I was so excited to start this book after reading great reviews on Netgalley but after multiiple tries to start this story, I was just unable to get into it and was unable to finish it. This has nothing to do with the writer/writing themselves, as the prose was interesting and the cast of characters showed promise, it just wasn't for me.

The writing was good but I couldn't finish this book because I was a bit confused by the narrative personally.

The beginning was slow, but that's not necessarily an issue as long as the "getting to know" the characters, especially the protagonist works well. In this case, it was a bit of mixed feelings.
The entire premise held a lot of promise, but like it happens often, sometimes the story lost itself in the idea development. The Mystery Writer had good moments as it built its suspense with the mystery surrounding the murder and all the bizarre things happening to the protagonist. It was also very interesting to reflect on the idea of "How far would you go to have a book published?" On this point, the story had some Yellowface vibes. But The Mystery Writer extrapolates this idea a bit too much, making the suspension of disbelief hard to achieve at times, but especially as we get to the resolution.
Still, it was a good, entertaining story overall, nothing mind-blowing.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much @poisonpenpress and @netgalley for the copy of this eARC!

This literary thriller follows the story of an aspiring writer who falls in love with her literary idol, only to be devastated when he is murdered the day after she shares her manuscript with him.

Although the book had a slow start for me, it managed to keep my attention throughout. There were numerous moments when I thought I had figured out the plot, only to be completely surprised by unexpected twists.

I particularly enjoyed the secondary characters, especially the complex dynamic between the adult siblings, who hadn’t grown up together. The setting in Tasmania was also a highlight, adding a unique atmosphere to the story. I appreciated the blend of conspiracy theory discussions and the varied third-person perspectives that kept the story fresh.

All in all, this was an engaging and suspenseful read that kept me on the edge of my seat. The author did an excellent job with the ending—it was truly satisfying.

I couldn’t connect with either the plot or the characters in this book. I read the entire book but didn’t get much out of it.
This book was a miss for me.

The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill is a super intriguing read if you're into mysteries with a twist. The story follows a famous mystery writer named Rowly, who’s living his best life in a small town, until things start getting weird. He’s got this new character in his book that might be based on a real person, and suddenly, life starts to feel a little too much like fiction.

What I really enjoyed about this book is how clever it is. There’s so much attention to detail, and the way the mystery unravels makes you want to keep reading just to figure out what’s going on. Rowly’s character is super interesting, he’s not just a writer, he’s also dealing with his own personal stuff, which adds a nice layer to the story. The pacing is slow at times, but it builds the suspense, so you’re constantly wondering what’s going to happen next.

The plot twists are great, and just when you think you’ve got everything figured out, the book throws something at you that makes you rethink everything. It’s not a super fast-paced thriller, but it’s definitely a good one for anyone who loves a mystery that’s a little more psychological.

Sulari Gentill knows how to twist a plot! The whole book is seething with tension and filled with miscues. It's the best kind of mystery. By the time I was at the end, I was thoroughly confused and I enjoyed every minute.

I have enjoyed some of this author’s books. They were clever and imaginative. Unfortunately, this book was slow and the plot was convoluted and preposterous. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

I was first introduced to Sulari Gentill two years ago—  The Woman in the Library absolutely captivated me! When I saw her name on The Mystery Writer, it was an immediate NEED TO READ for me! And it did not disappoint! Theodosia Benton does a life-180 and decides to pursue writing instead of law, showing up on her brother Gus's doorstep hoping for his support as she writes. As Theo works on her novel at a local cafe, she befriends a man— who turns out to be a super famous author. A few weeks later, he's murdered. The police are on the case, but when they start looking at Gus, Theo starts going down some unconventional— and unsafe– paths to discover the true murderer. I loved this book and can't wait for Sulari's next one!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review. Unfortunately this was a DNF. So confusing--I just couldn't figure out what was happening and wasn't drawn in enough by the writing to try and figure it out.

The mystery Writer is an interesting combination of people and very strange lives. Theo is a young Australian woman who drops out of Law School and moves to a Kansas to be with her older brother, Gus. They both hold dual citizenships with the US and have sort of escaped their lives with their parents who brought them up on a commune. Gus is a successful lawyer and partner in his law firm.

Theo wants to become a writer and starts hanging out during the day on the local cafe/bar where she get to know other regulars, one of whom is a very successful author. Theo and Dan become good friends and he helps her with her writing. When she finishes her book she asks Dan to submit it to his agents at Day Delos and Associates. She is stunned when he says no, that they are not the agents for her. Nothing is remotely the same for Theo after that. There are murders and harassment and the police suspect her even though she is clearly a victim.

Gus' friend and associate, Mac, is a private eye type who just happens to come from a family of preppers. It is easy to see how Gus and Mac became friends, each with their own rather messed up childhoods. The two guys along with Theo try to solve the mysteries before getting drawn in too tightly. I really liked the characters and their relationships. About 70% into the book I was a little thrown by the change of course but I had faith that it would all come together in the end and it did.

Thanks to NetGalley.

I had not read previous work from the author, and dove into The Mystery Writer fully! I really enjoyed the twists and turns! The wording did seem a little much at times which sometimes made me want to skim some, but ultimately, this book was a winner! Thankful for the ARC and intro to a new author to follow!

Solid 3 star. The Mystery Writer started out with a bang and somewhere around the middle it really fizzled for me. I loved the premise and the MC Theo plus her brother Gus kept my interest in solving the murder.

With all the hype for Woman in the Library, I couldn't wait to read The Mystery Writer. I own Woman int he Library and looking forward to it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press.

I received an ARC of The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill through NetGalley. This was my first time reading this author, and while the book had some intriguing elements, it didn't fully meet my expectations. The story follows Theodosia Benton, an aspiring writer who abandons her law career in Australia and moves to Lawrence, Kansas, to pursue her dream of writing. She arrives at her brother Gus's doorstep with an unfinished novel and a lot of uncertainty. Theo soon meets Dan Murdoch, a highly successful author, who becomes her mentor. Their relationship takes a tragic turn when Dan is brutally murdered the day after Theo gives him her manuscript to read. Theo is determined to find Dan's killer and clear her brother's name when the police start suspecting him. As she delves deeper into the mystery, she uncovers a hidden literary world where identities can be lost and remade. Theo's investigation leads her into a labyrinth of conspiracy theories and dangerous secrets. With the help of her brother and a private investigator named Mac, Theo must navigate this treacherous path to uncover the truth. While The Mystery Writer offers a compelling premise and well-developed characters, some plot twists felt predictable, and the pacing could have been tighter. Theo's character is relatable, and her journey from a naive aspiring writer to a determined sleuth is engaging. However, the story's reliance on conspiracy theories and abrupt time jumps towards the end detracted from the overall experience. Despite its flaws, the book's intriguing concept and strong character dynamics kept me invested. I did finish the book! #netgalley #themysterywriter

This book was a pretty fun time! It was a bit of a different concept from other books I’ve read in this genre, but I appreciated that in a lot of ways and it added to the intrigue of the story.

I feel slightly confused on some of the murder points/who was actually responsible/what role Day Delos played in all that/etc. but that might be from listening to some of it on audio and missing something.

All in all, not the best book I’ve ever read but I would recommend it if you want to try something a little different.

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