This was an unusual read for me. I really enjoyed it for most of the book but the twist it takes near the end was not my favorite. Just a little more out there.

The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill wants to be a top tier mystery full of twist and turns but sadly the overall mystery falls flat with a dead author story that I felt paled in comparison to other stories including The Mystery Guest. I felt the overall story took itself way too seriously and needed humor or levity to make the story interesting

An amazing title, a bestselling author and a blurb promising to turn the world of books and authors upside down............ sounded like a perfect combination for a thrilling reading experience. Yes, it did justice to that expectation till it was time for the climax and the mystery reveal. I could have rated it higher but could not get past that missing feeling of a comprehensive thriller novel.

Yays !!
-> fast paced and multiple plots, keep you conspiring, which way the story may end
-> Notes from dark web in start of chapters which makes you pay attention, in case you miss out a easter egg
-> Due importance to family bonding and friendships.

By the time we reach climax, all the above yays, start quickly turning to nays and cant help feel, what just happened (not in a good way).

Nays :( :(
-> new publishing conspiracy plot is introduced in the climax and all the initially introduced plots just fizzle out
-> Theo is a 'damsel in distress' who falls too easily in love. Lives of everyone around her seems to be too focused on her.
-> Consecutive quick time jumps (2 months, 1 year and then 3 years) at the end to take story to conclusion. Felt like an hasty affair to conclude and over drawn plot.

This is my first book by the author, and the gripping complexity in sub plots is still keeping me hopeful for her works.

Overall, I found this book underwhelming. I have read Sulari Gentill in the past and absolutely loved her work. However, The Mystery Writer was a swing and a miss for Gentill.

The plot was quite convoluted and failed to keep my attention. In the end, I forced myself to finish the novel, but only because I hate leaving books incomplete.

I found the protagonist difficult to like. For the majority of the book, she was generally weepy and expected her brother to come to her rescue time and time again.

While I didn’t like the first book by this author. I did enjoy this one. I loved the mystery. I look forward to see what else this author can do.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book - and the beginning definitely had me intrigued - but by the end of it, I wasn't quite sure what I was reading anymore. Lots of genres blending together, and I'm not sure it worked... the author may have been trying to do one too many things with this one. Overall, I enjoyed the writing style and have enjoyed previous works by the author, but The Mystery Writer was a bit too all-over-the-place for me.

Chances are, whatever tropes you are looking for, Sulari Gentill’s The Mystery Writer has it. Mystery with a mystery writer as the protagonist. Check. Disfunctional family. Check. Gender Politics. Check. Secrets. Check. Cult-like Communes. Check. Conspiracy Theories. Check. Mysterious Corpse. Check. And head-snapping twists galore. Check!

Theo Benton has thrown away her legal training to move from Tasmania to the United States and finish her mystery novel about the haunting of land pillaged from the indigenous tribes of Australia (a novel, though fictional, that I’d like to read.) She has landed on her brother’s doorstep in Lawrence, Kansas, a setting the author describes beautifully, evoking the heartland in its many flavors.

When Theo discovers her mentor, a mysterious published writer who frequents the same coffee shop, brutally murdered, she is thrust into a police investigation that focuses not only on her, but also her brother, threatening to destroy his career.

I loved the characters, from Theo and her brother Gus, to Gus’s dog Horse, to the entire Etheridge clan, they were all well-conceived and entertaining.

The plot moved along at a breakneck pace, twisting dramatically more than once. And the end will leave you breathless. Unexpected twists and well-crafted characters put The Mystery Writer at the top of my list of recommended books for 2024.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read an advance review copy of the book.

As a big fan of Gentill's "The Woman in the Library," I was eager to dive into this ARC from Netgalley. Initially, I was captivated, but soon, my interest waned as the plot took a bizarre turn. Books about the art of writing just aren't my cup of tea. I'm here for a gripping tale, not a behind-the-scenes peek at the writing process. This aspect alone made it hard for me to connect with the story.

