Sulari Gentill is quickly becoming a favorite mystery author of mine!

The Mystery Writer grabs you right from the beginning. It was incredibly fast paced and there were so many misdirection's, that any time I thought I had an idea what was going on, I was completely and utterly wrong. It was very hard to put the story down, I wanted to know what was going to happen next.

I would happily recommend this book to any mystery fan!

After completing, I enjoyed the book. At times it was hard to get through and I almost DNF. Multiple times this was started and put down. Good story line. Sometimes things were so far out there it could be believable.

What could be an exciting mystery of a writer who dies and another writer who is suspected of killing him becomes a weird, almost farcical, tale filled with conspiracy theorists and preppers and evil corporations. It could have been normal, but it wasn't and, in this case, not great. The whole book went too far and was so outlandish that it wasn't interesting or fun.

The Mystery Writer
Sulari Gentill
Mar 19, 2024
Poisoned pen Press
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Murder and mystery without the gore. I was a bit underwhelmed by this one and also confused.
Not a book I can recommend.
4 stars

Theo Benton is expected to become a lawyer to uphold the family tradition but drops out of college in order to become a writer. She moves from Australia to the US and in with her older brother Gus, then begins writing in a local dive bar and meets fellow writer Dan. This is where things begin to go south both for Theo and me as the reader. Among the numerous typos and grammatical errors, the plot just gets so muddy in really trying to keep my attention. It took me a long time to get through it, it was really predictable, and not even that fun to get to where I knew it was going.


Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an eARC copy of The Mystery Writer in exchange for an honest review.

t was interesting to read this so close to when I read Janice Hallett’s Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels because they both center heavily on a conspiracy. But anyway. I enjoyed this so much more than I did Gentil’s previous book, which was interesting enough but was mid for me. This one was so engaging, action-packed, intriguing, mysterious. Theo - short for Theodosia - is an Australian woman who drops out of law school to be a writer, and absconds to Lawrence, Kansas to stay with her older brother who is an attorney there. While working on a book there, she meets a man called Dan who is a fellow, published, well-loved writer and starts a relationship with him. Shortly after they start their romantic relationship, she is going over to his house, and discovers the door slightly open. When she enters, she discovers Dan, brutally murdered. Unfortunately the way she discovered this was by slipping and falling in a pool of blood, so it definitely looks pretty suspicious.

As news begins to spread about Dan and about Theo and about her finding him, reporters start hounding her, including one called Mary who then ends up dead as well. Gus helps her as much as he can within his role as an attorney, but really ends up handing over much of Theo’s protection to the “investigator” for his firm, Mac.

Things escalate, leading to the indication that Gus may have killed Dan in some sort of brotherly rage, and he is shot by the cops. Theo finally realizes she’s in over her head, and Dan’s publishers agree to help her by protecting her brother if she agrees to confess to the murders of Dan and Mary and then be disappeared by them, to write in secret for them with little security as a creative in IP.

Very twisty and turny and engaging. I found the skips in time disjointed and convenient without a particularly compelling explanation, and I thought the “romance” between Theo and Mac was pretty contrived, underdeveloped, and unnecessary to the story. But otherwise, I had a great time with this one.

This book MESSED ME UP in a good way. I was thrown for a loop at multiple points and I loved it. I could see this book being very popular when it is published.

I just finished this book and I've got to say it was definitely different than anything I've ever read I terms if how this mystery played out.

Theo gave up her life in Australia and law school to follow her dreams of being an author. Moving to a small town in Kansas to live with her brother, little did she know she got more than she bargained for. People start dying around her and her brother and his friend Mac get pulled into the drama.

It started out strong, ended pretty strong, but about 75% of the way through I did get a bit lost because things seemed to be a bit jumbled up. There was a time jump. Normally that doesn't bother me, but it just it just felt a bit messy.

If you like conspiracy, a bit of mystery, and some interesting characters, I'd check this out.

I haven't read anything else by this author, but I will definitely pick up another book from her. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

The plot line of this book is so crazy it’s almost believable. Theo, a law school dropout and aspiring author, meets and becomes friends with published author Dan. Dan’s experience and insight has Theo well on the path to finishing her book and getting published when Theo finds Dan, dead. Now Theo, her roommate lawyer brother, and “researcher” Mac (with his odd family) must find out who the real killer is when everyone is too eager to look at the trio.
I enjoyed how the book shows how the manipulation of one person’s story can change an entire narrative.
Reading about the story in Lawrence was surreal and cool as someone who has lived there; the depiction was pretty spot on and I liked how the author contrasted leftist lawrence with the far right conspiracy theorists.
The depiction of ideology was humorous and ominous but also I felt like it could have been really cool to show it even more from an insider perspective to almost convince the reader and “radicalize” them.
I was definitely bouncing between character to character to see who the murderer was. Any good mystery book should have you paranoid to the culprit and the author successfully accomplished this!
Sometimes the characters seemed a bit dumb and gullible but in some ways it was enjoyable because it was a classic moment where the audience is shouting at the fictional characters “don’t trust them!!!” However, Theo in particular was too trusting and naïve to me considering her friend had just been murdered.
The outsider Australian perspective on guns and the far right was funny to me. Furthermore, the inclusion of cults was so interesting (Mac’s family, theo’s parents, and minotaur).
At the end, would have been nice to have more closure or have a more fleshed out conclusion. I’m not sure if I enjoyed the romance, as it felt somewhat like an afterthought. If there was more leading up to it I would have enjoyed it more, but otherwise it felt a little goofy for the instant bonding—although of course there is a trauma bond to consider.
The police was so useless which was so irritating, while I know the police might not be that effective in real life it seemed unbelievable just how useless they were! But again, this helps to add to the plot and build the tension of the storyline.
I enjoyed this murder mystery, and I would definitely be interested in reading more books by the author!

