Well, that was a ride of twists and turns I wasn’t expecting! As a lover of books about books and especially books about writers, I was initially drawn to the cover…and didn’t expect the journey that The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentrill was about to bring me on. Carefully weaving a thrilling tale of murder, conspiracy and a dash of romance, Gentrill had me captivated from the very beginning with her inclusion of conspiracy laden web-posts. At first, I wasn’t sure exactly WHAT was going on and even though- did I have the right book? It did not take long, however, for the storyline to take off bouncing effectively between narrators and perspectives, and leaving me questioning reality at every page turn. I thoroughly enjoyed this fast-paced, well-written, narrative thriller (which at times felt like a spy novel dripping with conspiracy and murder). I also found it delightful to reread the prologue after having finished…and found myself feeling fully satisfied that the story had come full circle. After all, we know what we know.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ five stars for a great read!

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the free advance copy of The Mystery Writer. The opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

I was so excited to read this book, but it just fell flat for me. I kept losing the plot and didn’t connect with any of the characters. The synopsis sounded so exciting and entertaining. Took me way too long to finish this book. Thank you NetGalley, Sulari Gentill and Poisoned Pen Press for this digital arc.

Theodosia Benton abandons law school and her Australian home to focus on her unfinished novel, moving in with her brother in Lawrence, Kansas. A meeting with a successful author leads to mentorship, a free flow of ideas, and maybe something more … until he shows up dead one day, brutally murdered. Weird things keep happening and none of them are very good for our heroine, her brother Gus, and his investigator friend, Mac. Every time the author had a chance to go down the obvious path she instead takes evasive action and veers off onto a path I would never expect. Between the action and the backstories of her (very) relatable characters, we are treated to a twisted, entertaining, self-referential mystery blending writing techniques, reader psychology, conspiracy sites, preppers, and Tasmanian hippies (yes, you read that right). The situation does sometimes veer into regions of (to me) unrealistic evil corporate overlord action, but all of the other characters are believable and interesting — I particularly liked all the writerly discussions which focussed more on how to engage with a reader rather than dry (to the non writer) techniques. Be warned: a bit of a creepy feeling pervades the whole book, and I did feel that Theo should have figured some things out a little sooner than she did, but then I was in a comfy, stress-free space, so perhaps I wouldn’t have figured out very much more had I been in her position :-)

I struggled between 3 and 4 stars. Ultimately I went with 3 because it just felt like there was something missing. This is a great, no jumps or impossible twists book. I can’t quite put a finger on what was lacking. It was an entertaining, well written read, but I wouldn’t read it again. I would recommend this book for someone who wants an easy, cozy read.

This is told from a few different "views." We mainly hear from Theo's perspective with sprinkles of Mac, Caleb, and a few others. One murder turns to chaos and Theo struggles to make sense of it all, until one day she's gone. Aspiring to be come a writer and dropping out of law school, moving across country, and finding an idol who she falls in love with. The next moment he's gone and Theo doesn't know what to do.

This vooks has quite a few turns you don't see coming and the. Puzzle pieces slowing start clicked together! Such a fun read! Sucks you in!

Too much political intrigue for me. I am not american, so I could not really care less for all the political part of the plot. I expected something heavily related to the writing world and process, and all I was reading was politics.
Also I didn’t connect with the protagonist, so I really had nothing to keep me interested.
I see the what a more political interested reader could appreciate, but I was not that reader

Thank you to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Theodosia drops out of college and goes to live with her brother, Gus. Theodosia's only wish is to be a writer and her brother encourages her to chase her dreams. She goes to a nearby cafe everyday to get out of the house and write. She soon becomes acquainted with a famous author. The two get close, and while going over to the author's house to invite him over for dinner, she finds him dead. Murder is suspected and she finds herself to be the prime suspect... and the center of hatred of all his fans.

