The premise of this sounded promising but. I just couldn’t connect with the plot or main character and gave up on it.

I liked it but I think I went in with too many expectations.

When twenty-two-year-old Theodosia “Theo” Benton drops out of law school in Australia, she ends up in Lawrence, Kansas, at the home of her older brother Gus, a practicing lawyer. Theo is an aspiring writer and Gus is supportive of her goals, encouraging her to pursue her dreams. At Gus’ insistence, she finds a place to sit and write - a bar named Benders where she meets Dan Murdoch, a best-selling author whom she quickly befriends. Dan encourages Theo and from him, she begins to understand how the publishing world works. But when Dan is brutally murdered, Theo, Gus, and their friend Mac are drawn into a complex web of conspiracy, lies, deception, and murder. As the narrative progresses, Theo realizes that all was not as it seemed in Dan’s world and that sometimes the truth can be stranger than fiction.

I was intrigued by the premise of The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill. Cleverly crafted and well-paced, with a solid mystery at its core with some interesting twists along the way, this novel surely held a lot of promise. My first problem with the novel was the fact that I wasn’t a fan of Theo, who is portrayed to be a bit too naïve for my liking. I did like the other characters and especially loved reading about their lives in Tasmania and the bond between the adult siblings even though they didn’t spend much time together growing up. The conspiracy theories and doomsday preppers added to the intrigue (and the entertainment value) in the story and I was eager to see where the characters finally landed. I also wasn’t a fan of the time jumps (yes, more than one) toward the end which made me feel like I was missing parts of the story, despite the narrative feeling a tad too lengthy. Usually, I love complicated mysteries and enjoy trying to guess the identity of the culprit and don’t mind suspending disbelief. However, the plot became too convoluted (laughably so) toward the end and way over the top for me to appreciate the direction of the story or the final revelations.

In my fifth decade of reviewing mysteries, I can't remember encountering a master villain like the one in this thriller. In The Mystery Writer, Gentill reflects on the state of social media. Why are conspiracy theorists so bold? Do we hide our prejudice behind proponents of cancel culture? What about doomsday preppers? Are they just a third-generation fallout shelter believers, or has this become a testosterone-driven hobby?

Unlike most thrillers where the main character is a person of action, Theo, the writer, is a passive protagonist. She has been framed as the main suspect in the death of a best-selling author. Now facing harassment from conspiracy theorists, she meets her brother's wise friend Mac, who seems to be the only sane person in a family of doomsday preppers.

Mirroring the escalating nature of a viral topic, the book begins quietly and then expands as more threats emerge. After reading The Mystery Writer, Lawrence, Kansas will never be the same.

Very highly recommended, and quite suitable for book clubs.

I was really hoping to enjoy this book. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to connect with the main character.

What I liked about the book:

1. The premise was intriguing.
2. Relationship with the siblings.
3. Liked the character - Mac a lot!!

What I didn't like:
1. Way to complicated of a story that jumped around so much that I found myself aggravated because I had to keep going back to make sure I understood where I was.
2. I didn't like Theo - seemed way too young/naive for her background.


Thank You to the Poisoned Pen Press for the gifted ARC provided through Net Galley.

Theodosia Benton has decided to divert her path to become an attorney, and is attempting to re-start as a writer. She moves in with her brother and begins work on her novel. One day, she is working at a cafe writing and she is lucky enough to one day meet her favorite author, Dan Murdoch, and she gives him her manuscript to read. He becomes her mentor and Theo can't believe her luck, until Dan Murdoch is brutally murdered. Now Theo will take it upon herself to find out what really happened to Dan. With the help of her brother and another friend named Mac, Theo will stop at nothing to uncover the truth behind Dan's murder. And sometimes the truth is stranger than ficiton.

This book was a little slow and could be cut down a bit, clocking in at a hefty 400 pages. This book had a very convoluted and overly confusing plot, and by the end it didn't make much sense. I would say skip this one and try Gentill's other book, The Woman in the Library. 2 stars!

Excellent plot with a well developed mystery. It is definitely a must read. I really enjoyed the characters they are well written and draw you into the storyline.

