This book started off well! Very interesting, fast moving - but unfortunately it didn't end that well. The last third of the book seemed rushed, jumped forward in giant leaps leaving me confused as to what happened! It seemed to build to a great ending - but just fizzled at the end.

Could be a great book - but maybe after a revision of the last 15 or so chapters.

Thank you, NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC of The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill! What a twisty murder mystery book!! Let me start by putting this quote, "But others disappeared like the ghosts they'd become, leaving only their words to rattle like chains in the night". I mean come on!! If that doesn't hook you I don't know what will!

The story is about a girl named Theo who has recently dropped out of Law School in Australia and has moved to the United States to live with her brother Gus. Gus is a full-time lawyer himself and Theo is trying to discover what she wants in her own life. Gus helps her navigate her passion for writing by having her go and write during the day. Along the way, Theo meets a well-known author, Dan Murdoch, and forms a special connection with him. However, that leads to a crazy story in which conspiracy theories, crazy fans, doomsday preppers, and murder are all involved. That sounds wild, right? Along the way, one of Gus's close friends Mac gets involved as a private detective (former lawyer) to help Theo and Gus while everything goes sour fast. This story leaves you pieces here and there to gather and I loved that. Especially in the end, it all is explained and it is such a satisfying but also twisty feeling.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I am looking forward to reading more from this author! I liked the pace of this story and how each chapter left you wanting more. Highly recommend it if you are looking for your next murder mystery book! #mysterywriter #NetGalley

After "The Woman in the library" I didn't have high expectations, but I was hoping for some fun. Unfortunately "The Mystery Writer" didn't deliver even in that department, as the fun was lost somewhere between main character naivete, some weird misconceptions about the publishing world and ridiculous time jumps that completely ruined the 3rd act for me.
I couldn't get over the scene where the main character is offered a representation by a literary agency that is so blatantly evil, my teeth hurt that the protagonist couldn't see it. The agent told her that she had to give up all of her social media and contacts and basically hand her personal live over to the agency. That should ring a flashing alarm in her head, but she just assumed that's normal? I couldn't like Theo, as she was soooo oblivious to how publishing work - nowadays it's expected from writers to run their own promotional campaigns using their private social media channels, so an agency trying to cut you off from all social contacts and the internet should give you a major red flag.
The pace of the whole thing was off, especially when the main character suddenly disappears for two years in the middle of the 3rd act.
And the final reveal explaining what was the villain's plan was simply ridiculous. I actually laughed out loud when I read it.

This twisty mystery from Gentill had a lot of good things about it - conspiracy theorists, a young writer, an engaging plot - but ultimately the female lead was such a drip that I struggled to stay invested as her situation got more and more dire. Theodosia has left law school in Australia to descend upon her beloved older brother living in Kansas, and she has plans to write a novel. When an older writer befriends her, romances her, and ends up brutally murdered, both Theo and her brother Gus end up as suspects. Things keep going downhill and Theo keeps being painfully naive and in need of constant rescuing. Add in a huge time compression/time jump in the latter half of the book and this just didn't quite work for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for a digital review copy.

This cozy mystery is like an Agatha Christie whodunit with a twist. The first half of the novel was the most compelling, while second portion diverted off into a whole different direction that was less believable and interesting -- but that's just me. Many will whip through this story quite happily.. Thanks Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for the ARC.

This was my first book by Sulari Gentill and I absolutely loved it. Theo is a law student and decides to drop out to finish her novel. She flies across the ocean to Lawrence, Kansas and shows up on her brother’s doorstep. During the day she goes to a local bar and begins a mentorship with a famous author. Everything is going great until that author is murdered. I enjoyed the pace of this novel and of course the revelations. One of my favorite parts was the sections from conspiracy theory message boards.

Australian author Sulari Gentill’s last novel, The Woman in the Library, featured a mystery writer from Down Under working on a whodunit set in the U.S. Now she’s returned with another standalone, about a writer who is a mystery—as in, who is this guy?

Theo Benton has just dropped out of law school in Australia and moved in with her older brother Gus in Lawrence, Kansas. Gus left his homeland several years ago after he stabbed a man whom he caught molesting then-10-year-old Theo. Gus is happy to have a career as an attorney, but Theo’s dream is to become a writer. When she meets a bestselling mystery author named Dan Murdoch in a local coffee shop, the two strike up a friendship, and Dan becomes a mentor to her. It seems odd, however, that even after they form a pretty tight bond, Theo doesn’t really know much about Dan. There are only a couple blurry photos of him online, and he never volunteers any information about his past.

When Dan is murdered, Theo discovers his body—and quickly becomes a suspect. It seems that he had been active on QAnon-type message boards, and once the conspiracy theorists realize that Dan was the poster known as “Primus,” they descend on Lawrence and start harassing Theo and her brother.