I absolutely loved this book! It had everything I wanted and more! I enjoyed the murder mystery and how just about every chapter there was a plot twist. I also loved how in the beginning of a lot of the chapters there was a forum post that you didn't understand in the beginning, but made a whole lot of sense in the end. The romance between Mac and Theodosia was also great as it wasn't overplayed or came on too quick!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to, honestly, anyone who wants to read a great book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentrill is set to release March 2024. It follows the story of a young woman named Theo who drops out of law school in Australia to move in with her brother in Kansas. Her goal is to become a writer instead. By chance, she befriends a famous author who provides feedback and mentorship as she writes her first book. But then he is murdered, and Theo's life takes a surprising turn...

This book was very different than most thrillers I’ve read. It intertwined conspiracy theories with murders, and truly made my brain spin (in a good way). In my opinion the book has three distinct parts: the beginning where Theo is working on her book, the middle which is following the events that take place after the murder, and then the ending. In my opinion the ending was the best, as many questions were answered. The middle felt a little long winded and felt like a slow burn. Overall I enjoyed this book, and I’m curious to see if the author writes a sequel.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the free advance copy of The Mystery Writer. The opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

A young woman named Theo drops out of law school in Australia to move in with her brother in Kansas and become a writer instead. By chance, she befriends a famous author who provides feedback and mentorship as she writes her first book. But then he is murdered, and Theo's life takes a surprising turn...

I wasn't quite sure what to expect of this book, but it was definitely different from anything else I have read. While it mostly follows Theo's point of view, we see from some other characters as well, including posts to a conspiracy theory website. The book seemed to have 3 distinct parts to it, at least for me: Theo working on her first book in hopes of becoming a successful author, mentored by famous author Dan Murdoch; the events following Dan's murder; and Theo's disappearance. Along the way we meet a whole cast of characters, some of which are quite interesting. The story takes some unexpected turns, though there were some parts to this puzzle that I pieced together on my own long before they were revealed. The book is written well with great descriptions, but at times it felt like the story was moving too slow for me, especially in the middle part. I typically read mystery books that are more of a thriller, so I tend to prefer a faster pace. There were also some elements that felt unresolved or left me feeling a bit confused. In the end, I could see this being a book that would be loved by the right reader, but for me it was a bit too drawn out.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the free advance copy of The Mystery Writer. The opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

Another great murder mystery by Sulari Gentill. Thrilling, riveting and suspenseful is how I would describe this book. Gentill keeps you on the edge of your seat while you try to figure out who did it and what is going on.

Fast paced and full of twists and turns, this book is very entertaining and gets you hooked from the get go.

I really enjoy Gentill’s writing. Her books are those I will read regardless of what it is about, and she never disappoints.

Thank you to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, and NetGalley for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked all of these characters, but wasn't as big of a fan of the storyline around them. The age discrepancy between the young writer and her mentor wasn't great, so the book started off on an awkward note for me. It's a cosy, conspiracy novel, with ratcheting tension around the whodunnit of who killed her mentor. Weaving in the story of Theo and her brother Gus's past only serves to make them both look guilty, and Theo tries to prove their innocence with the help of Mac, an investigator pal of Gus'. Can she prove her innocence, is there a grand conspiracy afoot, and will it all come together in the end? I was definitely confused at times, and I'm not sure those parts served the purpose to which they were intended.. I'll keep reading Gentile's novel's, as they are never boring...

Interesting premise but slow moving at the intro. Overall, good read but took a while to get interested in plot and characters.

Full Disclosure: I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill from Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley.

I was excited to get an advanced copy of The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill. I really enjoyed The Woman in the Library, and this had the promise of more of that. It certainly met my expectations. Murder, mystery, a shadowy corporation, and conspiracy theories, oh my! I could read a whole book just about the QAnon-type group. In fact, I felt like there was enough there for a sequel or at least, another book in this universe. While this is fiction, it is not hard to believe in a near future where agencies control every aspect of their clients lives in exchange for fame and fortune. Even now, we can't be sure celebrity social media posts aren't crafted by publicists. At least not the ones that are carefully done. I could say more, but I don't want to give anything big away. Check this out if you like reading about writers, like a mystery, and/or enjoy a good conspiracy theory!

