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

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.