Wow! This was a great read. Quite the ride. There were a couple of times I was like, where is this story going? Very enjoyable book with very smooth writing

While the story had good bones, it fell short of fully engaging me. The desire for a more satisfying resolution lingered, as did the feeling that the characters and plot could have been more fleshed out. Despite my reservations, Sulari Gentill remains an author of interest, and I'll keep an eye out for her future works, hopeful for a more immersive experience.

An aspiring writer drops out of college and moves in with her brother. However, she is drawn into a mystery when her mentor dies and her brother is the main suspect.

I liked the premise here but I really couldn’t get into the writing. It didn’t draw me and I think part of that was I wasn’t clear on what was Theo’s novel and what was other parts. I think it could have been demarcated better so that there is less confusion for the reader.

‘We Know What We Know’

Meet Theodosia (Theo) Benton. She’s twenty-two years old and has abandoned law studies in Australia. Theo, with two suitcases and an unfinished novel, turns up in Lawrence, Kansas where her brother Augustus (Gus) is a partner in a law practice. Theo is hoping to stay with Gus while she writes. She is expecting some objections: a trust account is funding her law studies, and her parents won’t be happy. And while Theo is not confident she has what it takes to be a successful author, she wants to try.

Fortunately, Gus welcomes Theo and she settles in with Gus and his dog Horse. Theo starts writing in a local café where she meets Dan Murdoch, a successful author. Dan encourages Theo and their friendship develops. But one day, when Theo visits Dan to invite him for dinner and to meet Gus, she finds he has been murdered. Who killed Dan, and why?

‘It feels like everything is going wrong, and there’s nothing I can do that helps.’

One of the most interesting characters in this novel is Gus’s friend, Mac Etheridge. Mac is a private investigator. Most members of his family are committed gun-toting believers in conspiracy theories whose suspicion of government leads them to prepare for doomsday. And, while some conspiracy theories can be easily dismissed, Theo becomes entrapped in an unsavoury literary world.

I’ll stop describing the novel there. I don’t want to spoil what I found to be a very unusual mystery with a couple of intriguing twists. Yes, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I am a big fan of Ms Gentill’s writing. I first discovered the Rowland Sinclair Mystery series in 2011 (currently ten books) and have been reading her novels ever since.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Theodosia Benton has decided to drop out of law school in her native Australia, to pursue her dream of becoming a writer. She surprises her older brother Gus, by showing up at his home in Lawrence, Kansas. Gus, who is an attorney ,owns a small law firm. He promises Theo he will smooth things over with their parents, and will keep her trust fund intact. Theo finds a great coffee shop where she can write her novel. There she meets a famous writer who becomes her mentor. A murder ensues and Theo, Gus, and his investigator Mac, are in danger. As they pursue the murderer, other subplots emerge. A survivalist cult, and a conspiracy involving a book publisher, become important to the plot. . At this point the original storyline becomes obscured, and somewhat confusing, making the last part of the book disappointing.

Compelling story and kept me reading - took me a while to get through this but an enjoyable read all the same.

****UNPOPULAR OPINION TIME***

I did not like or enjoy this book at all. It was ridiculous, not plausible and there was no point to it. I do agree with other reviewers that the synopsis on the inside cover does give some of the ridiculous "mystery" away. The pacing and plot was all over the place, and that usually does not bother me but everything with the characters, the plot, and conspiracies were wayyyy overdone.

I usually like conspiracy theories in plots of books, it can add interest. That is not the case with this book. A few are only half explained. Some are just outrageous and nonsensical. It took away from the characters, who I did not really care in this book. Why do you ask? The book was irritating.

Cannot recommend. Do not waste your time. I struggled to give this even one star.

Thanks to Netgalley, Sulari Gentill and Poisoned Pen Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 3/19/24

Theodosia Benton show up on her brother's doorstep in Lawrence, Kansas as a law school dropout with an unfinished novel and big dreams. She has no idea how her brother Gus, a successful lawyer, is going to react, but she has nowhere else to go and Gus has always been her hero.