Bonus points for Horse. Love a good boy, and Horse is one of the best!

This was a fantastic read. I didn't know how many different directions it was going to take and that was pleasantly surprising. The cast of supporting characters were interesting and fleshed out. It was a cast with a lot of variety and things were interwoven well. My only critique is that the timeline jumps quite a bit at one point. The story is still cohesive and satisfying, but that threw me for a bit. I love a mystery and this book did not disappoint. I read it fairly quickly as I wanted to know what was going to happen next. If you are considering giving this book a look, do it and do it quickly!

This interesting and intriguing book is about mystery novels and their authors. When Theodosia Benton abandons her journey as an attorney and end up on her brothers doorstep with an unfinished novel she faces some challenges. Will her brother support her dream of being a writer or will he send her back to school?

When she stays with her attorney brother and finds a writing mentor who later gets murdered, her brother becomes a suspect.

Welcome to a twisted story of murder, conspiracy theories, missing persons, and a trail to follow to the truth

The cover of this book is truly great. It immediately caught my attention and piqued my curiosity. The design is captivating and perfectly complements the overall theme of the book.

One aspect that I particularly enjoyed about this book is the mystery it presents. The story is filled with intriguing elements that kept me engaged and wanting to uncover the truth behind them. It added an exciting layer to the narrative and made it a compelling read.

However, I must admit that at times, the story became a bit confusing. There were moments when I found myself struggling to fully grasp certain plot points or understand the motivations of some characters. This occasionally hindered my reading experience and made it harder for me to fully immerse myself in the story.

Nevertheless, despite these moments of confusion, I still found the book enjoyable overall. The captivating cover and the intriguing mystery within its pages make it worth picking up. While there may be some confusing aspects, they do not overshadow the positive aspects of the story.

In conclusion, this book has a great cover and offers an enticing mystery. Although there are moments of confusion throughout the story, it remains an enjoyable read that will keep readers engaged until the end.

This book was very good!! I really liked everything about this book! Can’t wait for release so I can tell all my friends to read it!! So good! Good job!!

I was given the opportunity by Netgally and Poisoned Press to read this ARC before it was published. Thank you for this opportunity! I loved how the story began. I really felt as if the story captivated me, the pages flowed easily, and I was really enjoying it. Theo was a great character, her relationship with Dan was blossoming into something beautiful until his murder. After his murder the story got a little choppy and confusing for me. There were parts where I said to myself, “did I just miss something?”. As I was reading, I felt that the flow of the story was not as good as it started off. I hate spoilers so I won’t go into details. I do like how it wrapped up in the end. Most of the confusion on my part started to clear and fit together. I just felt the middle of the story was dragged out at certain parts and confusing. My official rating is 3⭐️.

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC of The Mystery Writer by Subaru Gentill. I love books about books and writing, especially when the writer is both the detective and the suspect!

Theodosia quits her job as a lawyer to become a mystery writer. She shows up at her estranged brother’s house hoping to be taken in. Her life takes a turn when her mentor is killed and Gus along with Theo are suspects. As she is trying to solve the mystery, she gets help from her family

It was hard to put Mystery Writer down. It is such a wonderful combination of crazy characters, current problems, sympathetic protagonists and evil yet unknown villains. And it has a great dog, who doesn’t get killed! The interweaving of the chatroom from the conspiracy group with the main story felt like someone was watching over your shoulder. The way Theo went about composing her books made her feel like a real writer. The best character was Mac Etheridge and his paranoid survivalist family which acted as deus ex machina throughout the story. This book will be easy to recommend to mystery readers who like humor with their thrills. I think Thursday Murder Club readers will appreciate the survivalist family.