After really enjoying The Woman in the Library, I was very excited to pick up this next book by Gentill. I was not disappointed! It was a fantastic mix of murder mystery and thriller, while steering clear of anything gory or disturbing. The plot kept me guessing and I could not wait to figure out how all the threads connected in the end. A fantastic read for getting swept up in a story and distracted from your own problems!

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for an eARC of this title via NetGalley!

Sulari Gentill has added yet another superb book to her excellent repertoire. The Mystery Writer is full of murder, mystery, and everything you could wish from the genre.

When Theodosia Benton, quits her law degree, and shows up on her brother's doorstep, planning to become an author, little does she know, she herself is about to become embroiled in a conspiracy theory so bizarre, it almost defies belief.

After a brutal murder sets in motion, an ever increasingly deadly chain of events, Theo, her brother Gus, and all those around them, find themselves equally accused of murder, and at threat of themselves being murdered. Only everything isn't quite as it seems. Will Theo end up dead before she can solve the mystery, and what will happen to her dreams of being an author?

I really enjoyed how the whole murder mystery unfolded, and how the theme of conspiracy theory was used to brilliant effect to enhance the story plot and intensity. Sulari Gentill is very skilled at introducing plot twists and turns that feel unexpected, and completely real and believable.

Theo, Gus, and the whole cast of characters are also so rich and layered, and it is fascinating to watch each of their stories unfold, and then add to the story. I also couldn’t help but think that this would make an excellent film.

This book is definitely one worth pre-ordering. I look forward to everything Sulari Gentill writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this eARC in exchange for an unbiased review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I have to say that I really did enjoy this book.
I like the characters and the writing style. The way the online chats were included tied in perfectly.
There was definitely a lot of mystery and although I had an idea where the story was going, there was still suspense and surprise.
I think this was a really good read and definitely recommended checking it out!

This is a solid mystery! It’s the kind of book that has you stopping and researching to find out if something might be happening in real life. Compelling story and interesting characters.

I was hooked from page one. Great twists and just an overall fantastic read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced digital.copy.

After reading The Woman in the Library, I was a bit concerned about The Mystery Writer, but I can definitely say that it's a step up!

I think Sulari Gentill found her stride in only writing from one perspective (rather than that weird inception thing). It dragged a bit and seemed hysterical and unnecessary in places. However, with all that being said, my jaw dropped in a few places, and the book definitely caught me by surprise.

Conspiracy theories, murder, and the publishing world collide in this rollercoaster of a read. Theodosia Benton moves from Australia to Texas after leaving law school to move in with her brother and start a career as a writer. While working on her novel she meets a successful author, and chaos soon follows with his brutal murder, The beginning had me very interested, with the ending taking me a bit off-guard.

This is the second book by this author that I have read and I enjoyed it just as much as the first one. She is a very good storyteller. The Characters are developed, the storyline is spot on.

I found the beginning of The Mystery Writer quite hard to get into -- so much so that I briefly considered not finishing it, which is very unusual for me. However, I am glad that I kept reading, because I did enjoy the second half more. To me the strongest parts of the story were the role of the powerful literary agent and the final explanation of what was behind all the mysterious goings-on. I think both will appeal to writers and to those interested in the writing/publishing process.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in advance of publication.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. At times it was hard to get through and was unnecessarily drawn out. Good story line.

Wow…what a wild ride of a novel! Internet based conspiracy theorists/whackos, fiction writers, murders, and end-of-the-world preppers all converge to tell the story of Theodosia Benton, Theo had a difficult childhood living in an off the grid cult in Tasmania, being sexually molested and then sent to a boarding school. In line with the wishes of her American grandfather, and financed by his trust for her, Theo studied law in Australia but her heart wasn’t in it…she wanted to be a writer. SO, she drops out and moves to Kansas to live with her lawyer older brother Gus. She finds a quiet bar to write in during the day and meets and attractive older man who also frequents the bar and happens to be a famous and lauded author. They strike up a friendship based on writing and then it becomes more and then Theo discovers his body with his throat cut. She comes under immediate suspicion by the police and her brother and his PI Mac work to clear her. Unfortunately, murders keep happening and the very circumstantial evidence points to Theo. Mac’s family are very serious end of the world preppers and his younger brother falls victim to a Q-Anon type internet conspiracy that also targets Theo. Mac and Theo have developed feeling for each other but she decides to confess to the first murder to save her brother from being blamed for the last. Theo disappears for a few years and thought dead until Mac reads a book by a Chilean author which seems to have the exact same plot as the one the Theo was working on before she disappeared.