‘The Mystery Writer’ by Sulari Gentill

I first fell in love with the work of Australian best-selling author Sulari Gentill with her historical crime fiction Roland Sinclair series, which combine my love of the two genres of historical and crime fiction in a brilliant and somewhat addictive way.

Since the last book about Roland and his friends, Ms Gentill has written several stand-alone novels, set in contemporary America. A theme that unites these disparate stories is the ‘behind the scenes’ glimpses of the worlds of writing and publishing, with twisty tales of dark deeds threaded throughout.

The Mystery Writer is set in middle America, a town called Lawrence in Kansas. This is where Australian student Theodosia arrives unexpectedly on her older brother Gus’ doorstep. She has left behind a partly completed law degree and brings with her a burning desire to become a writer.

She meets a best-selling author Dan and a friendship starts to form, but to her horror, Theo discovers Dan dead on the floor of his apartment, his throat cut.

The murders begin to mount up and Theo is suddenly the prime suspect. What can she do to protect herself, her brother and his friend Mac? She has to make a difficult choice which leads to devastating consequences.

Gradually she understands that Dan’s life and death have a connection to a dark web network of conspiracy theorist fantasists and ‘preppers’. The online posts of key members of this group preface each chapter of the novel, and are by turns hilarious and chilling.

In the midst of all the dramatic events, Theo receives an offer of representation by the literary agency connected with Dan. A condition is that Theo turns over total control of her social media and online presence to the agency for management by them. She is assured that this is standard procedure. We are left to wonder if this is true…

The novel explores how fictional narratives can be used to vicariously wield political and business influence. While this is in a context of a piece of fiction, it is worth thinking about in the broader sense, given the events that we’ve seen in US, British and Australian politics, economies and societies over past years.

Theo, Gus and Mac are all sympathetic and relatable characters,; the tension is nicely calibrated throughout the novel. It’s a book that will please crime and mystery readers and which also provokes some thought about the online worlds we now inhabit.

‘The Mystery Writer’ is published by Poisoned Pen Press, an imprint of Sourcebooks, in March 2024.
My thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for an ebook copy to review.

I read the book The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill and felt that it was an original idea in the Mystery genre. Theo is in school studying to be a lawyer due to family expectations. She drops out of school and goes to live with her brother with the goal of writing a book. She befriends a local author who ends up murdered just as she gives him her manuscript. The rest of the book is a mixture of conspiracy theory and amateur detective.
I overall enjoyed the book and kept reading to see how it turned out. The book seemed a little disjointed at first with chapters including other characters with conspiracy theories, it’s all tied together throughout the book but at first it is difficult to alternate between Theo and the conspiracy theorists. There are a few twists thrown in throughout the book. The only other thing I didn’t like about the book was that sometimes I felt it explained situations rather than using interaction or action to show the same thing.
Overall I enjoyed this book and felt that the storyline was original and not like most of the other mystery books I’ve read lately.

Theodosia Benton leaves behind Australia, her parents and a promising Law Degree to join her brother Gus in the city of Lawrence, Kansas, in America. Theo carries with her, as she always has, a book written by Jack Chase and gifted to her by her brother when she was a child at the time he left Australia to live in America.
As she settles in Lawrence with her brother and his dog Horse, Theo concentrates on her fledgling life as an author. Taking her laptop with her, Theo chooses a local cafe, a place away from home, to mix with other like minds while she begins her novel. Here, she meets successful author Dan Murdoch with whom Theo shares her hopes and dreams of entering the literary world.
And so begins the murder and mayhem, conspiracy theory life of Theo in The Mystery Writer.
This is the third book by Sulari Gentill set around books, authors, libraries and murder. I have previously read all of Sulari's Rowland Sinclair Mysteries and looked forward to reading her 'other' books...When She Wrote Him, The Woman in the Library and this one, The Mystery Writer. Though different to her Rowland Sinclair Mysteries which are set in the 1930s, Sulari's other three books are set in the present day and still contain the murder and mystery that I have become used to with her books. I have loved them all.
Thank you Sulari for The Mystery Writer, I can't wait to see what will come next!
Thank you NetGalley for this Advanced Readers Copy of The Mystery Writer. I just couldn't wait for the book to be released and will definitely be purchasing a print copy when it becomes available.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.
It is hard for me to rate this book. I wanted to quit reading for the first half, found the story boring and slow and the characters annoying. The story really pulled me in and I just had to finish after Theo disappeared. Interesting premise, and loved the family of Mac. He was the real hero.