Character development, or the lack thereof, was another letdown. I struggled to care about any of the characters, which is a shame considering Gentill's knack for crafting intriguing storylines. However, in her obsession with the meta-theme of writing, the quality of the actual writing seemed to take a backseat.

The narrative also suffered from abrupt time jumps at the end, throwing me off and adding unnecessary confusion. I found myself re-reading sections, trying to piece together the disjointed timeline, but it didn't enhance the story in any meaningful way. The climax was underwhelming and left me questioning the logic behind the plot, particularly the motivations of the publishing agents. The financial rationale behind their actions just didn't add up.

Gentill's admission in the Q&A section of not being a plotter was evident in the story's execution. It felt like a series of ideas hoping to find a coherent narrative but never quite succeeding. The attempt to mirror the success of "The Woman in the Library" fell flat, lacking the same magic and intrigue.

Lastly, the grammatical errors in this ARC were astonishing. I sincerely hope these issues are rectified before the final publication. As a reader, not a writer, all I seek is an enthralling read, which, unfortunately, "The Mystery Writer" failed to deliver.

Having really enjoyed Sulari Gentill's last Edgar Award-nominated standalone, The Woman in the Library, I was expecting another fascinating mystery. Unfortunately, The Mystery Writer just didn't land with me. Theodosia (Theo) leaves her law training at an Australian university and surprises her attorney brother, Gus, by moving in with him to devote her time to a writing career. After meeting a seasoned author who encourages her to continue after reading her manuscript, she never expects him to turn up dead soon afterward, with two more murders to follow. Theo's and Gus's lives are upended swiftly and violently, as PI Mac tries to use his expert research skills to help them both.

It's a premise with potential, but here's why I struggled to get through it. There is a subplot about conspiracy theories and a weak romance subplot--both seem totally unnecessary and have little to do with the plot. There is one scene late in the book that involves Gus and Mac but shifts to Theo's POV suddenly, then suddenly back. I found it unnerving, checking back to see if I had missed something. There is a time jump of 5 years that is mentioned once and never developed. What happened to the characters during that time? The reveal at the end about who killed whom and why seems lazy to me, and the last part of the book seems to evolve quickly from a mystery to a thriller.

I have to say that I did enjoy reading about Mac's outrageous survivalist family, which provided much-needed (though unexpected) humor. But I was never able to connect with any of the characters, as they seemed to make a series of bad decisions, leading to worse consequences. However, I know there is an audience for this book, as there are many 4- and 5-star reviews on NetGalley.

My thanks to Poison Pen Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

Theo decides to throw her education and trust fund out the window in hopes of pursuing her dream of writing a novel. She sets herself up in a cafe in Lawrence, Kansas, and begins to write. At this cafe, Theo is lucky to meet another author who mentors her. Just as her writing is taking off, her mentor is murdered. Theo's decision to change career paths turns out to be dangerous for herself and those around her as she becomes more involved.

⚖️setting: Lawrence, Kansas

⚖️genre: Mystery (not too scary- I'm a baby).

⚖️MCs: diverse, intelligent, resilient

⚖️supporting characters: somewhat believable, a little on the extreme side.

⚖️Available March 2024-Thank you @netgalley and @poisonedpenpress for this ARC♡! I enjoyed this fast-paced, creative mystery.

I was so excited to get an ARC from NetGalley for this one - a mystery about mystery writers? Yes, please. It was not a thriller but I enjoyed the Theo -Dan thing and the brother-sister relationship. As it went on, too many off the wall things kept being added and took away from what I enjoyed. The ending ,meh. Too much of a leap from most of the book.

The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill is not at all what I expected in a good way. While it was a bit confusing in the first chapter the pieces all came together and was an entertaining read. I don't want to go into much detail about the plot I'm afraid it will give away some of the twists and where the story headed. Would definitely recommend rating this one 3/3.5 stars. I want to thank NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Wonderful book. I really enjoyed reading this book. Definitely will read again when I get a chance. Highly recommend
10/10

A real page turner! Just as I thought I could solve the mystery, a new development threw me off course! Cleverly constructed. My first book by this author, but I will look for more.

