This book was so well written. I loved the anticipation that kept me turning the page! The character development was on point

Prepare for a wild ride. This book kept me on the edge of my seat guessing what was actually going on. Just when I thought I knew the author through in another twist. I also really like that it was a story about au5hors and books.

4/5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the eARC of this novel.

Thea Benton is a writer who leaves university and joins her brother Gus in the States. She begins writing at a local bar where she meets a famous author. When he ends up dead Thea finds herself tangled up in a dark web of people and book publishers.

This one had a good premise and started out well, but then I found it was dragging through the middle and getting more preposterous as it went on.

This book was an attempt to lace conspiracy theorist drama with writers and sibling dynamics. I found the whole book a bit slow, with short sections that summed up everything too quickly peppered here and there. Our main character Theodosia leaves law school to become a writer, showing up on the doorstep of her brother's house to crash there. She meets a famous writer who gets killed rather quickly thereafter. Everyone is pulled into the drama of a series of murders. Her brother's friend Mac gets pulled in as he is a private eye. The plot seemed more silly than tense and I struggled to match the very serious things going on with the on-page reactions to them. Delving deeper into the lives of the characters led to more detail and entanglement. So much of this book felt like we were being told rather than shown the plot, which led to me not getting caught up in the story. This one wasn't a favorite for me.

I enjoyed how this story unfolded. The ending is a bit out there and not exactly what I expected. Was it good? Yes! Do you need to read it? Yes! Is it going to be what you expect? No! Which makes it an even better read!

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill starts with Theodosia Benton quitting law school and showing up at her brothers door in hopes that he will take her in. She has hopes to be a writer and comes to write her first novel. Little did she know her friends she makes along the way might be hiding more than she could ever guess.
I really got into this novel and was hooked most of the way through. As I got farther in it started to become very chaotic and a little confusing. I still enjoyed it and the ending made up for the confusing parts. However it did not turn out to be the type of story I was expecting.
The relationship that the main character shares with her brother and her brothers friend is very sweet. It was my favorite part of this novel. Her connections to other writers and coming into her own as a writer herself was great. You could see her confidence in her own story grow. However with these relationships I felt like I couldn't quite trust anyone in the story. I don't know if the author meant for that or if it was just me and my trust issues but no one seemed trustworthy.
The conspiracy theory aspect of this novel was what drew me into reading it in the first place but it didn't really show up until the end when the big explanation happens. Most of the way through it is just thrown in as skeptical people talking about the main character and her author friend, wondering where they are. It just didn't make sense until the end which was disappointing. I was hoping for more obvious conspiracy theory involvement in the main plot line.
Overall, I really enjoyed this novel and would recommend it to anyone who likes a good mystery thriller with an author main character.

If you like conspiracy theories this book has some. I do love a good conspiracy theory and I did enjoy that about this book. Overall however it was not a favorite. I found it a little too slow pace and that kept me from connecting to the characters.

This was such a different book! I haven’t read anything like this before,

If you like murder mystery, murder, mystery, writing, reading- there’s not a whole lot you won’t enjoy about this book since it has … well, it has it all!


Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me an arc in exchange for my review- all thoughts & opinions are my own.

I received The Mystery Writer from Netgalley several months ago and I really wanted to like it. The first time I tried to read this book, it annoyed me so much right from the beginning that I was tempted to DNF. I decided to put it back on the shelf temporarily and try again later, thinking that perhaps I was just not in the right mood for it. I tried again this week, and ended up pushing through for as long as I could, but I just couldn't connect with the story or the characters, and I ended up skimming, then skipping ahead, and ultimately DNFing, so this review only pertains to the sections I read.

It felt like the book was trying to do too many things at once to feel cohesive. It's entirely possible that this book may have wrapped up all of the narrative threads in a satisfying conclusion if I'd kept reading, but the earlier portion of the book didn't feel very promising, and I just couldn't get into it no matter how hard I tried. I see that other reviews complain that the ending felt rushed and unhinged, so I think I'm satisfied that I left off where I did. Unfortunately, this book was just not a good fit for me.

I'm thankful to the publisher and to Netgalley for providing me with a free advance reader copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

For some reason this one started out slow for me. Theo Benton gives up on college in Australia to move to Lawrence Kansas where her attorney brother Gus lives. Surprise, surprise, he wasn’t expecting her, but appears to accept her with open arms and support her new desire to be a writer. To that end, he recommends she find an internet cafe where other writers may congregate.

That works, as eventually she meets Dan Murdoch, who turns out to be a bestselling author and he seems willing to mentor her. But then, he turns up murdered.

Whoa. I did not see that coming.