Prepare for another mind-blowing mystery from the brilliant author Sulari Gentill, the mastermind behind 'Woman in the Library.' Gentill expertly keeps you on the edge of your seat as she immerses you in the enigmatic world of a famous author's whodunit mystery, with a cadre of eccentric doomsday conspiracy theorists lurking in the shadows. These suspicious characters seem to monitor every move of the story's protagonists, turning them into unwitting pawns in a perilous game.

The tale commences with Theodosia Benton's unexpected arrival at her brother Gus's doorstep. Their relationship has been strained since a childhood incident involving a cult. They both agree to abide by their grandparents' will, which stipulates that they must become lawyers, distancing themselves from their cult-affiliated, hipster parents and securing a trust fund in the process.

However, Theo has already abandoned her law studies in Australia to pursue her dream of becoming a writer. She relocates to Lawrence, a small town in Kansas, where her path crosses with the famous author Dan Murdoch at a local coffee shop. Their quick connection evolves into a deep friendship, and they bond over their shared passion for writing. Things take an intimate turn during an afternoon spent at Dan's house. When Theo completes her novel, she turns to Dan for help in approaching his prestigious agency, Day Delos and Associates Management. Yet, Dan surprisingly dismisses the agency as unsuitable for a writer of her caliber. This unsupportive response deals a significant blow to Theo's aspirations, leading her to invite Dan to dinner with her brother as an olive branch.

However, upon returning to her house, Theo is met with an open door, a welcoming cat, and a slippery floor. What she discovers next defies belief: a gruesome bloodbath fills the room, and her beloved author lies lifeless in the bathtub.

The connection between Theo and the author, along with the subsequent involvement of another determined mother, casts suspicion upon Theo. Her brother's job is also jeopardized because of her predicament.

Enter Theo's close friend, the private investigator Mac Etheridge, who becomes a much-needed ally. However, Theo soon discovers that Mac is part of the eccentric Etheridge Family, a group of conspiracy theorists who believe in zombies, government secrets, and preparing for doomsday. This revelation adds another layer of complexity to her already tumultuous life.

As Theo grapples with the unraveling mystery, she finds herself entangled with zealous fans of Dan Murdoch, a nosy young journalist ready to expose her secrets, and a perilous web of powerful and dangerous individuals. Her dream of pursuing a writing career has unwittingly dragged her and her loved ones into treacherous territory. Can she navigate this perilous journey and protect her brother and newfound detective friend?

This is a masterfully executed, multi-layered narrative with a unique concept that grips you from the start. While the pacing slows down slightly in the last third of the story, it adds depth and drama to the narrative. The final chapter picks up the pace and delivers a brilliant conclusion.

'Woman in the Library' offers an enthralling, thought-provoking, fast-paced mystery thriller that comes highly recommended, even though I personally favored it slightly less than the author's previous work. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed the unique concept and the intricately crafted characters, particularly Gus and the vivid Etheridge clan.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with a digital review copy of this unputdownable book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I wanted to like this book. I wanted to enjoy a storyline about an aspiring writer and the struggles that she runs into that are then conflated by the murder of her mentor. But I just couldn’t do it.

The conspiracy theorist felt so entirely unnecessary. All they did was confuse the plot line and their conspiracies had nothing to do with the actual story. The conspiracy at play was also not done well in my opinion. The whole reason for it seemed convoluted and unrealistic.

The pacing in this book was also done poorly. The first 75% is setting up the entire plot and background to explain this conspiracy and then it starts jumping months and years ahead and just coming to a resolution. There was no balance.

The repeated commentary on Americans and their personalities and also their opinions on gun rights was also grating and unnecessary. The authors personal opinions shown threw too noticeably.

This was a good one, so much so that I feel like I need to re-read it just to see if I can "see" what's coming. Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Press for this ARC! Definitely pick this one up when it's released!

My biggest issue with this book is that it’s billed as literary fiction. It lacks the character development and considerable artistic merit that literary fiction is purported to provide. It’s fine as a mystery. There’s a murder, under unusual circumstances, and plenty of potential suspects. The drama ramps up as those in search get closer to those whodunit until finally the case is solved. Only I’m not so sure here if I really understand exactly the “who” and “why” of the origin of the mystery. There’s this odd little conspiracy theory part to the tale that never really gelled for me, but that is key to fully grasping things. What I did like, and what may be behind the “literary fiction” billing, was the fact that the mystery uncovers a hidden labyrinth of authors and publishers. I appreciated this unique glimpse into the literary world.

