The best part about this book was that it was different from any other mystery/thriller book I read. The worst part about it was that it was too long and towards the end, i had lost interest completely and wasn't convinced at all.

I enjoyed the Woman In The Library so was eager to read The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill and was not disappointed. When Theo packs up and moves from her Law School to the United States to live with her brother Gus to pursue a dream of becoming a published author, she finds solace at a local coffee shop. It is there that she meets published author Dan who helps guide the book she is working on. Over time, she falls for him and asks him to help her get her manuscript to an agent and things don’t go well. The next day, she discovers him dead in his home. Gentill is an unreliable narrator pro, and in this case, almost everyone in this story seems a like suspect. I loved how the POV of the online chat helped bring doubt about our main character but also tied all of those involved together. The back stories of Theo and Gus and Gus’s friend Mac don’t help as the police are looking for answers. This book had a sprinkling of stalkers, cults, mental health, gaslighting, and of course murder with an ending you couldn’t predict. This book is perfect for fans of mystery and thrillers alike. Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you want to feel like Sherlock Holmes - read Sulari Gentill's latest!! I never know where her plot lines are taking me but the endings have left me feeling like I just read a masterpiece. Such a fun puzzle and plot lines to follow. It's everything I needed to bust a reading slump!

Sulari Gentill's writing has once again impressed me!! After reading The Woman in the Library, I knew I had to get my hands on her next book. I've read them both before reading any spoilers - and I'm so glad that I made sure to avoid any reviews before reading!!

THOUGHTS:
- Gentill will continue to be an auto-buy author for me!

**Thank you Poisoned Pen Press for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤

First I would like to thank Poisoned Pen Press for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the story of Theodosia Benton, Theo, who leaves law school in Australia to move in with her brother, Gus, in Lawrence, Kansas and write a novel. While she is writing her book she frequents a cafe and starts up a friendship with another author, Dan Murdoch, with whom she shares her ideas and first draft with. After a memorable day together, Theo stops by Dan's house to find his murdered body and she becomes the prime suspect. As the police continue to investigation into the murder, Gus brings in his friend and PI, Mack, to try and help figure out who is the true culprit. While Theo, Gus and Mack investigate on their own the police start looking at all of them as potential murder suspects while ruining their lives.

What I Loved:
- Mack, he grew up in a family of dooms day preppers and due to this he has developed a set of skills and reputation within law enforcement which both helps and hurts his cause
- Twist, I could figure out some of the mystery of this novel but I think I was more surprised of the depth of the conspiracy that we learn at the end of the story
- Theo, an Australian living in the middle of America I enjoyed how she was written cause I believed the culture shock especially around gun culture in the US
- Gus, he is the big brother all younger siblings wish they had cause he is always encouraging and protecting Theo even if it negatively impacts him
- Blogs, there are conspiracy theory blog posts throughout this story and as a lover of conspiracy theories I loved these little tidbits

Overall I really enjoyed this book, it did have a bit of a slow start and was a little confusing at times but it really all came together at the end. I think the ending and the overall "big bad" reveal is something that will stick with me for a long time cause it was such a unique idea and chef's kiss. If you like a mystery with great characters, crazy family dynamics and an unique "big bad" then I would recommend this book, and if you are an audiobook lover its a great listen as well!

From the beginning I was curious as to what was going to happen with Theo. I knew this book would have to live up to it's title, and it did. It was thrilling and full of conspiracy theories. It had a lot going on and with that I couldn't stop reading. Thanks for the advanced copy

The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill is a gem disguised as a literary thriller. It has single handedly reignited my love for literary fiction with its cast of characters, mysterious circumstances, and superb storytelling. The writing immerses you into the story from the depictions of the characterizations to the coffee shop environment. I enjoyed the easy nature of this book. Annnddddd it's a book about books one of my favorite tropes.