In the meantime, we get to know Gus and his friend Mac. Mac’s family is off the rails, the plot veers the same direction, and Gus will lose his legal position, his rep, and his income.

I had problems with Theo from the beginning. She seemed a privileged princess. The boys circle the wagons when the police like Gus for the crime. Theo is trying to figure out what and why Murdoch was killed and there are jumps in the timeline that lose me. The storyline takes another totally unexpected twist. The one character I really enjoyed was Horse.

Somehow the story becomes complex with conspiracy theories and doomsday preppers. A weird one off for me.

Not at all interested in the book within a book or any of the characters we're introduced to, plus I hate conspiracy theory stories. Didn't see any sign of the described premise in time to keep my interest, and there are so many other things to read.

Sorry, just couldn't get into this book. It didn't hold my attention. I had read another book by this author and found it somewhat enjoyable. Not sure why this one has left me so cold. I couldn't even finish it.

I LOVED IT! It was so interesting and I loved the conspiracy aspect of it. The romance was also there and I loved the couples that were formed.

This was a slow read for me. It took me a minute to get into it, and once I was it felt a bit chaotic and hard to follow.
However, the story was unique and I was crazy curious through out how this think was going to end.
Theo is a writer working on her first novel. Everyday she sits at a bar and writes. Eventually she makes a new friend, a writer who just so happens to be an already acclaimed author.
I honestly don’t want to spoil what happens so I’m leaving it right there. This was a twisty book and a lot of fun at times. The writing style is very playful but not too cozy. Really enjoyed it.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I had a hard time getting into this book to begin with, but it quickly picked up and sucked me in. Loved the story of Theo and her brother. I think I loved this as much as The Woman in the Library, and Sulari Gentill is quickly becoming a must-buy author for me!

Unfortunately I did end up DNF'ing this book. I was very intrigued by the premise, but as I kept reading, I realized this book wasn't for me. I wasn't a fan of any of the characters in this book, and really felt no compelling reason to finish this book all the way through. I DNF'ed at about 25%, and that was after a few separate attempts to finish this book. I love conspiracy theories and mysteries as much as the next reader, I just didn't vibe with this book like I wanted to.

A really interesting premise, but when I listened to the audiobook, I couldn't get into it. I found myself confused as it switched POVs between characters and what I think was a book within a book. That meta-book was not my taste in fiction at all, so that just sealed it for me, unfortunately.

This story starts when Aussie Theo shows up at her brother's American doorstep after running away from law school, with aspirations of becoming a published author. She begins working on her book daily in a coffeeshop/bar, where she meets an older man who also turns out to be an author working on his latest book. Theo can't help falling for him as they work together day in and day out and he mentors her as she writes. Their budding romance is cut short when he is murdered - and Theo and her brother are under the microscope as potential suspects. Thus begins a wild romp that includes doomsday preppers and conspiracy theories. There was very little that was realistic about this story but I still enjoyed the ride and will continue to read this author.

"The Mystery Writer" delves into the labyrinth of literary intrigue, blending the complexities of storytelling with the chilling realities of conspiracy. Theodosia Benton's decision to abandon her legal career for the uncertain path of a novelist sets the stage for a gripping narrative that challenges perceptions and unravels truths.

As Theo grapples with her newfound ambition, she unwittingly becomes entangled in a sinister literary world where identities are malleable and danger lurks beneath the surface. The murder of her mentor catapults Theo into a high-stakes game of cat and mouse, where the line between fiction and reality blurs with each twist and turn.

The author skillfully navigates the intricacies of the plot, weaving together a tapestry of suspense and intrigue that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. From the outset, Theo's quest for justice propels the story forward, while her brother's unwitting involvement adds layers of complexity to the narrative.

What sets "The Mystery Writer" apart is its exploration of the power of storytelling and the lengths to which individuals will go to protect their narratives. As Theo and Gus race against time to uncover the truth, they confront the inherent dangers of challenging the status quo, where the consequences of disrupting the established order are dire.

With its masterful blend of mystery, suspense, and literary intrigue, "The Mystery Writer" is a must-read for fans of the genre. Sulari Gentill delivers a tour de force that will leave readers questioning the boundaries between fact and fiction long after they've turned the final page.

I have a habit of automatically requesting books from authors that I have enjoyed before-often without even reading the premise! Next year, I will have to be more discerning, and start reading the synopsis to determine if the particular story is REALLY a fit for me, despite past positive experiences with the author!

Had I done so in this case, (and the synopsis really shares too much!) I wouldn’t have requested this book, as I know that I rarely enjoy a story about conspiracy theories or the people who believe in them. But, that wasn’t the only issue I had with this book…