In a Q&A at the end of the book, Gentill declares that she’s a “pantser,” not a plotter (i.e. someone who works without an outline or even much of an idea where the story’s going). I can believe that, because The Mystery Writer veers off in some pretty bonkers directions. At one point, Theo completely disappears from the narrative with no indication of what happened to her; Gus and his friend Mac are left to investigate and try to track her down. The resolution is wild, and perhaps a little too farfetched, but I must admit that it was quite a page-turner—I couldn’t put the book down until I’d discovered what happened to Theo and Dan.

Desperation makes Amanda jump on an offer of a cheap apartment that sounds too good to be true and she was right.
The charming owner of the building shows her around this fantastic place that she KNOWS is way off price, there must be a hitch. There is. He leaves and locks her in. She’s trapped. But she’s a smart girl who’s spent time in other bad situations, she thinks she can outfox the fox.
Her captor becomes enamored w her. He finds it strange, she isn’t his first victim. He has experience subjugating women but this one is special. He likes her.
It’s a back and forth issue, Stockholm Syndrome for her and he thinking of himself and a possible relationship with this woman. Even after how he abuses her , he thinks this could happen.

As the reader I can’t believe he loosens the reins so often; believing her promises to be good only to find himself wrong and outsmarted. And she, while knowing her dire situation still has a twinge of enjoyment in his brutal advances.
Two strange characters that don’t resolve their situation in this book………..stay tuned.

I have mixed feelings about this book. While I liked the premise - an aspiring mystery writer tries to solve a murder mystery - there were too many sub plots, some of which strained plausibility, that didn’t enhance the storyline. The pacing was off, too. There was a lot of action in the first half of the book, then the story jumped ahead three months, then six months, then a trip to Australia, then another year passed, and then mystery was wrapped up rather quickly but confusingly. I liked the characters, especially Mac, and the relationship between Theo and Gus. I wish the plot had been better constructed. There’s a really good story in there somewhere. All of that said, I’m glad I read it., and it’s a solid three stars for me. Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC in exchange for my review.

I enjoyed The Woman in the Library and was really looking forward to reading this. The premise was promising: Theo, who has decided to become a writer instead of completing her quest to become an attorney, shows up unannounced at her brother Gus’ place needing somewhere to live. Dan Murdoch, who becomes her writing mentor (and more) is murdered, Gus becomes the no. 1 suspect, and Theo gets involved in a plot filled with disappearances, subterfuge, and lies.

But, I was disappointed overall in this novel. It seemed pretty slow going until the end, which was way too rushed and did a poor job of tying loose ends together (in fact, most of these “ends” just sort of disappeared and were replaced by things/events that had never been introduced in the least). Also, the time jumps drove me crazy. All in all, however, I would consider this a decent read, and I still look forward to Sulari Gentill’s next work.

An interesting mystery about a mystery writer whose best seller author mentor is murdered. When her brother becomes the lead suspect, she’s determined to help until she goes missing. Will definitely keep you guessing until the very end.

I really loved the author's previous book, Woman in the Library, and I was thrilled to check out her latest work, so I requested it without even reading the description. However, I couldn't get into this story quite as much. The writing is still fun and keeps readers on the edge of their seats. For me, I was less into a story which revolved so much around conspiracy theorists. That is my fault for not reading the synopsis!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC, all thoughts are my own,

Some spoilers ahead!

Although at times it bordered on absurd (am I to believe you have to be an absolute scum to be a good author? since apparently they only publish the best of the best and they're all criminals and pretty much are all men) I still found this to be a super tense and enjoyable mystery thriller. I liked the protagonist (although sometimes she seemed really dumb, she was young and honestly we probably would all act like that in real life) and the two supporting characters of Gus and Mac. The mystery was interesting and it did feel like being pulled down into a rabbit hole of a conspiracy theory. I was genuinely creeped out and the book delivered on tense, action-packed moments. The relationship was really well executed - I got why and how much they cared but it didn't overtake the story. Something I found weird was the absolute refusal to describe the main character, I only figured out her actual age at the very end of the book and the fact she was brown came off as some hush-hush secret / dirty word no one discusses, which was really bizarre.

Will definitely pick up more from the author as she seems to have written other books on writing & mystery.

Aspiring author Theo Benton leaves law school, and her come country of Australia, to move in with her lawyer brother in small town Kansas. She think it will be the change she needs to get her writing career off the ground. Theo finds herself a cozy pub and settles in to write her novel.

One day another author comes over to sit with her. They strike up a conversation, a friendship, and the beginnings of a love affair. Theo is happy and comfortable in life, until the murders start happening.

Suddenly Theo finds herself surrounded by lawyers, publishers, authors, conspiracy theorists, and die-hard fans. Theo must sort out who is there to help, who has more nefarious intentions, and how can she protect the ones she loves.