Gus welcomes her with open arms and several months later Theo has a highly successful author as a mentor and has just finished her own first novel. However, Dan Murdoch, her mentor, refuses to introduce her to his agent or submit her manuscript to his publishers, insisting that they aren't the right ones to represent Theo, she is crushed. When he's killed just a couple days later and she's the one to discover the body, suspicion falls directly on her as the angry colleague, then on Gus as the over-protective big brother. As Theo and Gus dig deeper, they find themselves entering a labyrinth of lies, conspiracy theories, and danger they never imagined and that they might not survive.

The concept of this book appealed to me, as well as the fact that I previously enjoyed the author's book <i>The Woman in the Library</i>. This book was always captivating when I picked it up, but not so captivating that I couldn't put it down. I enjoyed the characters and the plot pacing, but found the clues along the way too obvious and the big reveal to be far less believable than in her Gentill's other book. 3 1/2 stars

Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I am so devastated. This could not possibly be written by the same author as The Woman in the Library. This felt as if it was pieced together. The writing style was not at all the same as her first book. Why????????

Thank you so much to Poisoned Press for the ARC!

After reading and enjoying The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill I was so excited to get my hands on this one- especially with that incredible cover! As an avid reader and thriller lover, the idea of a thriller about writing really enticed me.

The prologue definitely grabbed my attention as did the first few chapters as I was introduced to the characters. The storyline was definitely unique and as soon as Daniel was introduced, I knew there was going to be a lot more going on than meets the eye.

While I do think that the twist was creative, it just didn't connect with me and I struggled to understand what was going on at times. While there was so much going on, it still didn't hold my attention in the way that I hoped it would.

I still think this will be a big hit for a lot of readers!

This will be available on March 19th!

Thank you to NetGalley and the Author for an ARC of The Mystery Writer!

This book was overall good. The synopsis definitely overshares. It gives entirely too much away and the book is 400 pages.

I love a good conspiracy but in real life I'd be wearing a tinfoil hat if I went along with this one.

Theo was a typical 22 year old in this book - she was too smart to be that dumb and I found it frustrating but I think that might've been the point! Gus and Theo had their hands full lol

The pace of the book was great, it was easy to read but the last 25% it felt like it was scrambling to finish the story (again it's 400 pages) and I don't really enjoy the time jumps. The end left hanging.

I enjoyed myself and will look into some of the authors other books. 😊

I loved a previous book by the author and admit I was totally drawn in by the cover and title. Unfortunately the story for this one isn’t working for me and I decided to DNF. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the free ebook to review.

Theo moves back to the states to finish her novel. HEr beloved husband and mentor is brutally murdered and she must find the murderer. When she discovers the murderer, Theo changes tactics very quickly to cover everything up. This was a fun read!

This is an author I will continue to follow. The story is compelling. It is written with detail, where it's needed, but doesn't belabor larger chunks of time, simply stating Years that have passed.

Here is an Australian girl (Theo) who is studying to be a lawyer, because her grandfather wants this, and is footing the bill. But, she doesn't want it, so she drops out and takes off to be with her brother in Kansas (who did finish his law degree and is a partner in his law firm). What Theo does want is to be a writer. Her brother wants to support her in her goal, and support her, he does. Through thick and thin, along with his "private eye" friend, who has secretly fallen in love with Theo. But when Theo disappears into thin air, her supporters don't give up on finding her. The author chooses to follow the story of Theo's brother and friend, rather than flip back and forth, to detail what has happened from Theo's perspective. In the end, all threads are tied up perfectly.

The first half of this book was excellent. Theo is writing a mystery at a bar. She meets an author there who she becomes close with - then the bodies start piling up.

At first, I found the prose well done and the pacing nice. In the second half, the author started to jump around in time, telling telling TELLING what had happened in the months/years since the last unexplained hop.

The editing seemed much less thorough in the second half as well. Like, how does Theo, who reads books and is literally writing a mystery, not know what a burner phone is?

I understand why the American nuts were necessary to the storyline but those characters were a one-dimensional, plot-forcing stereotype that no American - left, right, or center - will relate to. (Also, no American adult is confused by the expression "Cheers.." It's a thing in the US. My 4-year-old does cheers when we are both eating carrots.)

I liked Theo and Gus.

The resolution was too unbelievable for me. (How could such a thing be profitable??)