The Mystery Writer is a standalone literary mystery thriller by Sulari Gentill. Released 19th March 2024 by Sourcebooks on their Poisoned Pen Press imprint, it's 400 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

This is a competently written and plotted mystery featuring an author who fled a career path as an attorney to become a full-time writer. There are some aspects of the story which will require the reader to bring a hefty suspension of disbelief including conspiracy theories and reasonable (?) motives for murder. Ms. Gentill does (as always) a stellar job of characterization and the interplay between the adult siblings in the story are nuanced and very well rendered.

It's a long book for the genre. The middle third of the book felt disproportionately long and tended to drag somewhat, and the ending was unequal to the task of tying the whole into a cohesive narrative. The choice of alternating PoV was also quite jarring and disconnected and didn't help the story coalesce into a coherent unit.

Three stars. Probably worth a look for particular fans of the author.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Another book by Sulari Gentill that hooked me in from the beginning!
Theo Benton is a young woman, newly moved to the US from Australia. She settles in Lawrence, KS, where her older brother lives. She just wants to start over and become a published author, but ends up caught in all kinds of conspiracy and misunderstanding.
I really liked Theo as a main character. She's young and a bit naive, but she is also determined to follow her dream and is fiercely loyal to the people who matter to her.
The first 70% or so of the book was fantastic. One thing after another happening, which kept me wanting to constantly pick up the book and find out what was going to happen next. I really liked the side characters as well, Theo's brother, Gus, and the friends she makes who help her along.
The last 30% of the book was a bit jarring. The timeline had several abrupt jumps and the pacing changed completely. While the events taking place in that time do make the change make some sense, it made it less enjoyable to read. I still finished that portion in one sitting though because I just had to know how everything wrapped up.
Overall, a good book, and I look forward to what Sulari Gentill writes next.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for this book. I really like the beginning of this story until it seemed to be more conspiracy people then the story I thought it was going to be.

I really enjoyed this book! The author’s writing style was different than I'm used to, but once I became more familiar with it, I was able to get more into the book. I find conspiracy theories intriguing, and this book provided a unique take into that world. The characters were interesting, even though I couldn’t really connect with them; and I appreciate the humor sprinkled into this book that had an otherwise more serious tone.

The pacing of the book was a bit off to me, with the first half being a bit slow, and the second half a bit too fast. However, I find this pacing issue to be quite common in mystery/thriller books. I would have loved the ending to be a little more clean, because it felt too rushed.

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press, Sulari Gentill, and NetGalley for this ARC.

I loved The Woman in the Library and I had high hopes for this one. It was just okay. The first half was interesting enough, but it all devolved in the second. It felt clunky to me. I really enjoy Sulari's writing style regardless.

Oh man, I'm a little conflicted here. I read Gentill's "The Woman in the Library" and "The Mystery Writer" back to back. I gave "The Woman in the Library" 4 stars. I think I'll land on giving this one 4 stars as well with the note that there are some issues that would definitely make this a lower rating (which I'll touch on later) if I didn't just someone get sucked in and had a really good time anyway.

The Mystery Writer follows Theodosia Benton, failed Aussie law student turned aspiring writer, as she starts over in the U.S. with the help of her brother, Gus. She meets a highly successful author at a cafe who becomes a mentor to Theo. When he is brutally murdered and both Theo and her brother come under suspicion by the police, Theo is thrust into a dangerous search for the true killer.

The Iffy: Both of the novels I've read from Gentill use mixed media. I think it was used really well in "The Woman in the Library," but it almost seemed like there wasn't enough in "The Mystery Writer" to truly make an impact. I wanted more. Next, Theo is insufferable. She makes the craziest choices and is just so naive. Finally, the ending was very OTT. Like...just wild.

The Good: I liked a lot of the other characters a lot. I didn't expect to be drawn in to a story that utilizes a lot of current issues and leans into conspiracy theories, but here we are. The preppers ended up being a highlight of this novel for me. The OTT ending worked for me for some reason - like it was just so out there that I found it kind of fun.

Thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for a digital arc. All opinions are my own.

DNF. When I requested I was in the mood for a read like this, but it didn't catch my attention when I started it.

