I have never read a book by this author before so I wasn't sure what to expect but I loved this murder mystery entered on books, writing and publishing. It gave me vibes of Yellowface at times just from the publishing perspective, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I would like t thank Net Galley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read this as an ARC. I read Sulari Gentill's last book , The Woman in the Library last year. It was a book with in a book, a twisty, convoluted tricky to follow thriller. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was looking forward to reading this book. It was also a book about the writing of a book, a twisty , convoluted tricky thriller.I did not like it near as much.I wanted to, I really did. The characters were not as compelling, and the story lines were not just twisty, but knotted. It is the story of Theodosia Benton, known as Theo, who leaves law school in Australia and moves in with her brother in Lawrence Kansas.Theo wants to write and is working in a book. She meets a famously reclusive writer and shares her manuscript.They begin a relationship, and then he is murdered.Suddenly Theo's world is turned upside down. Her life, and her brother's is threatened.I do not want to give any spoilers, ( and quite frankly I do not know if I can unravel the plot sufficiently).There are a lots of characters, and subplots ,conspiracy theories. and doomsday preppers. It is a lot to read and understand. There are some good parts, and some interesting twists, but I am left feeling not excited, or caught up, but exhausted from to understand it all.

conspiracy, thriller, mystery, mystery-writer, suspense, justice, siblings, false-information, falsely-accused, family-dynamics, riveting, extremists, murder****

Theo dropped out of college and moved away and to live with her older brother and met up with an established writer who mentored her. When her mentor is murdered, the police take a serious interest in her brother and she begins her search for justice.
I came for this author and stayed through the unusual action. I still like the Rowland Sinclair series best, but this writer could do a dictionary and make it a good read!
I requested and received an EARC from Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley. Thank you!

This being my second time reading a book by Sulari Gentill, I wasn’t certain if her creativity would shine through as clearly as it had in her previous effort. I needn’t have worried. She is brilliant at the turn of phrase. Her interest in writing about writers and the writing process itself is fascinating. I like that she doesn’t describe her characters in detail. She mentions this in a conversation early in the book where the main character asserts, “it allows the readers to find themselves in your characters and perhaps to recognize their own bias.” Indeed, Ms. Gentill’s book revealed my own bias as I assumed each of the characters was just like me. But stopping from time to time to imagine the characters as very different than me made the reading experience that much richer.

The dynamics of the different relationships that occur throughout the book--not to mention the twists and turns of the plot were enjoyable. This author is an expert in crafting a story to keep your interest and keep you guessing. Her books are the kind that make you want the story to continue after its conclusion.

I received a copy of The Mystery Writer, by Sulari Gentill by NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an honest review.

I absolutely loved Gentill's previous book, and was beyond excited to receive the ARC for The Mystery Writer. Unfortunately for me, The Mystery Writer was not as enjoyable as The Woman in the Library. While I found Theo a very likable character, the multiple conspiracy theory lines (Mac's paranoid family, the publishing company) was just so off-putting. I was compelled to finish the book to figure out how all the loose ends wove together, but it took quite a while to get there. I will still look forward to Gentill's next book, as I find her to be a fantastic mystery writer.

I adored The Woman in the Library and couldn't wait to read this next book by Sulari Gentill. While I enjoyed the book, and still found this author to offer a refreshing take on murder mysteries, this one wasn't quite as strong.

All the aspects I loved about the book are hard to talk about without too many spoilers, but readers can look forward to:
* Twists that do keep you guessing even when you are sure you put the pieces together.
* A unique look at the world of conspiracy theorists and the ways that conspiracies tend to catalyze around something that may actually be true.
* The same "meta" feel you got from Gentill's previous works, mysteries that feature writers (sometimes even writers of mysteries) is a pretty solid bit...after all, "Murder She Wrote" is a classic for a reason!
* An author that 100% trusts the reader to jump in, keep up and come along for the ride. No lengthy exposition to fill in the gaps, no lingering backstories, just a narrative that unfolds organically with details filing in as they would in real life.

The reasons this one wasn't another five-star read are 100% nit-picky, but here they are:
* Completely blank slate of a main character, to the point that the reader sometimes wonders how she gets herself dressed each day. I get that this is a narrative tool, Theo is the foil for us all to see the story, but it is hard to swallow her as a brilliant young writer.
*Other characters are slightly tropey/archetypical as well. Nothing egregious, but after the clever world and character building of The Woman in the Library, this felt a bit underwhelming.
* Rushed ending with the book's only real exposition occurring to fill in some plot/conspiracy holes. For how well the rest of the book was written, the ending felt a bit like "here is an info dump of things you would never have ever been able to know...doesn't that wrap it all up so nicely?" I mean, it did, but not with the grace I expected.