This book will take you on an up and down ride. The written word, for the characters in this story, controlled lives ,brought turmoil and death if put into the wrong hands.
This was my first read by author Sulari Gentill and I must say I am a fan.

Thanks for the opportunity to read and review. I didn't love this, but I did like the characters. It took me a while to get used to the main character being Theo (vs. Thea) and I loved her relationship with her older brother Gus. Not to mention, Mac is perfect as a reluctant PI (he insists that he's a "researcher"). I enjoyed the setting of Benders, the cafe/bar where Theo does her writing and meets author Dan Murdoch. Once Dan is murdered, she becomes a part of the investigation. From there, though, this story spins a bit out of control.

I liked that this is all happening in Lawrence KS (and I have a books from the Raven on my bookcase!) but its hard to believe that the murder of an author with a half dozen books would create this frenzy of tourists surrounding Gus' house to bother Theo, the person they claim is responsible for Dan's death. At times things got repetitive and the story starts to time hop forward months and years even, until the end peters out to a conclusion I'd already reached many chapters before.

The interesting thing is that I read Gentill's previous book and really couldn't put it down. This one was much less compelling. There are some things the book is trying to say about writers and their public image being more important today than in years past (think of the confusion many of us feel about JK Rowling these days) but it's buried under a bunch of other wild things like conspiracists.

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for an advance copy of The Mystery Writer in exchange for an honest review.

"In Sulari Gentill's 'The Mystery Writer,' I found myself thoroughly engaged from page 1 to finish. The plot was filled with twists and turns that kept me enthralled and guessing until the very end. I particularly enjoyed the clever integration of conspiracy theories, adding an intriguing layer to the story. 'The Mystery Writer' is a captivating and thought-provoking read." I found this book to be a unique sort of experience written for people that love thriller mysteries but anybody can truly enjoy it.

I was a huge fan of Sulari Gentill’s The Woman in the Library, so I was thrilled to access an advance copy of her latest novel, The Mystery Writer (publication date March, 2024). But what a huge letdown. As with her previous novel, the protagonist in this book is an Australian writer, but the setting is Lawrence, Kansas. Theodosia (Theo) Bennett was a law student in Australia, but she has decided to follow her passion to be a writer by dropping in on her lawyer brother (Gus) who for some reason lives in Kansas. The first 75% of the book follows Theo as she settles into her new home and meets an older, fellow writer, who she starts chatting with at a bar/café where they both go to write. She falls for him, but when she drops in to invite him to dinner, she stumbles onto his dead body, literally.

Naturally, the police immediately label her a suspect, along with her brother and his best friend, Mac, who is a private investigator. Mac also happens to be the white sheep in a family of preppers who live on a compound they call the Ponderosa. One of Mac’s brothers is one of those people constantly caught up with conspiracies (think QAnon). It’s all a pretty standard mystery/thriller (with a couple more dead bodies) until we get to the final 25% of the novel. For me, that’s when this book really went off the rails.

I won’t bother to go into details about that last 25% of the book. Suffice it to say, it is beyond ridiculous unless you find it easy to believe in an evil cabal of a book publisher and their writers. There are leaps of reasoning, time jumps, and plot holes galore.

I gave The Woman in the Library 5 stars, but this one is at best 2.5, rounded up to 3. First, because I know she is capable of writing a much better novel, and second, because the craziness in this book is no crazier than all of the other QAnon conspiracy theories out there.

The Mystery Writer kept me on my toes. Theo is an aspiring writer who wants to get her story out there. After her mentor gets murdered shes on a mission to figure out who killed him. The plot of the story was well developed and very interesting.

I got sucked into this book and finished it in 2 days! The mystery is interesting and the characters are likable which is different from my normal mystery novel. The twists and turns kept me turning pages to see if my theories were right, and I just had a really fun time reading.

Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy, I really enjoyed it!

I thoroughly enjoyed The Woman in the Library and therefore happily and excitedly requested The Mystery Writer, but it didn't live up to my expectations. Whereas I felt the writing style of The Woman in the Library was unique and intriguing, a good fit for the odd novel, it felt less quirky and more disjointed in The Mystery Writer. I didn't realize it wasn't merely a style choice on the part of Gentill, but their manner of writing across the board. That said, the pacing and character development of this novel felt severely lacking, and I did not enjoy it nearly as much. The ending also left something to be desired. While it's an interesting tale, I always felt like we were two steps back from the real action and bulk of the story.

