Sulari Gentill writes a thought-provoking book about a woman who wants to become a writer. On the journey to success, she meets a man who unintentionally leads her down the wrong path. As a seasoned writer, he guides her through her process and helps her write better. After he's murdered and she's the Prime suspect, her life takes the most unexpected turns.

A writer encounters a murdered friend and must deal with the repercussions. Sadly, I never really got into this. It was a little more literary and less suspenseful for my taste and I wasn’t interested at all in the conspiracy theories storyline. There was too much posturing. I may put this author aside for now as I wasn’t that excited about her first book either.

Theo has fled her university in Australia to be with her brother in America and become the writer she so badly wants to be.  While writing her book, she is hanging out in a bar where other writers work and she starts talking to Dan. Dan gives her lots of guidance and encouragement in her writing. He does not however want to submit her manuscript to his agents. Then Dan is murdered and the story takes a turn. What a wild ride and such a great story! It flows quickly so hang on for the ride. You won't be disappointed except for when it is over too soon. A must read!

I primarly read the romance genre but occasionally I like to go outside my reading comfort zone with a good thriller or mystery. This book was perfect for doing just that! I was instantly drawn into Theo's life and the mystery that kept unfolding around Dan Murdock - constatnly wondering how all the pieces would come together. This book kept me engaged the entire time and left me as a satisfied reader at the end. The creativity to weave this story and characters together was superb! The storyline of Theo and Dan and then later the chemistry between Theo and Mac also delighted the romance reader in me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Not so much a mystery as a suspense thriller, The Mystery Writer is about a young aspiring author who gets caught up in the murder of her coffeeshop-fellow-writing friend.
First, the blurb (which I try to avoid reading), gives up way too much, including one of the big reveals at the end.
I was into this book for the first fourth(ish) - I too have made friends at my local coffee shop! But then Theo keeps being threatened (by the police and others), keeps going over and over what she knows while things get worse and worse.. and then there’s a big time jump.

The writing is great, but the pacing and the way it all unwound was unsatisfying.

This was more literary than most thrillers I read, but it still had me turning pages. Conspiracy theories are frustrating and it was frustrating to be dealing with them here, but Gentill lands the plan and makes it all oh so worth it.

This was an odd book. I went in expecting something entirely different from what I got - for better or worse. I was totally invested in Theo and Dan's relationship and kinship over writing and was definitely surprised with how that played out. I was also really intrigued by the conspiracy theories (which were definitely unexpected), but everything went just a little too far for me.

There were red flags and breadcrumbs that will likely be obvious to a seasoned reader, but even still, I enjoyed how everything played out. There was major suspension of belief but I think listening to the book on audio helped with that for me. I could totally seeing this play out as a Netflix series and I would be GLUED to it!

Much of the novel was focused on a short period of time, but suddenly, years passed. It felt slow and rushed all at the same time which was a little jarring.

This book is unique. Again, not what I was expecting or really wanting but overall I did enjoy it. If it sounds interesting, I definitely recommend the audio.

Thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Press, and Dreamscape Media for the copy.

I received a copy from NetGalley by agreeing to write a review. I’ll be honest and say I was a little confused when reading the first three pages. I suggest starting the book at Theodosia Benton and coming back to the pages later when they will make sense. Theodosia (Theo) has moved from Australia to Lawrence Kansas, moving in with her brother who is a successful lawyer after she abandons her pursuit of a law degree deciding she wants to become a successful author. She sets up shop at a local diner with her laptop and lucks in to receiving advice and direction from a famous author. This is the beginning of the main plot line but intertwined is another relating to social media’s spreading of conspiracy theories which results in our not being able to tell fact from fiction. The book’s focus is on a group that believes in one theory. Interesting addition but I don’t think it was necessary and can be confusing. Each chapter begins with a conversation between believers. Returning to the main plot, Theo discovers a murder and is accused of committing it, so it’s up to her brother and his friend to discover who actually did it. And finding the solution does take a number of really unexpected twists and turns. This book is a keeper, I bought a copy for I want to reread it, I’m sure I missed a lot. I’ll close by saying the author created a very unique mystery with a plot line I’ve never read before..

This book's premise is very exciting. A little reminiscent of Misery by Stephen King but with a twist.
I highly enjoyed this thriller. I love when writers are able to write in a way that allow the readers to get lost in the story. This was a very engaging "whodunit" and I'm happy to have come across this book. Shoutout to all lawyers turned writers!

Received a digital ARC of this book via NetGalley.

I hadn’t read this author before but the summary sounded good. I do like a good book about books or a book about writers.

If only I had started it sooner! The only reason I stopped reading was because my eyes couldn’t stay open any longer before I crashed to sleep. The pace was consistent, the storyline captivating, and the twists unexpected. It’s been a while since I’ve read a book with an Australian protagonist. So this was a nice change from my typical English thriller books.

I enjoyed _The Woman in the Library_ but there was something that did not sit well with me in terms of how the mystery unfolded. This book relied heavily on conspiracy theories and it just did not work for me. I would be willing to give it another go, but I think I will wait for the author's next work instead.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

I wanted to read the book when I saw the synopsis because it is a classic story but rewritten in a new way. It is nicely written and I liked the characters that were well built. I enjoyed reading it and will look forward to reading the author's new work.

Nice mystery! I wasnt expecting the plot to go all this way, i never knew what was happening, which is ofcourse the main way by which i like to measure my mystery books lol. I really enjoyed reading this, though i think there could have been a bit more to the characters.