Overall, still a great mystery and a clever format for a mystery novel, but I went in with very high expectations and some of it missed the mark for me.

When Theodosia Benton shows up at her brother's doorstep after leaving law school, she never expects is to be drawn into a hidden literary world where identity is something that can be lost and remade for the sake of an audience. When her mentor, a highly successful author, is brutally murdered, Theo wants the killer to be found and justice to be served. But the police begin looking at her brother, Gus, as their prime suspect, and Theo seeks to protect him. But the writer has left a trail in the form of a story. Gus finds the trail and attempts to follow it to protect his sister and everyone looking for her.

I was introduced to this author with her book The Woman in the Library and was hooked. When NetGalley and the publisher offered this book, I immediately requested it. I was sucked into the story from page 1 just as I was with her other book I read. She is a marvelous writer whose mysteries keep you guessing until the very end. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for offering this book and granting my request. Now, I have another author to follow! I highly recommend.

Just like her previous book, Inreally enjoyed The Mystery Writer. The ending felt a bit rushed hence the 4 stars but overall it was a captivating story with likable characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy.

I really enjoyed The Woman in the Library so jumped at the chance to read The Mystery Writer by the same author. The story began strong and was very engaging. I really enjoyed the mystery and the main characters. Unfortunately, everything seemed to unravel at the end. It felt a bit rushed and was not as well written as the first part of the book. It wasn’t awful, just not as good as The Woman in the Library. I will definitely read more from this author.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
#mysterywriter #NetGalley

This kept me on the edge of my seat!! I was absolutely hooked and couldn't put this down. I loved this so much!! I will so be buying more from Sulari Gentill. I loved this!!
I just reviewed The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill. #mysterywriter #NetGalley
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Following the many different threads and possibilities in this book kept me on my toes most of the way through. However, at the very end, all those threads seem to get jumbled up, tied up in knots, and hard to pull apart in order to discern what was really happening. I felt as though the ending and all the explanations were thrown at me in rapid succession, and I had a difficult time pulling them apart and understanding each one. I’ve read this author before and really enjoyed her books and I enjoyed the beginning of this one, so I will be generous in rounding my 3 1/2 stars up to 4. Thank you to NetGalley for the advance read copy.

I found this book to be really engaging and I loved the premise. I'm a sucker for dark academia so this story was right up my alley. I am looking forward to reading other books by the author.

I loved The Woman in the Library and was really excited to receive an ARC of this novel. I liked the story—the plot was gripping and the characters were likable—until I got to the ending. Then it sort of got a bit…silly for me. I think that the author had a great plan and the ending was very easy to understand the underlying theme of the narrative…but for me, it was a little bit of a letdown.

Overall, it was still a great read.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC edition of this novel. Opinions are my own.

The Mystery Writer is another terrific, twisty read by Australian writer Sulari Gentill. It’s a literary or psychological thriller that blends something like a cosy (but not a cosy due to themes) with fast-paced action, and just when you least expect it, there is a change of voice and pace and so it goes. It’s a case of be careful what you wish for if you’re an aspiring author like Theodosia Benton and prepare for anything and everything. This book features writers, conspiracy theorists, doomsdayers, dangerous controllers, dedicated siblings, solid friends… what’s not to love? In this story, ex-pat Aussie Theo turns up at her brother Gus’s place in the US, having thrown in university and her plans to be a lawyer like him. Against all reason, perhaps, she focuses on her dream, becoming a novelist, and befriends a successful author in her favourite bar-cum-coffee shop who turns up dead, and so do a number of others. Gus is soon the prime suspect. Theo does what seems to be the only option to protect him. And it’s up to Gus and his friend Mac to follow the trail to Theo. But those who control her are ruthless and what’s a couple more bodies?
The Mystery Writer is a twisty, surprising, literary or psychological thriller and my favourite read of this author since After She Wrote Him (originally titled Crossing the Lines). Highly recommended.