3.5 stars rounded down

It's my first book that I've read from Sulari Gentill and I'm pretty excited bcs I was expecting the cozy mystery, books, coffee shop, writers, secret agency, and murders. The plot is interesting and I keep turning the pages bcs I'm curious for what will happened next. I love how Gentill made the characters, It feels natural and realistic for me. Theo, Gus, and Mac are top-tiers. Gus protectiveness to his only sister is one of the things I love. Mac, how to unlove him? Gus and Mac, they has the flows as the duo.

I enjoyed the book although at first I kinda a lil bit confused with the chat room conspiracy theorists or whatever you called it is. The pace is kinda off sometimes, like.. it's fast paced but suddenly Gentill insert unimportant side story that made the pace slower and then suddenly fast forward to 3 years later in the story . The romance part? Not my cup of tea oops. And... I keep confused to how Gentill write her characters' name on their first name and suddenly changed it with their last name, like.. I don't remember that many of full names of her characters, so... It's my struggle.. and last the execution not meets my expectation so.. hffftt..

Overall it's a good reading experience for me, it's a worth to read book. Thank you NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Sulari Gentill for the ARC in exchange of my honest review..

I had trouble getting into the author's previous work but still like their captivating writing style so was looking forward to this one. I would rate it as a 3.5 rounded down to 3.

A good story but gets bogged down at times and the second half really slows down. Pretty decent read overall though

Rounded up from 3.5⭐️

Theo Benton shows up unannounced on her brother, Gus’s, doorstep after dropping out of law school in their native Australia. While the law was her late grandfather’s dream, Theo longs to write. With her brother’s support she sets off to finish her novel.

As she establishes her daily writing routine at a nearby cafe, Theo meets a well known author and the pair strikes up a mentorship of sorts. As they spend more time together talking about writing, their relationship begins to deepen until he his brutally murdered.

As she tries to solve her mentor’s murder, Theo is drawn into a world she never could have plotted, leaving those she holds most dear in danger. But ever the writer, she plants the seeds of a story that will serve as a lifeline if she’s lucky.

I loved the pacing of the first 2/3 of the book. I was hooked quickly and liked how the story was unfolding. After the first twist however, it felt like someone had slammed on the breaks. By the end of the story the change in pace made sense and I appreciated the slow down, but it was a bit jarring in the moment.

Theo had layers and flaws which made her an interesting character. I loved the relationship between her and Gus; the sibling banter was spot on as was the desire to keep each other safe.

Chapters begin with excerpts from a conspiracy theory chat room, which added to the mystery surrounding the murder and helped to heighten the external threats to Theo. It also provided an additional, if not slightly “saw that coming” link between several main characters.

While I didn’t love “The Mystery Writer” as much as “The Woman in the Library”, it was an entertaining mystery and I’m glad I had the opportunity to read it.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC of this book in return for my review.

While I didn't find #themysterywriter as compelling as #thewomaninthelibrary, I still enjoyed it immensely. Theo and her brother Gus are terrific characters, and I love their relationship. I felt as though there was too much going on here, and maybe the dénouement should've gone in just ONE direction. Some plot points are a tad unbelievable. A fun read, however long, and I highly recommend.

P.S. Thanks to #netgalley for the ARC.

I had never heard of Sulari Gentill until I stumbled upon this captivating read. I must admit that even though I had only made it through 20% of the book, I was already a fan of Gentill and eagerly looking forward to reading more of his work.
Within just a few pages, I found myself completely absorbed in this thrilling tale. The author skillfully manipulates the reader's emotions, taking us on a rollercoaster ride from intense moments to lighter ones. Furthermore, Gentill expertly guides us through a series of events, maintaining a constant level of suspense while gradually unveiling the secrets that lie beneath the surface. While at the same time making the reader ponder over what had been readily obvious from previous pages. A sudden turn of events provided intrigue, which captures attention and probes a reader to turn the pages. The book transfixes a reader to a seat throughout the whole book. The only movement that I made was moving closer to the screen of my laptop. There is no interesting novel as one that engages a reader, and I believe that "The Mystery Writer" is a book of such quality. Warning: It is addictive!
Gus Benton is a lovable character. It is through him that the book comes as humorous. His responses to questions and certain situations even serious ones contained sarcasm, satire and irony. When Theodosia Benton is followed by journalist at his home, he responds that, he’s thinking about renting out advertising space since cameras are pointed to the house.