I was really drawn to the concept of a literary thriller centered on writers, conspiracies, and the power of storytelling. The premise promised a chilling, twisty ride full of secrets and intrigue, so I was excited to dive in.

Unfortunately, the story took over 300 pages to really build momentum, and the payoff in the final 20% felt rushed and somewhat underwhelming. The conspiracy’s fallout was left hanging in a nebulous way that, while realistic, didn’t satisfy my desire for a strong resolution or justice served. I tend to prefer my thrillers with a more definitive conclusion, and this one left me wanting more.

Additionally, I found the main character difficult to connect with, which made it harder to fully engage in the story.

That said, the idea itself was smart and original, and the writing shows potential. Perhaps readers who enjoy open-ended thrillers or slower-building suspense will appreciate this more than I did.

Having read and enjoyed The Woman in the Library, I was really excited to read The Mystery Writer. While I didn’t enjoy this book quite as much, it was still a great book.

Theodosia “Theo” Benton abandons her pursuit of a law degree and “runs away” to join her brother in the States, where she continues to work on her book. She meets a mentor at her preferred place to write, and when he ends up brutally murdered, everything changes.

There were some interesting twists and turns, but it lacked a certain amount of excitement. Worth the read, but not my favorite by the author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read. All opinions are my own.

4 out of 5 stars.

This one was hard for me to rate, i've really enjoyed "The Woman In The Library" so I was excited for the opportunity to crack this one open. To me, the book started strong then somewhere about half way in went haywire. I also found myself annoyed with the MC which made it harder for me to enjoy.

There is no doubt Sulari Gentill is a strong writer and I will absolutely continue to read her work. This one was just "okay" to me. 3 stars!

This review is long overdue, I did purchase this title for my library because I could see the wide appeal, even if it wasn't exactly for me. I couldn't relate to Theo but there was enough suspense that I think it will keep readers guessing and I can see us eventually making this into a book club kit.

This was blurbed by some authors I really enjoy so i have listened to it since pub day via audio and thought it was great! I did. guess the twist but it was still very suspensful and i would happily read from this author again

Prepare for another mind-blowing mystery from the brilliant author Sulari Gentill, the mastermind behind 'Woman in the Library.' Gentill expertly keeps you on the edge of your seat as she immerses you in the enigmatic world of a famous author's whodunit mystery, with a cadre of eccentric doomsday conspiracy theorists lurking in the shadows. These suspicious characters seem to monitor every move of the story's protagonists, turning them into unwitting pawns in a perilous game.

A literary thriller about an aspiring writer? Yes, please! But the book jacket writers drop a major spoiler that doesn’t happen until you’re 75% (!) through the book. And the other big plot points are fairly easy to guess. Read this one if you can avoid the spoiler; otherwise start with Gentill's The Woman in the Library, a clever locked-room mystery,

I started this one, but I was able to finish it. It started off good, but I eventually lost interest in it. I will try again another time to finish it.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this copy.

While I find myself completely enthralled by each setting Sulari Gentil chooses for her books, and request them from Netgalley or read them as soon as possible, I sometimes get confused by the way the mystery written abd have trouble keeping up. I hoping I better luck next time.

Thank you Netgalley for this ALC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for a free ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.

The first quarter of this book had me intrigued. A book about people writing books, a chat room of conspiracy theorists messaging in code, a woman named Theo arriving unannounced to her brother’s home having quit law school to write a novel. She strikes up a friendship and becomes lovers with a fellow novelist, Dan Murdoch, whom she meets at the local pub. However, when he ends up murdered and she finds his body, the conspiracists come for her. She then leaves the novel for a time span of three years and arrives later in the story as the mystery is revealed.

The story pacing was excruciatingly slow and I didn’t connect with any of the characters. There were so many scenes that seemed unconnected to each other and I found that I just didn’t care how the story unfolded. I almost DNF-ed the book because it didn’t really hold my interest. Perhaps Theo just wasn’t a fully developed character and it seemed like Gus (her brother) and Mac (the undercover detective) took center stage and they weren’t particularly interesting either.

This is my first Subaru Gentill novel and I’m not sure about reading another after this story. It was just okay.

I just couldn't get into this one. I may give it another try in the future. Thank you for the opportunity to read it.

I really enjoyed this twisty thriller! The end felt a little rushed and I guessed the major twist pretty early on but overall I really enjoyed it. Would certainly read more by this author.

I really wanted to like this book. The writing itself is good, and the pacing keeps you interested. The storyline is entertaining, and there are enough different facets (the mysterious publisher, the secrets Dan was keeping, the QAnon-type forum, etc) to keep your mind turning.

However...Theo's character was so completely dumb. At first, I could give her some grace since shocking events are happening. But then she just kept making dumb decisions after dumb decisions. She was supposedly in law school and dropped out, and decided to come to see her brother in Kansas and become a writer. Her first manuscript is so good that her dream publisher thinks it's good. But she cannot see the facts in front of her throughout the entire story. This woman was in law school, has been in numerous situations in her life, and has traveled across the world, but is clueless to suspicious activity happening to and around her the whole time. There are just so many red flags that any reasonable person would think twice about, and it made it hard to want to continue.

This book felt a bit like inception. It took me a while to get into it but the story is quite entertaining once you get past the 60% point.

As has happened with several other books, I was so interested in reading this that I purchased a copy not remembering I had received an advanced reader’s copy by NetGalley. Thank you to NetGalley and to author Sulari Gentill for the honor of being given an unedited version, but I chose to read the published version in case I wanted to quote anything from the book.

Although there is nothing from the book I want to quote, I enjoyed this fabulous, twisted, roller coaster ride of a novel. Its plot is so convoluted it’s nearly impossible to imagine what will happen at almost every turn of the page. It’s extremely inventive and exceedingly well done. Rarely have I been so entertained for such an extended period and unable to guess what comes next in a plot. This is a rare feat of a novel, and I highly recommend it. I look forward to reading more by this brilliant author, Sulari Gentill, and I do not regret having purchased a copy of this novel as well as having been given a free copy in advance of its publication.

DNF - I attempted to start this book and it just did not hold my interest. This may be a book I come back to in the future.

This book kept me on the edge of my seat and I can not get over the twists and turns of everything! Very well done!!

I recently had the pleasure of reading this, and I have to say, it exceeded my expectations in so many ways. From the very first page, I was hooked by the engaging style and the intriguing characters. The author does an excellent job of building a world that feels both immersive and believable, making it easy to get lost in the story. The plot was full of twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. Just when I thought I had it figured out, the story would surprise me with something unexpected. I highly recommend this and all their work.

A college runaway from Australia arrives in America and crashes with her brother to write the great... Australian? American? novel. She meets her hero, falls in love with him and then the mystery begins.

While there is a bit of "conspiracy theory" feel to the book, the story unfolds well. Gentill backs up the clues and twists with the story line supporting it well. The end feels a bit rushed and, at least in my case, feeling a bit off kilter. But it was a good read. I would not class it as one of Ms. Gentill's best, but still enjoyable.

This was such a weird book. I had a difficult time getting into it then felt I had to finish but only for the review. Conspiracy theories just are not my thing and this one was a doozy.