This is an action-packed mystery with twists and turns all the way through. It will keep you guessing, and keep you turning the pages late into the night.

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the egalley copy. All opinions are my own.

Quite often things are not what they seem. Sometimes it’s because we want them to be a certain way, so we ignore that little niggling feeling creeping around in our brain. Theodosia is a writer. I should say once an aspiring lawyer and now an aspiring writer. When she meets a quite reclusive but famous writer, she can hardly believe he talks about writing with her. When she finds out he is dead, she has no idea the depth of the problems she will face nor the trouble she will bring to those around her.

This is a quick read, one filled with lots of suspense. Actually, I rarely put it down. It’s well-written and flows well, and its characters are painted well enough that you become them a little or at least feel their frustration and concern.

I really enjoyed this book and its plot. However, there was one item that felt incongruent from the beginning, a key point of the whole story. There was little interaction at the start of the book with Dan the writer. In fact, there was so little mention of him that I couldn’t understand how they could possibly have been so in love. The book dwelt on the restaurant many writers worked at, and the amount of time Theo and Dan talked across a booth table. I was even confused about why she was walking outside his house when she found him. The beginning of the book made it sound like a deep infatuation or a fling to me and yet Theo cried and mourned over him throughout the book. This did not ruin the story for me. I just kept thinking “ok, give me a break” every time she thought over how much she loved Dan and teared up again:)

Thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an advance copy of this book. All opinions are 100% my own.

Theo Benton drops out of law school in Australia and moves to America where she joins her brother who is already a successful attorney. Theo's goal is to become a writer and she spends her days working on her novel at a local bar/cafe where she meets another writer. Before long, Theo finds herself caught up in a murder mystery, even becoming a suspect herself. There will be times when you will yell at Theo through the pages of your book to stop making such big mistakes (such as don't touch the evidence). Her background as part of the "ferals" in Australia is quite interesting, although not explored in depth. The first two thirds of the book are an interesting mystery that will pull you in. Theo's brother Gus is the kind of supportive big brother everyone would want. His friend Mac is the star of the book with the most interesting job and backstory. I would be happy to read a series of books just about him. For me, the last third of the book didn't match up. The resolution was a bit unbelievable and there were other elements thrown into the story that just didn't fit. I do hope the author figures out a way to include Mac in the future.

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an advance copy. My opinion is my own.

I was excited to read another book by Sulari Gentill because i really liked The Woman in tbe Library. but i just couldn't get going with this one. sadly i stopped reading. Maybe others will enjoy iy more.

I have such mixed feelings about this one. While I did like the story in general (enough that I definitely wanted to finish it), I felt the pacing was a bit off sometimes. There were parts of the plot that I felt dragged for too long. And I’m not sure I ever felt deeply connected with the main character. Without giving away any spoilers, there is a development about 75% of the way through that kind of threw me and pulled me out of the story. I didn’t really find the direction that the story went to be all that believable or thrilling, which kind of left me feeling like the payoff wasn’t worth it in the end. I think my favorite parts of the story happened in the first half, with the themes of writing and publishing. Again, no spoilers, but some of the… tropes, I guess I’d call them… in the story just came off a bit weird and strange to me. I’m a little confused to be honest, not about what happened, but about how I feel about it all. I waited to write this review to digest this story more, but I’m still unsure how I feel about it. It was a good three-star, quirky, murder-mystery. I’m also not sure who exactly I’d recommend this to, it is definitely a niche one. I also listened to the audio version for some of it, and I thought the narrator did a great job with the tone and voice of the book.

Get ready to go on a thrilling journey into the heart of the literary world. The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill is a rollercoaster ride through literary intrigue, where every twist and turn keeps you guessing. If you love books about books, this one is a must-read.

Meet Theodosia Benton. She is an aspiring writer who abandons her legal career and arrives at her brother's doorstep with an unfinished novel. She’s entirely unaware that her decision will plunge her into a hidden literary realm. One where identity can be lost, and remade, for an audience.

Her mentor is a successful author who is brutally murdered and Theo becomes determined to find the killer and seek justice. This becomes her solitary mission when the police suspect her brother of the murder. As the labyrinth of secrets unravels, Gus follows a thread left by the deceased writer. This thread just so happens to threaten the very foundation of storytelling itself.

Gentill's writing is both gripping and thought-provoking. She turns the world of books and authors upside down, making the writer's voice a weaponized tool. Conspiracy theories, corrupt publishing companies, and dark pasts converge in this unique and addicting read. The tension builds, and the stakes are high. Sometimes, the truth is more dangerous than fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press (the mystery thriller imprint of Sourcebooks) for a temporary e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you netgalley for this arc, this book was very very slow until the end. It was hard for me to relate to the MCs and the conspiracies. With the murder mystery, her brother being a suspect and the jump in time it was hard for me to connect everything together. The story overall was intriguing but it lost me a bit.