentum, why character interrelationships matter, and what it takes to pull off a “book within a book.”
Whether you’re a writer, reader, or storyteller, you’ll gain valuable insights on using information as narrative currency, designing ensemble dynamics that reveal character, and selecting (and pacing) a smart story container.
You can also watch the video version of this podcast on YouTube!
Estimate Timestamps
00:00 – Welcome, banter, and episode frame
Dana and Rachel kick off the final installment of their four-part series on The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill. They set the tone for an “Editor’s Takes” breakdown—what worked, why it worked, and how writers can borrow these tools. “This podcast is about reading like writers,” Dana reminds listeners.
07:30 – Next pick reveal: Twisted Love (and why)
Dana announces the next book, Twisted Love by Ana Huang, and lays out her dark-romance lens: emotional trauma, organized crime elements, and taboo/kink. She explains why dark romance is a powerful place to explore the full spectrum of human emotion and craft—spotlighting tropes like grumpy/sunshine and brother’s best friend. Rachel adds clear content notes for listeners newer to romance or uncomfortable with explicit material.
23:15 – Case file recap: what the story promises
Rachel offers a clean logline: Four strangers bound by a scream in the Boston Public Library become friends—until secrets suggest one of them might be a killer. This tees up the craft conversation around how the novel sustains tension without cheap tricks.
25:00 – Secrets & withheld information as narrative currency
Rachel unpacks why information is the lifeblood of crime fiction and how Gentill keeps readers hooked by giving nearly every character something to hide. With each contradiction or partial truth, new “mini-mysteries” open, creating organic reasons to revisit suspects and deepen character interest. Dana notes that because readers can’t tell what’s relevant, they pay attention to everything—an elegant way to keep curiosity simmering.
34:00 – Character interrelationships: conflict reveals character
Plot is conflict, and conflict exposes who people are. The hosts highlight how Marigold’s immediacy, Freddie’s measured approach, and the group’s frictions/forgiveness cycles make the cast feel dimensional. The book’s steady, character-led tension proves you don’t need a cliffhanger every chapter to sustain momentum.
Notable quote: “Give each major character a distinct way they’d solve the problem—then imagine the book if they were the protagonist.”
44:00 – A quick exercise for sharper casts
Rachel’s practical prompt: list your primary cast and answer (1) how each uniquely approaches the central problem and (2) what the story would look like with each as the lead. Dana adds that this also exposes energy balance across the ensemble and clarifies who anchors your emotional rhythm.
48:00 – Picking the right container: the ‘book within a book’
Dana spotlights the novel’s framing device: Hannah (the author) and Freddie (the character) in a nested narrative. Why it works: the two plotlines escalate in tandem and enrich each other. Rachel cautions that containers add an extra plot to pace and almost always require multiple revision passes to synchronize rises/falls and prevent reader confusion.
58:00 – Innovation: unexpected but inevitable
Gentill plays fair with a classic mystery while adding fresh structure. The takeaway: master the genre’s core before bending it. Innovation lands best when readers still get the payoff they came for—delivered through an original lens.
1:05:00 – Who should read this book (and why)
Rachel: writers of murder mystery, amateur sleuth, or crime fiction—especially those curious about first-person present done well. Dana: cozy-adjacent writers and romance authors looking to study ensemble balance, information drip, and character-led pacing. It’s a smart, modern example that’s engaging without being punishingly grim.
1:13:00 – Final takeaways & close
The hosts celebrate a layered, memorable read that teaches writers how to wield secrets, cast chemistry, and framing wisely. It’s as satisfying on a plane or nightstand as it is in a craft study session. They wrap with gratitude and their signature sign-off: happy writing!
About the Book
Ned Kelly award winning author Sulari Gentill sets this mystery-within-a-mystery in motion with a deceptively simple, Dear Hannah, What are you writing? pulling us into theornate reading room at the Boston Public Library.
In every person’s story, there is something to hide...
The tranquility is shattered by a woman’s terrified scream. Security guards take charge immediately, instructing everyone inside to stay put until the threat is identified and contained. While they wait for the all-clear, four strangers, who’d happened to sit at the same table, pass the time in conversation and friendships are struck. Each has his or her own reasons for being in the reading room that morning―it just happens that one is a murderer.
Sulari Gentill delivers a sharply thrilling read with The Woman in the Library, an unexpectedly twisty literary adventure that examines the complicated nature of friendship and shows us that words can be the most treacherous weapons of all.
Where to Find the Book
The Woman at the Library by Sulari Gentill is available in several formats. It’s also widely available in libraries and online retailers. Details on Amazon.
Next Episode:
In the next episode, Dana and Rachel kick off a new four-part series with an overview of Twisted Love by Ana Huang—exploring how dark romance navigates trauma, trust, taboo, and transformation, and what writers can learn about pushing emotional stakes while honoring reader expectations.
Join the Conversation:
Like what you heard? Subscribe, leave a review, and share your thoughts. Follow Story Deep Dive on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite platform. Connect with Dana and Rachel on Instagram or visit storydeepdive.com to keep the conversation going!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit storydeepdive.substack.com
View all episodes
By Story Deep DiveWelcome to Story Deep Dive!