Dramatic, clever, fun, definitely a worth-it ride with some cool results at the end. I did not guess a lot of it, although I probably should have LOL

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy in exchange for honest feedback

Sulari Gentill’s The Mystery Writer is a captivating literary thriller that explores the dark side of storytelling and the price of ambition. When Theodosia Benton walks away from a promising legal career to pursue writing, she expects the usual struggles of a creative life. But instead, she finds herself entangled in a shadowy world where authors' identities are malleable, and reputations are carefully constructed, only to be destroyed. When her mentor is murdered and her brother becomes the prime suspect, Theo takes desperate measures to protect him, unraveling a sinister conspiracy in the process. Gentill skillfully weaves together mystery and psychological tension, delivering a sharp commentary on the dangers of chasing fame and the blurred lines between fact and fiction. The Mystery Writer is a thrilling, page-turning ride that keeps readers hooked until the very end.

This one was ok but I kept losing interest and had a really hard time finishing it. The plot felt too convenient at times and the characters were ok but I didn’t really like them. The writing was good and I would try another book from this author but felt like this book just wasn’t for me. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

Quite an intriguing thriller, well-written characters and their background and family relationship, overall good plot theoretically, however the ending was a bit disappointing in the way it was written and so were some of the protagonist's personality traits. I enjoyed the atmosphere, but there were some predictable conclusions, and it became a bit frustrating in the end.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a little backlogged with my ARC’s but working diligently to get caught up. I really liked the whole premise of this story! There were so many twists and turns, I never knew quite where it was heading until the very end! I’ve always been intrigued by the idea of mystery/ghost writers and this book takes it a step further. I would definitely recommend if you like thrillers and mysteries!

I read this book with high anticipation since I loved The Woman in the Library.

When Theodosia leaves her career as a lawyer to follow her dreams as a writer, and she shows up at her brother's door. While he supports her, she finds herself in a completely writer's world. Her author who is a fellow writer, is murdered. While she wants justice for her mentor, she finds herself in the labyrinth.

While this book had its twists and turns, it didn't mean my expectations. I gave this book 3 stars

After reading some good reviews about this authors previous books, I thought I would give them a go and I requested this. Was a little jumpy at times and I felt like the 'who was it' was guessed early but still an OK read.

this was a nice read that will keep you hooked from the beginning. the story is well written and yes the love interest was fairly obvious to me. there are a few scenes in-between that serve as comic relief but the book is well written and i did not guess the twist in the end. a good book to pick up for sure.

An aspiring writer within an intriguing mystery. I'm not sure that I enjoyed the conspiracy theories throughout, including the doomsday prepping. Not clear entirely on how this really played into the story. This was a very long book, and a lot of pieces that could have been tied together better or even removed. Though it would make for an interesting film.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this arc in return for my honest review.

Pub date: 19 March 2024

This is an exciting easy action packed read for those who are new to the world of mystery books. Sulari Gentill delivered a fast-paced narrative that will capture you into flipping into the new next page with high anticipation of what will happen next. Her characters are alive, very relatable, and very human. As the reader, you can feel what they feel and understand why they did what they did. The story is very simple and straightforward but still an interesting read.

The Mystery Writer was the first book I've read by Sulari Gentill. It's hard to categorize this book... it's a conspiracy novel, a suspense, a book about books, with strong family themes. I enjoyed seeing how the different plots, at first not at all connected, were woven together. I'll be looking for more from this author.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the complimentary digital review copy of this title.

Sulari Gentill has improved upon her last book (which I really liked). The Woman in the Library was good; this book was better. Theodosia (Theo) goes to visit her brother Gus in Lawrence Kansas when she drops out of Law school. She wants to be a writer. He tells her that she needs to go somewhere in town to write and not just sit at home. She goes to Bender's Bar which serves as writer's haven during the day and she befriends the waitress and the other writers, including an older, best selling author, Dan. She and Dan often write together and they share plot lines and he supports her growth as an author. Things turn romantic between them and then Theo is pulled into a murder that she is blamed for. Her brother Gus, becomes her lawyer and asks his friend and colleague Mac, a private investigator for help. A couple more murders occur and they all get pulled into the police investigation.
Theo and Gus were born in Australia and raised in a commune by parents were are called feral and are now wandering performers. Mac comes from a family of doomsday preppers. Family is important to them all - genetic family as well as the family they find and make their own.
There are twists and turns throughout the story, some predictable and some not, but the story is great and I highly recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley for an opportunity to read this book in advance in return for an unbiased review