This was a unique perspective on mysteries and I really enjoyed the authorship aspect! Would recommend for a fun spring read

This book was a DNF for me. I kept going back to it but it did not grab me like I thought it would when I read the summary of the book. Thank you for offering it anyway.

Theo has dropped out of law school to pursue her dreams of being a writer and is taking refuge at her brother Gus’ apartment. Her routine of writing at local bars and coffee shops allows her to establish herself within the local writers’ community. When her mentor, a highly successful author, is found murdered, Gus becomes the number one suspect. Theo is forced to choose between her own success or Gus’ freedom. Gentill uses a time jump to progress the narrative and increase the tension of the unsolved crime, but the character arcs suffer from the fast-forward. The sibling relationship created by Gentill is endearing and realistic, and readers will root for the brother-sister duo.

I really enjoyed Sulari Gentill's "The Woman in the Library" so when I read the description of The Mystery Writer I knew I had to read it. It started off solid. When Theo ended up on her brother's doorstep in Lawrence, KS I became skeptical. I grew up in Kansas and graduated from the University of Kansas and it's not often that you see a book set in this area that has also been well researched. Sulari Gentill has either visited Lawrence or did a good job researching the area.

There were a couple of things that dropped this from 4 or 5 stars down to 3. One was the main character. Theo drove me crazy! She was so whiny and naive. This alone would keep me from recommending this book to certain people. The other issue was the pacing of the story. It seemed that things were moving linearly and then all of a sudden it had been more than a year. Then towards the end all of a sudden it had been months then YEARS! How did that happen.

The idea was great and I did enjoy it, but the end was a bit hurry we need to wrap this up!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

This was a fun, well-plotted story. I do feel like there was a lot going on, with some elements and themes that didn't quite fully come together, but solidified Gentill as a writer I can assume will deliver a good, entertaining story!

This novel was fine and okay, but I didn't care for the main character, Theo, who just seemed to not be able to take care of herself. She came across as weak. Another issue is the plot was strange and a little convoluted. The novel itself was a great idea and a nice structure...it just wasn't for me and I'm not sure if I can recommend this one.

First, I wanted to thank NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

A writer finds a dead body and is inspired to continue to try and solve the crime. Her own brother is a suspect and it is her love that is found murdered. I truly enjoyed this read but the ended fell a little flat for me.

This is sad, I really enjoy The Woman in the Library, so I was super excited with this one, but unfortunately this one is not for me.
I have problem with the pace and lots of things.
Sometimes it's dragging and other time it moves fast forward. It's confusing and sometimes doesn't make any sense.
The romance is unnecessary. The plot is unbelievable.
Overall I didn't enjoy it all, well it's just me, it has a good premise though, so if you interesting, try it, maybe you will like it.

I wanted to read The Mystery Writer because I enjoyed Gentill’s 2022 novel The Woman in the Library. I appreciate that Gentill’s mysteries include writers and topics of interest to book lovers.

The Mystery Writer, a literary mystery, had my attention from the very beginning. The novel eases the reader into the life of the main character, Theo, when she moves from Australia to Lawrence, Kansas, to live with her brother and start a new path as a writer. When Theo encounters another writer at a local restaurant, her relationship with him leads to unexpected conflict and changes the trajectory of her life in unthinkable ways. As the novel progresses, it becomes rather action-packed and takes some turns that take the reader for a ride.

One of the characters in the novel was raised in a family of doomsday preppers, and I found his family very interesting. The author also incorporates conspiracy theory chat rooms in the story.
Theo’s brother is a lawyer, and I appreciated his legal knowledge in the story, as well. Meanwhile, Theo shares her writing process as she works to start her novel writing career. The reader also learns about Theo’s unique upbringing and a traumatic incident that deeply affected her and her brother.

The author’s commentary regarding the publishing industry raises the important question of whether artists and creators must be perfectly presented to the public or risk cancellation. Should one’s art be evaluated separately from one’s past and one’s personal life?

From beginning to end, I found The Mystery Writer engaging. It was fun to make predictions as I read. I definitely had to keep an open mind at times as the plot developed, and I suggest readers do the same if you pick this one up.

I have read some criticism regarding the second half of the book, and I agree with some who say that the storyline took a turn and became more far-fetched and chaotic, but I still enjoyed the novel, overall.

I thought this was well crafted, with unique twists and although it took me a little bit to get into it, it was a great read! One to add to your list.

"The Mystery Writer" by Sulari Gentill promises a tantalizing premise: a journey into the hidden world of authors and their secrets. While it delivers on its promise of intrigue and suspense, the execution leaves something to be desired.

Theodosia Benton's decision to abandon her legal career and pursue writing throws her into a whirlwind of unexpected challenges. Gentill effectively captures the uncertainty and anxiety that come with chasing one's dreams, making Theo a relatable protagonist. However, the transition from lawyer to aspiring writer feels rushed, and the depth of Theo's internal struggle is not fully explored.

The murder of Theo's mentor adds a layer of mystery to the narrative, driving the plot forward with a sense of urgency. Gentill skillfully weaves together elements of conspiracy and deception, keeping readers guessing until the final pages. Yet, the resolution feels somewhat contrived, with certain revelations stretching the bounds of plausibility.

One of the strengths of "The Mystery Writer" lies in its exploration of the power dynamics within the literary world. Gentill delves into the notion of identity and authorship, raising thought-provoking questions about the nature of storytelling and the lengths to which some will go to control the narrative. However, these themes could have been further developed to add depth and complexity to the plot.