In this episode, Dana Pittman and Rachel Arsenault dive into the editor brain behind The Woman in the Library—how secrets fuel momentum, why character interrelationships matter, and what it takes to pull off a “book within a book.”
Whether you’re a writer, reader, or storyteller, you’ll gain valuable insights on using information as narrative currency, designing ensemble dynamics that reveal character, and selecting (and pacing) a smart story container.
You can also watch the video version of this podcast on YouTube!
Estimate Timestamps
00:00 – Welcome, banter, and episode frame
Dana and Rachel kick off the final installment of their four-part series on The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill. They set the tone for an “Editor’s Takes” breakdown—what worked, why it worked, and how writers can borrow these tools. “This podcast is about reading like writers,” Dana reminds listeners.
07:30 – Next pick reveal: Twisted Love (and why)
Dana announces the next book, Twisted Love by Ana Huang, and lays out her dark-romance lens: emotional trauma, organized crime elements, and taboo/kink. She explains why dark romance is a powerful place to explore the full spectrum of human emotion and craft—spotlighting tropes like grumpy/sunshine and brother’s best friend. Rachel adds clear content notes for listeners newer to romance or uncomfortable with explicit material.
23:15 – Case file recap: what the story promises
Rachel offers a clean logline: Four strangers bound by a scream in the Boston Public Library become friends—until secrets suggest one of them might be a killer. This tees up the craft conversation around how the novel sustains tension without cheap tricks.
25:00 – Secrets & withheld information as narrative currency
Rachel unpacks why information is the lifeblood of crime fiction and how Gentill keeps readers hooked by giving nearly every character something to hide. With each contradiction or partial truth, new “mini-mysteries” open, creating organic reasons to revisit suspects and deepen character interest. Dana notes that because readers can’t tell what’s relevant, they pay attention to everything—an elegant way to keep curiosity simmering.
34:00 – Character interrelationships: conflict reveals character
Plot is conflict, and conflict exposes who people are. The hosts highlight how Marigold’s immediacy, Freddie’s measured approach, and the group’s frictions/forgiveness cycles make the cast feel dimensional. The book’s steady, character-led tension proves you don’t need a cliffhanger every chapter to sustain momentum.
Notable quote: “Give each major character a distinct way they’d solve the problem—then imagine the book if they were the protagonist.”
44:00 – A quick exercise for sharper casts
Rachel’s practical prompt: list your primary cast and answer (1) how each uniquely approaches the central problem and (2) what the story would look like with each as the lead. Dana adds that this also exposes energy balance across the ensemble and clarifies who anchors your emotional rhythm.
48:00 – Picking the right container: the ‘book within a book’
Dana spotlights the novel’s framing device: Hannah (the author) and Freddie (the character) in a nested narrative. Why it works: the two plotlines escalate in tandem and enrich each other. Rachel cautions that containers add an extra plot to pace and almost always require multiple revision passes to synchronize rises/falls and prevent reader confusion.
58:00 – Innovation: unexpected but inevitable
Gentill plays fair with a classic mystery while adding fresh structure. The takeaway: master the genre’s core before bending it. Innovation lands best when readers still get the payoff they came for—delivered through an original lens.
1:05:00 – Who should read this book (and why)
Rachel: writers of murder mystery, amateur sleuth, or crime fiction—especially those curious about first-person present done well. Dana: cozy-adjacent writers and romance authors looking to study ensemble balance, information drip, and character-led pacing. It’s a smart, modern example that’s engaging without being punishingly grim.
1:13:00 – Final takeaways & close
The hosts celebrate a layered, memorable read that teaches writers how to wield secrets, cast chemistry, and framing wisely. It’s as satisfying on a plane or nightstand as it is in a craft study session. They wrap with gratitude and their signature sign-off: happy writing!
About the Book
Ned Kelly award winning author Sulari Gentill sets this mystery-within-a-mystery in motion with a deceptively simple, Dear Hannah, What are you writing? pulling us into theornate reading room at the Boston Public Library.
In every person’s story, there is something to hide...
The tranquility is shattered by a woman’s terrified scream. Security guards take charge immediately, instructing everyone inside to stay put until the threat is identified and contained. While they wait for the all-clear, four strangers, who’d happened to sit at the same table, pass the time in conversation and friendships are struck. Each has his or her own reasons for being in the reading room that morning―it just happens that one is a murderer.
Sulari Gentill delivers a sharply thrilling read with The Woman in the Library, an unexpectedly twisty literary adventure that examines the complicated nature of friendship and shows us that words can be the most treacherous weapons of all.
Where to Find the Book
The Woman at the Library by Sulari Gentill is available in several formats. It’s also widely available in libraries and online retailers. Details on Amazon.
Next Episode:
In the next episode, Dana and Rachel kick off a new four-part series with an overview of Twisted Love by Ana Huang—exploring how dark romance navigates trauma, trust, taboo, and transformation, and what writers can learn about pushing emotional stakes while honoring reader expectations.
Join the Conversation:
Like what you heard? Subscribe, leave a review, and share your thoughts. Follow Story Deep Dive on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite platform. Connect with Dana and Rachel on Instagram or visit storydeepdive.com to keep the conversation going!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit storydeepdive.substack.com