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.

An aspiring writer within an intriguing mystery. I'm not sure that I enjoyed the conspiracy theories throughout, including the doomsday prepping. Not clear entirely on how this really played into the story. This was a very long book, and a lot of pieces that could have been tied together better or even removed. Though it would make for an interesting film.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this arc in return for my honest review.

Pub date: 19 March 2024

This is an exciting easy action packed read for those who are new to the world of mystery books. Sulari Gentill delivered a fast-paced narrative that will capture you into flipping into the new next page with high anticipation of what will happen next. Her characters are alive, very relatable, and very human. As the reader, you can feel what they feel and understand why they did what they did. The story is very simple and straightforward but still an interesting read.

The Mystery Writer was the first book I've read by Sulari Gentill. It's hard to categorize this book... it's a conspiracy novel, a suspense, a book about books, with strong family themes. I enjoyed seeing how the different plots, at first not at all connected, were woven together. I'll be looking for more from this author.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the complimentary digital review copy of this title.

Sulari Gentill has improved upon her last book (which I really liked). The Woman in the Library was good; this book was better. Theodosia (Theo) goes to visit her brother Gus in Lawrence Kansas when she drops out of Law school. She wants to be a writer. He tells her that she needs to go somewhere in town to write and not just sit at home. She goes to Bender's Bar which serves as writer's haven during the day and she befriends the waitress and the other writers, including an older, best selling author, Dan. She and Dan often write together and they share plot lines and he supports her growth as an author. Things turn romantic between them and then Theo is pulled into a murder that she is blamed for. Her brother Gus, becomes her lawyer and asks his friend and colleague Mac, a private investigator for help. A couple more murders occur and they all get pulled into the police investigation.
Theo and Gus were born in Australia and raised in a commune by parents were are called feral and are now wandering performers. Mac comes from a family of doomsday preppers. Family is important to them all - genetic family as well as the family they find and make their own.
There are twists and turns throughout the story, some predictable and some not, but the story is great and I highly recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley for an opportunity to read this book in advance in return for an unbiased review

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC! This book was a miss for me - bit of an overdone premise that didn’t land in this case.

Generally, I enjoyed reading this. The contrasting sibling dynamics between the Bentons and Etheridges was what made me not DNF it. However, the conspiracy theory part felt a bit half-baked, particularly its ties to the publication world.

There wasn't enough nuance to the mystery in this novel. There is a strange character who gives off bad vibes, and .. they're bad. There are crazy conspiracy nuts and they're .. crazy conspiracy nuts. There are big swings with a cult like hippie community and American gun obsessed doomsday preppers, that don't pay off. There was a central mystery that I did find intriguing once we circled back to it, but it took too long with too many side quests, and the last third of the book keeps making giant leaps in time and plot that were really distracting.

Theo leaves her training as a lawyer to become a writer. She discovers a kindred spirit at the little tavern she writes at. They become friends and then more.
Then things take a twist! She discovers her friend has been murdered when she stops to see him. Then the story gets complicated. Her brother and friend, even Theo are implicated in not one but two murders…..
There is a conspiracy? Random murders?
Very well written with enough plot twisting to keep your brain busy.
Enjoyed this very much.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me this ARC

I was so excited to dive into this whodunnit book but I was severely disappointed when I realized it was a conspiracy theory book and not a murder mystery. I felt like the characters were unbelievable and not well thought out by the author. This could be in part that I enjoy my thrillers to be realistic and this one didn’t have that feel.

Who is Primus? What are they preparing for? This is just one part of the story.
There is the main character who wants to be a writer. Over time she has her manuscript when murder comes. TAhis is followed by more murders. The police say Theo, her brother [Gus] amd Max. a friend, are the culperts. There are bricks through the window, shots fired, rammed pickup, and more. Then Theo disappears after saying 'she did it'.
Read to discover who is really behind the murders and why.
Sularis Gentill has you wondering about murders and conspiracy thoeries.

The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill is an interesting book. It’s hard to put into words what this book is like. I was intrigued by this book because its mystery sounded unique and fascinating. The mystery definitely lived up to that expectation, but I found the book very hard to read after the introduction of the mystery. From there, the writing did not flow as well and the situations felt almost sci fi. Overall, it was a solid mystery. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

Genre: Mystery Thriller
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Special thanks to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Sulari Gentill for an ARC of this book! This is available so you can get your own copy!

Theodosia Benton meets her literary idol when she abandons her law studies to write her own novel. After writing together and giving him a copy of her completed manuscript to read, he’s found dead. Thrown into this wild world of conspiracy and being accused of murder, Theo and her brother Gus must figure out who really murdered her mentor and clear their own names.

This was a book that I immensely enjoyed… until the end. I was all for riding this rollercoaster with Theo and experiencing all of the unexpected twists and turns. The book started to lose me toward the end with the reveal and more prominent conspiracy theory and dooms-dayer themes.

👍🏻:
-Twists and turns
-Well-paced storyline
-Suspenseful
-HORSE ❤️

👎🏻:
-Too much conspiracy theory for me
-A pretty out there conclusion
-Dooms-dayer vibes which felt like a weird addition

I was honestly hesitant to try Gentill's The Mystery Writer after not being a fan of The Woman in the Library, but the plot sounded so interesting, I decided to give the author a second chance. This book had so. much. promise. I loved the plot and was so invested. I was kept guessing at every turn. However, the ending fell flat for me. It was unbelievable and a little messy, in my opinion. I loved the character development and the pacing of the book, but sadly was so disappointed in the ending.