So far this book is intriguing and mysterious! I am currently 40% done and I cannot wait to see how it unfolds!

Because I'm hopeful that a lot of the issues I had with it will be fixed (or at least improved) before final publication, AND I was a fan of The Woman in the Library, I'm hesitantly giving this book a 3-star rating (instead of a 2).

If I didn't already know better, I'd have guessed this was an author's self-published debut. The ARC I read seemed like it was released at least one draft too soon. And while there are some interesting ideas and themes in The Mystery Writer, the overall execution was poor. Many of the problems can be fixed with some pretty basic proofreading, but some issues will require severe editing.

Very much enjoyed this new take on the mystery novel with the meta fictional dynamic. Easy to read, very engaging. negatives would be that there are too many "moments" where the protaganist is in flight or in a tricky situation and this plot device becomes a tad repetitive. Nevertheless, I did enjoy this read and would happily recommend it.

Theo Benton shakes up her life by abruptly moving to her brothers and decides she is going to write a novel. Soon after she meets an author who she really admires. They start writing together and soon start a relationship. Unfortunately, he is then brutally murdered and she needs to figure out what has happened.
I picked up this book not long after reading Sulari Gentill's The Woman in the Library. That book was based at my local library so I was so excited to read it. Unlike The Woman in the Library though, I did not know who the killer was! I absolutely love when I cannot figure out the mystery. This book is so good and I was definitely thrown by some red herrings. It is an easy read but gripping. My one critique is I loved her mentor and really wish he didn't have to die! Their relationship was so sweet and that was such a bummer. Other than that, I loved it!

Theo runs to America from Australia to live with her brother and write the novel that she knows is in her. She meets other authors working on their books, and then one of them is killed. Theo and Gus carry on with their lives, but unfortunately are drawn into the investigation when another person is murdered. This is a captivating read of the times.

2.0 stars.

The synopsis provides a generous (maybe too generous) description of the book, so I will get right into my thoughts (which I have many).

I'm pretty sure Gentrill was going for a classic "whodunnit" murder mystery, but it didn't land for me. The biggest issue here is that it's BLATANTLY obvious who is responsible for the killings. The only person too dumb to realize is the main character, Theodosia ("Theo"), which is super ironic considering Gentrill is painting her to be a mystery writer (lol). Here's an example of what I mean:

Theo gives a copy of her manuscript to her friend, Dan, a famous writer who later winds up dead (no this isn't a spoiler--it's in the synopsis). He was also working on a book before he died. After his "mysterious" death, she receives a 1-page letter in a *large* envelope with excess postage. The last lines of the letter say,
<i>"I am so deeply honored that you have trusted your manuscript to me. I know how hard it is to allow your thoughts, your dreams, and secrets, to be viewed by strangers. I want to return that trust."</i>
Theo realizes something else must have been included in the very large envelope, but for the life of her can't piece it together. C'mon, Theo. I'm confident that my smart (but hilariously unobservant) husband would be able to figure out what was missing from this envelope without any context (and that's saying a lot because he didn't notice when I dyed my hair bright purple lol).

All my frustration with her writing style made a lot more sense when Gentill, in "A Conversation with the Author" at the end of the book, said, <i>"For me, the story unfolds as I write it. I don't really know what will be on the next page, let alone at the end of the book . . . ."</i>

I am not a writer, but I have to assume that mysteries are the one genre where you should know how the story will unfold before you write it. Doing so allows the author to know how and where to divert the reader's attention and know when to drop certain hints to keep us guessing until the very last page. Because Gentrill didn't know where the story was going, she couldn't do any of that. Instead, she had to create a story where the characters--not the readers--were the last to figure out whodunnit. The only mystery here was how long it would take for these infuriatingly daft characters to figure it out.