I fortunately hadn't read the synopsis, but yikes it gives away 90% of the story. If you're on the fence about reading this book, just read the back, add some weak romance and vague anti-American nonsense, and you know the story.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I can say this is my first read from this Author and I really like this mystery. This book drew me in front the start. The conspiracy theories, I enjoy a-lot and the plot was informative, Plus the writing was good..
Thank you Net galley for giving me the opportunity to read this wonderful well crafted story.

This book was certainly a ride. I can't say that it is particularly a murder mystery that is up my alley. The initial premise of the book was so exciting. I had really high expectations for what this book could become, but they all eventually fell flat. The actual plot of the mystery just felt so dragged out, that by the time the action began, I was already bored and starting to forget what the original issue was to begin with. Also, I did not like the ending of the book. It felt messy, disconnected, and confusing.

This might just be a me issue, but I truly felt so lost in the last 1/3 of the book. The beginning of the book was quite slow and by the time we got to the end, we were going way too quickly. Big plot points would happen, but it felt like the story just quickly glossed over them. Also, maybe I'm just not smart enough for this book, but I'm really confused about the ending. It just didn't fit the overall tone of the book at all, and felt like it could be the ending of some YA dystopian story instead of a small-town murder mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book.

I really liked the flow of this book. The way conspiracy site comments were intertwined with the narrative was interesting and well done. Mac, Gus, and Theo are great main characters and they were developed well. I’ve previously read a different book from this author, The Woman in the Library, and liked this one more. I do like how the author consulted a friend familiar with Kansas to set the scene because it felt more real and made it easier to get engrossed into the setting.

I recently had the pleasure of delving into this book, and I am beyond impressed with the mesmerizing world that the author has crafted. From start to finish, the intricate plot weaves a tapestry of suspense, emotion, and unexpected twists that kept me eagerly turning the pages.

One of the standout features of this book is undoubtedly its characters. Each one is meticulously developed, breathing life into the narrative with their unique personalities, motivations, and flaws. The protagonists are not just names on paper; they are relatable, complex individuals with whom readers can form a genuine connection. The antagonist, too, is not a mere foil but a multi-dimensional force that adds depth to the story. The author's ability to create such well-rounded characters is a testament to their storytelling prowess.

The plot unfolds seamlessly, drawing the reader into a richly layered narrative that expertly balances tension, drama, and moments of poignant reflection. The pacing is impeccable, maintaining a perfect rhythm that keeps the reader engaged without sacrificing the depth of the story. The author skillfully navigates through various plot arcs, interweaving them with finesse to create a cohesive and satisfying whole.

What sets this book apart is its ability to tackle profound themes while maintaining an accessible and engaging narrative. The book seamlessly combines suspense and emotional depth, making it a truly immersive experience. The author's prose is both elegant and evocative, painting vivid imagery that lingers in the reader's mind long after the final page is turned.

As I reached the conclusion, I found myself yearning for more from this talented author. Their ability to craft a gripping plot and bring characters to life is truly commendable. I eagerly anticipate future works and would wholeheartedly recommend this book to any reader who appreciates a masterfully told tale. If you're searching for a book that seamlessly blends captivating characters with a compelling plot, this is a shining example. I can't wait to explore more literary worlds crafted by this exceptional storyteller.

I love books about writing and the world of books in general, so when I saw that the author of "The Woman in the Library" had written another book involving writing and publishing, I jumped at the chance to read it. I wasn't disappointed.

When Theodosia Benton decides she'd rather be a writer than a lawyer, she leaves university in Australia. She appears on her brother Gus's doorstep in Lawrence, Kansas, all set to begin a new life. She quickly falls in with a crowd of local writers, including the mysterious Dan Murdoch, who becomes her mentor and lover. When Murdoch is brutally murdered, Theo becomes the prime suspect. She also becomes the target of a conspiracy group and finds her own life in danger. Feeling her options are limited, and with the focus of the police investigation shifting to Gus, Theo decides to forfeit her ambitions and try and save her brother by confessing to a murder she didn't commit. But will her plan work?

This is an imaginatively plotted book with many subplots and red herrings. The reader is kept in the dark as to how Theo's plan of confessing to the murder will help find the killer, and with the slow reveals, I was kept guessing until the end. "The Mystery Writer" is a fast-paced murder mystery with a glimpse of the world of conspiracy theorists and doomsday preppers that is both a captivating and rewarding read. 4/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press, for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. The publication date is March 19, 2024.