Thank you to netgalley and the author for sending me the book in exchange for an honest review

Let's book a remind me of athena christie's earlier books. There's like a love story.A murder mystery all around 121. It starts out with Theo left.Australia and did not want to be attorneyed anymore.She came with an unfinished novel. She came to her brother's house in lawrence kansas. Things were going okay for but she couldn't get the book published. Gus was doing really well with his career as an attorney. She meets this writer named dan who was a writer for a book publishing company. He was murdered and so everybody started to blame her because she was really friendly with him. There is many Different murders in this book and they're all tied to this book publishing company. Dan did not want her to be with this publishing company because he knew the evil side of it. Things what really bad after that. You find out about Gus and T h e o life in australia was very difficult because their parents were musicians and they traveled around. They joined up with the commune and things didn't Echo.Well they're either and brother had to leave australia because of an incident with this Sister's boyfriend.. Then the gardener was also involved as well. The police kept questioning th E o and her brother. Darrell had a pass as well and australia dealing with her her College professor. This was really interesting.How this publishing company was really like a front for all these bad things going on. Gh Gus.
Friend was als Involved in the back to the landlord with his family. Book was very interesting because it really showed how evil people can be when they want something. They also use block. Blackmail in this book to get what they also wanted to. It had a lot of different points and views. And I can see why it was called a mystery writer because you never knew who the real writers who are in this book?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

Thus is such a binge worthy read. Started and finished in less than a day and I have no regrets! The plot was pretty well laid out and kept me interested and guessing! Personally I liked this one more than Gentill's book 'The Woman in the Library'.

An overprotective older brother, a famous older writer, preppers, conspiracy theorists with a penchant for violent action, and murders surround budding writer and terribly naïve young woman Theodosia “Theo” Benton in this twisty, suspenseful novel by Sulari Gentill.

Theo shows up on her older brother's doorstep one day, intent on not returning to her law studies in Australia. She wants to write, and is worried about her parents' reactions, and whether her brother will support her. He does, because Gus is a good older brother, and he takes her in. Theo settles into writing her novel, finding a safe and friendly local bar in which to spend her days. Theo becomes friends with an older author there, who claims to be suffering from writer's block, so he begins mentoring her, suggesting ways to strengthen her narrative. Theo and he begin a relationship, and Gus is a little leery, as there is something in the siblings' past that neither talks about but that makes Gus wonder about Theo's mentor.

Unfortunately, Theo literally stumbles upon her brutally murdered mentor, which begins a descent into what feels like a nightmare: she becomes a suspect, and no matter what she says or what the police find, she just keeps strengthening the case against her. Gus's position at his law firm is threatened, despite him being a partner, and the dead author's rabid fans begin threatening her, requiring Mac Etheridge, an investigator and Gus' friend, to begin digging into everything.

Gentill also gives us a parallel storyline told in online conspiracy theorists discussion posts that seems to have some sort of tenuous connection to the main storyline.

Mac has his own issues, as his family are gun-toting preppers, anti-government sentiments, and who also believe in zombies, and one of Mac's brothers seems unusually concerned by Theo's presence in his brother's life.

Things just keep getting worse for Theo, as she's hounded by journalists, threatened, and feeling increasingly isolated and scared as the police's only suspect in the author's death. Then, she disappears.

I really enjoyed this anxiety-inducing story that is about conspiracy theories, those who believe in them, and how these kooky and/or violent ideas get started and promulgated, and the negative impact they have. I was amused by the author's answer to how conspiracies get started, as Theo must dive down the rabbit hole, in a manner of speaking, to save her life, and protect her brother.

This was suspenseful, occasionally frustrating as Theo remained naïve much longer than I expected her to, but still quite enjoyable as she figured her way through the mess she was in. And I loved the bond between sister and brother.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Loved this one! I was a little nervous going into it as I greatly enjoyed Gentill's last book in audiobook format and was worried I wouldn't enjoy their work as a written book but I'm happy to say I was proven wrong. A great mystery that kept me guessing!

✍️The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill. I really enjoyed The Woman In The Library, so I thought I’d read the next one. This book had a cozy mystery that was all over the place and dealt with conspiracy theories. I should have read the description because I am not a fan of cozy mystery or conspiracy theories. This was a painful read that I forced myself to finish. ⭐️⭐️

intriguing mystery/thriller that delves into the wWorld behind book publishing. Theo Benton is an aspiring author, who meets one of her childhood author idols, Dan Murdoch. As the two grow closer, Theo finishes her book, falls hard for Dan, and then discovers Dan's dead body. What follows is a quickly deteriorating series of events, where Theo, and eventually her brother Gus and family friend Mac, become embroiled in scandal and become suspects in the crime. Theo must use every resource at her disposal to outrun those that mean her harm and to solve Dan's murder before she or someone she loves is next. Full to the brim with conspiracy theorists, preppers, multiple murders, and an ending that no one will see coming, this novel has a million twists and turns and will keep you guessing until the last page.

Thank you to @netgalley for my ARC of The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill!

Writers, murder, and conspiracy theories abound in this mystery about an Australian woman, Theo, who drops out of law school and moves in with her brother in Kansas to become a writer. She meets and falls in love with a best selling author who she finds murdered the day after she gives him her manuscript to read. When her brother ends up the prime suspect everything goes haywire and Theo disappears!


I really enjoyed this book! It was a fun and easy read. The tie-in with fictional conspiracy theories was a nice touch and the supporting characters were great. It wasn't hard to figure out who was behind the murders but I honestly don't think it was intended to be. It all felt intentional and it was the execution and how deep it all went that made the story what it was. The narration was more omniscient which took a bit of getting used to for me as I don't normally read that, but I found I actually didn't mind it.

Overall, I would recommend The Mystery Writer if you're looking for a light and enjoyable mystery to read!

The Mystery Writer is out now!