4.5 This is my first book by this author. I wasn't sure what to expect. Theo, the main character, is on track for a law degree when she decides she wants to be an author instead. This decision does not do over well with her family, but she does move in with her brother. While working on her novel, she and her family become embroiled in a real life murder mystery, possibly implicating her brother. She befriends another writer, who ultimately is murdered, with her brother looking like the main suspect. There are clues to "who dun it" left in the other writers story. Theo is determined to protect her brother and prove his innocence. So she embarks on an Agatha Christie style investigation to find out what happened. There are are lots of twists and turns along the way.

I would say this is a "quirky" mystery. Theo is an off beat, but likable, very character. This is a highly readable and enjoyable book that keep you guessing to the very end. Thanks to Net Galley for this ARC opportunity.

Conspiracy theories are one of my fav & when I read the synopsis and those 2 words were mentioned, I knew I had to request this book! I loved the idea of the literary thriller, this is the first one I have read and I can’t wait to read more!

**Contains spoilers**

This novel felt like it had a timeless quality. I kept catching myself thinking the setting was in the 90’s and then cell phones and the pandemic we’re mentioned and it snapped me back to current day. I love the descriptions of the city and seeing the characters move through the cafes and local book shops, it felt cozy.

The writing style is dense, but not overwhelming and for the majority it was easy to picture what was happening. Just enough detail without being excessive.

I was so intrigued about the underlying plot. Who were these people in the chat room? What is the labyrinth and who is the Minotaur? How deeply is Dan involved? I love when a novel gives me so many questions so soon.

I was unsure at first about Theo and Dan’s relationship, him being so much older and in a position of power being a seasoned author. I was quite surprised to find out Dan’s true identity, but I wish his background would have been fully explored. Was the allegation against him true? The whole novel after Dan’s death made him a sympathetic character. Theo was in love with this man, but also grieving what could have been. Feeling sorrow that Dan didn’t seem to have anyone that cared for him; friends nor family. Dan’s attempts to protect Theo from Day Delos. Without knowing if he did assault someone, and if he did, it sours the whole book for me.

Theo and Gus were fully formed characters that could be real people. Gus was the comic relief, but I didn’t find that he was one dimensional. I genuinely thought many quotes were funny and even laughed out loud. I wish the same could have been done for Mac and his Family, they felt like caricatures. I wanted to know more about their past and what led them to be so extreme, especially their mother.

Once Theo disappeared I started to lose interest and found the constant time jumping very random and jilting. One paragraph we are a few months after Gus is shot and the next it’s a year later. I had to read it over to make sure I hadn’t read it wrong. I understand it was supposed to show the sacrifice that Theo made and the seriousness, but it had no weight for me since it all flashed by so quickly from the reader’s perspective.

I was very disappointed in the ending explanation of everything that was going on. I was suspicious of Day Delos after Dan didn’t want to pass Theo’s manuscript and yet Veronica Cole had received it just after his Death. But, their big secret is that they intentionally find authors that have done something wrong and allow them to continue their career under the agency's thumb? How profitable could that really be? They seem to spend exorbitant amounts of money to change these people’s identities, fake their deaths, relocate them and continuously surveil them for the rest of their lives and somehow the books produced make enough sales under pen names to make the agency a profit? The silliest part is that the sullied authors are the agency’s hired goons to do all of the dirty work. Are they really supposed to be the best choice of assassins? The Minotaur and the Labyrinth ended up meaning nothing, just something Day Delos author cooked up and spread around the dark web. Why? What was the point? Maybe I missed something.

Reading the Author interview in the back of the book, Gentill describes her writing process and how she doesn’t really have a plan and just lets the writing lead the way. Unfortunately, this is very noticeable. It was such a strong idea and set up beautifully at the beginning, but fell apart right before the finish line. I wish more planning had been put into a solid beginning, middle, and end before the novel was started, to have a more cohesive and believable plot.

Very slow and predictable. The writing was good. I enjoyed reading it while I was reading it but it was easy to put down and forget about.

If you like conspiracy theories and murder mysteries, The Mystery Writer is the book for you! I liked this book although I wish it had a little more zing in the beginning. It took me a bit to get into, but I really enjoyed it once I did!

I enjoyed this book, although there was a section where I got confused. When Mac & Gus got to Dallas to find Theo, she was trying to escape the hotel. However, the sequence of events seemed to be out of order.. I'm wondering if it was just my download of the book. I had to reread it a couple of times to figure out the action. It was very different.