Overall, "The Mystery Writer" is a gripping read that will appeal to fans of literary thrillers. While it falls short in certain aspects, particularly in character development and thematic exploration, it still offers an entertaining ride through a world where truth and fiction blur into one another. Gentill's narrative prowess shines through, leaving readers eager to see what twists and turns await in her future works.

This book seemed like a debut. The writing was uncomplicated, and at times the plot was confusing. I enjoyed the main character, her brother, and his friend, though at times in the end when events were supposed to be occurring simultaneously their perspectives were a bit confused and took me some effort to sort.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book! I so enjoyed Gentill’s latest book and was immediately captured by the writing and literary setting as narrative. Incredible!

This story follows Theo Benton after dropping out of law school in Australia to move in with her brother and become a writer in a small town in Kansas. After a famous writer she befriends while spending her days working on her first novel at a local cafe/bar, chaos ensues, and things spiral out of control.

I had forgotten what this book was supposed to be about when I finally sat down to read it, so I went in blind and was wonderfully surprised. The lead characters with complicated histories and nonstop twists and turns of the plot left me reading for hours after I should have put it down to do some actual work. The story also follows a chat room of conspiracy theorists--don't worry, I'll let you figure out how it plays a role in the narrative. I felt like it gave a bit of humanity to the people we often demonize or write off as crazy. In general, when I came to the end and replayed the story, I was left really contemplating the role of stories in manipulating people's behaviors. It's an unfortunate time in American history, and this is really relevant to what we're seeing play out.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a good mystery or general action-packed story.

THE MYSTERY WRITER
Sulari Gentill

No, I didn’t enjoy my time reading THE MYSTERY WRITER.

THE MYSTERY WRITER follows Theodosia. A lawyer turned writer who gets the opportunity to write the biography of a mentor in her field. As she starts to hear his story, she begins to form emotions for him that go beyond telling his story.

Before he can tell all that he wants to tell, and before those emotions can be explored, he ends up dead, and Theo’s brother Gus is the one investigators are looking at. As Theo uncovers the mystery of the mystery writer’s death, she writes herself out of her own story. But all of that is for you to read in Sulari Gentill’s title, THE MYSTERY WRITER.

I was rather disappointed with THE MYSTERY WRITER and Sulari Gentill. I have heard amazing things about THE WOMAN IN THE LIBRARY. I did not find anything in THE MYSTERY WRITER to go back and revisit Sulari’s backlist. Unfortunately, I don’t think Gentill’s writing is for me. And for that, there is no remedy.

The story presented in THE MYSTERY WRITER is all over the place. It all sounds straightforward until you get to the last line in the publisher’s synopsis. It all breaks apart there. This is just a good reminder that even if your friends like something it doesn’t mean you will.

Thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the advanced copy!

THE MYSTERY WRITER…⭐⭐

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This is a tongue in cheek, fast paced mystery where everyone is a suspect. There is also some clever introspection of American gun violence and the erosion of democracy by leveraging conspiracy theories. This also includes doomsday conspiracists, communes, and sexual assault.

We first meet one of the central characters, Theodosia Benton, who leaves her legal education behind in Tanzania, to live with her brother, Gus, in Lawrence, Kansas to pursue her dreams of becoming a writer. What ensues, are days spent writing in a local restaurant and forming a relationship with a fellow author, Dan. Dan is a well-established author through a prestigious publishing house and refuses Theodosia's requests for him to forward on her manuscript to his publisher. Dan soon turns up dead with Theodosia as the prime suspect. Dan's manuscript goes missing, more dead bodies follow, and Theodosia is courted by Dan's prestigious publisher to sign a book deal under dark and mysterious pretenses.

This is a very fast paced romp with a sinister twist exploring media consumption and writing as a means to influence politics and undermine democracy. The banter is witty and quite funny, especially between Gus and Theo which helps to develop their characters. I also really enjoyed the loving relationship between brother and sister, which I have rarely come across in books that I've read.

It is so fast paced, that some readers who are more seriously into this genre might find the movement of plot too jarring, wondering how one thing led to another. There is a plot hole here and there so even though this a thriller I would place it in between cozy mystery/mystery section as it's a mixed bag of a classic whodunnit with witty banter and murder.

I rate this one 3.5 stars.

This was a book about mystery books and those that write them but with some fun and a little twist. I enjoyed the book and thought it was a fun and enjoyable read.

This book is a perfect example of a fascinating story idea that was so poorly executed that the content of the pages bears only a vague resemblance to what the synopsis promised. I should have known when the term “conspiracy theory” appeared, but alas, I forged ahead anyway.

At the end of the book, the author explained that she doesn’t plot out her storyline. That is patently obvious in this book, and the result is a wasted opportunity for a great story idea. Unless you are a fan of books with gullible main characters, characters that come across as caricatures of Americans, and plots that become purely absurd, I would suggest skipping this one.

Thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I REALLY enjoyed THE MYSTERY WRITER, and I do think I enjoyed it even more than THE WOMAN IN THE LIBRARY (which I loved) because it was a little easier to follow start to finish with fewer ????s for the reader at the end.
The story is wildly timely in an age when the public is so easily manipulated by conspiracy theories and problematic suspicions and plots. This was a great backdrop for a murder mystery and I really enjoyed Theodosia and Gus' connection and family backstory. This was twisty and full of surprises and I loved how the tension developed. I did want to scream at Theo a bit for not taking the danger of the situation seriously enough, but then I would remind myself that she was young, not in the limelight, and would have been naturally unable to wrap her mind around the fact that she'd landed in the center of a wild plot. This was really good start to finish.

I love this work! Sulari Gentill has a real knack for painting a picture with words and tying up all the loose ends in a mystery. Thanks to NetGalley for the freebie.