Syntell Smith

A character-driven drama that spotlights the beauty of banality, and the shushed secrets that form the foundation of life, Hold Circulation by Syntell Smith is the third installment of his compelling Call Numbers series.

A story of redemption and personal revelation, bouncing around the stacks of a surprisingly drama-filled library, this novel peers into the pages of a dozen or so interconnected lives, revealing Janelle Smith’s plunge into parenthood, Gerry’s questionably criminal life choices, Angie’s late-night DJ dabbling, Heywood’s spiritual crises, and much more. Stretching far beyond the shelves of the 58th Street Branch, these are richly tangled tales from […]

Workplace drama, emotional tragedy, and the winding roads of reconciliation abound in Book Endings: A Call Numbers Novel by Syntell Smith.

Following on the heels of this series’ first installment, readers once again find Robin Walker in the surprisingly dramatic muddle of mid-90s life in New York City. Despite the traditionally quiet atmosphere of a library, Robin’s world is packed with opinionated and argumentative peers who add color, conflict, and energy to this character-driven workplace drama. Managing the emotional exhaustion of his declining grandfather, navigating the patchwork alliances and fleeting loyalties among his colleagues, and even testing the waters of […]

Keeping things quiet in a library is understood, but in Call Numbers by author Syntell Smith, the swirling secrets and constant drama are impossible to shoo away with a whisper, for a drama-filled romp through the stacks.

When Robin Walker arrives at the 58^th Street Branch of the New York Public Library, he has no idea what kind of storm he’s strolling towards. Between power struggles at the top and a white noise of gossip to cabal-toppling coups and sassy clerks ready to throw the first punch, this is a much wilder story than a loyal library-goer may expect.[…]