I've enjoyed Sulari Gentil's books in the past, but The Mystery Writer is not a good fit for me. The heroine is teary and insecure, conspiracy theorists abound, and the constant gun warnings are feeling preachy. I hope this was just a one-off mismatch!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

After reading The Woman in the Library, by Sulari Gentil, it did not surprise me at all that The Mystery Writer was a rollercoaster of a read from start to finish. Every single time I thought I had a handle on what I was reading, something else would happen that left my mind spinning in an entirely new direction. The unexpectedness of the story and the progression of the story led to a unique reading experience that had me eating up page after page.

It was interesting to watch the development of the story unfold, thanks to the switching of POV’s every once in a while. There was just enough change that it had me doubting everything I thought I knew. While I thoroughly enjoyed the different POV’s it was jarring from time to time to be yanked out of one perspective and into another. The jarring nature of those changes emphasized the tension as the mystery unfolded, but again, could be a bit jarring.

The main character, Theodosia, was a rare character who started the story as an unlikable, difficult to understand protagonist, to a young woman who’s trauma developed throughout the story leaving her sympathetic and much more understandable to readers. Her relationship with her brother and his protective nature gave me something to root for. Their relationship became fully formed as the story went on and each character's backstory became more fleshed out little by little. It was a little frustrating to get tiny little hints at the trauma that had unfolded in their lives, but took so long to get the full stories.

There are so many layers to this book and an seemingly unending number of conspiracies. It was such an interesting take on the world of publishing and the hidden influences within the world that it was very hard to put down. It was a crazy hole that the only way to find out the truth was to immerse myself fully until the end.

⅘ stars for this incredibly wild ride.

Please be aware of the heavy topics that this book deals with. Please check trigger warnings if necessary.

Thank you to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

ALC from pub
This book started so strong. I was invested in Theo and what she was doing with her life after leaving law school. I always enjoy a story with an author plot line and I felt like this is what really got me invested, especially after she met another author. I knew from the synopsis that this other author would die. However, the parts that came after this murder started really strong, but fell apart for me by the end of the book. I think sometimes ending a mystery, especially with plot lines that are in this book that I don’t want to say and give away, can be tricky. I felt like the ending was too long and drawn out and convoluted, and it really impacted my enjoyment of the story. Overall, while this wasn’t my favorite, I would be open to reading this author again in the future.

This has an intriguing plot to get me hooked in the story. It is all about a conspiracy theory until it becomes true and real. This might be one of the books that makes you keep reading and I read a lot of those things in the past. The plot drags and it felt short as it was finished abruptly. The writing was inconsistent but it was fine. Also, there were a lot fonts so it was expe ted of the story but it was so vague and left unattended but it kept me going. This was such a love and hate one for me so I will say I may recommend it but not enough because I might forgot about this in a few days.

Thanks Netgalley for letting me read this in exchange of an honest review.

I don't want to say too much in this review and spoil the book for anyone, so I'll try to talk a little broadly.

I really wanted to love this one, but I think it would have worked better with a revised format. The book was written with a time jump about 3/4 of the way in. I think it would have been better to have a little faster pace at the beginning and put the time jump 1/4 of the way in, and then have the clues come out and work through the mystery from there, after one of the main characters goes missing. As written, the first 3/4 starts to drag, and the disappearance and time jump breathes life back into the story.

Very slow paced beginning, enjoyed the way it wrapped up.

The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill

It was certainly a thought-provoking whodunnit swirled with quirkiness - only an engaging author could evoke.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an E-ARC.

When Theo (Theodosia) Benton left school and a promising career in law, she could never imagine the twists and turns her life would take. From becoming a writer to finding her mentor brutally murdered, her life takes the shape of a novel. Will her carefully constructed house of cards collapse under the scrutiny?

This story had a premise to die for! A story about an aspiring writer getting caught up in a murder, what's not to love? Unfortunately, I didn't love it. The idea was clever and writing kept an engaging pace for the most part. However, the story suffered from pushing just how far a reader can suspend their disbelief. Sometimes simpler is better as this plot got convoluted. Gentill had to include several unnecessary twists and time jumps to get everything to line up, and it just didn't work for me this time. Great idea, poor execution.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all views expressed are my own.