I really enjoyed the concept of this story. I can appreciate all of the thought and work that was put into it. However, this fell a bit flat for me. There were possibly too many elements to the story to make it feel like you could really get immersed. The character of Theo is hard to connect with. I’m not sure if I just couldn’t find a common thread or if the constant reference to the character being from another country was putting a wall up for me. I wouldn’t call this a total loss or waste of my time, but I don’t think that I would recommend it to anyone any time soon.

The Mystery Writer was an incredibly unique and gripping story. The story follows Theo, a young woman who drops out of law school to pursue her passion of being a writer. She gets involved with another writer named Dan Murdoch, who is then tragically murdered.

The beginning of the story was incredibly captivating and had me hanging on every word. I thought the idea driving the story was also super fun and out there.

However, after the beginning, I felt like the flow of the story plateaued in the middle. This may be because I started to get confused with the story, as it quickly got hard to follow. Additionally, I struggled to relate to Theo and found it hard to connect to the characters at some times. Because I couldn’t connect with them, I found it hard to root for them throughout the story.

Still, I had a fun time reading this story, and would give it three stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for providing me this Digital Advanced Readers Copy of the book!

I tried multiple times to get into this book, but I just couldn’t. I did not like the characters or the writing style. There was one point where I was pretty intrigued and was able to read a good chunk in the course of a day, but unfortunately that was short lived and this book took me months to finish. The only reason it was not a DNF is I was intrigued by the concept. I knew early on who was a bad guy, but just didn’t quite know why. I thought I had to be missing something and that their would be an epic twist so even though I struggled to get through it I kept coming back it. I was not met with a fantastic twist; only ridiculously long time jumps so that they could attempt to wrap up the storyline.

I thought this book was entertains. You defiantly had to suspend your disbelief a little. The story was a little out there. Over all I thought it a fun time . I have read other books by this author and they have been similar i style

This is the second book that I've read by this author and it won't be the last. Not in the least predictable, every page brought the characters in a different direction but ultimately led to a satisfying ending. I really enjoyed the twists and turns and will definitely be reading more by this author.

In Sulari Gentill’s THE MYSTERY WRITER, an aspiring young writer from Australia finds herself entangled in a murderous conspiracy - in Lawrence, Kansas of all places. The blurb for this mystery novel actually tells us quite a bit - maybe too much? - and based on that, I was eager to read this one. I was all about the setting as a college town in the Midwest, and these characters are somehow very engaging even when they’re not entirely likable. I was unfortunately left somewhat underwhelmed and perplexed by what felt like absolute plot chaos. There were so many elements that felt unnecessary - like going steadily through a check list of genre tropes. This book just wasn’t for me, and that’s okay - I know plenty of readers who would love it. If you’re fascinated by QAnon and love espionage, this book is for you. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy. All opinions are entirely my own.

One of the qualities of a great writer is the ability to write different styles of books and still have them be good. I feel like this defines my thoughts on Sulari Gentill's two novels - The Woman in the Library and The Mystery Writer. Since I was absolutely addicted to the first novel, I thought it would be the same for the second. Spoiler alert: it was not. However, I did end up really enjoying The Mystery Writer. I actually stopped and started this book a few times before finishing it.

This was a solid mystery novel - focusing on the relationship between Theodosia "Theo" and her brother, Gus, and her new friend/mentor/possibly something more, Dan. Theo has dropped out of law school, moved in with her brother, and is embarking on a career as a writer (all with the side story of her Australian heritage, past trauma, and a family inheritance). There are also sections throughout the book related to crazy, outlandish conspiracy theories. There is a LOT going on in this book. It was a lot to keep track of, but the pace picked up once the murder begins... and we have to figure out what is real, what is imagined, and what is actually going on. Once I got into this book, I found it highly entertaining and intriguing, and was rooting for the characters through a particularly tense plot twist. This was a bit of a surprise because I didn't actually like them all that much. I did find the ending very satisfying and appreciated the author's use of humor/conspiracy theories to lighten the mood in this mystery.

So to sum it up, this is very different from the debut but still worth the read in my opinion!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

Sulari Gentill does it again. If you read and loved Gentill's novel "The Woman in the Library" you will love "The Mystery Writer", but I think even if you didn't enjoy Gentill's first novel you may still enjoy this one. One mystery after another and a twist at each turn, Gentill keeps readers guessing what will happen next and who is the one that started it all. The main character, Theodosia Benton, wants to be a writer and gives up her future as an attorney to chase the dream but runs into problems after arriving at her brother's doorstep. Someone close to her is killed and brother is suspected of being the killer. We follow Theodosia as she goes tries to find the killer herself and save her brother. Gentill's writing will captivate you and pull in right next to Theodosia as we ride alongside her until the end.

The plot is convoluted. Theo gives up on college and shows up on her brother’s front porch in Lawrence, Kansas. She’s decided she wants to be a writer. Hanging out in a local cafe/bar, she befriends an established writer. No sooner have they become romantically involved, that she finds his dead body in his house. Interspersed with this storyline, the reader is privy to a group of conspiracy theory nutjobs and their messaging. It would be easy to say this group was too crazy to be believable. Our family has a QAnon idiot in our midst, and some of her theories are so unreal as to beggar belief. Conspiracy surrounded all players with intrigue and control at its heart. It just felt off kilter with me and was hard to relate to the characters and get into the story line. My thanks to Netgalley, the author and Poison Pen Press

The title alone of this book interested me from the beginning when I first saw it. The story did not disappoint at all! I enjoyed it a lot.

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