Going into this book, I had such high hopes but for some reason, I really struggled and had to DNF. I understand with it being an advanced readers copy not all edits have been made, but I had a hard time following along with the dialogue. Overall I do feel like it was giving cozy mystery vibes that I know would appeal to someone. Unfortunately it just wasn’t for me.

Theo leaves Australia-and law school-to end up in rural Kansas with her brother, Gus, and his friends, Mac and Jacqui. As Theo engages to write her first novel, she's swept up in small town life....and then multiple murders.

Gentill created likeable, realistic characters that made the reader easily wants to follow. The easy writing style was description, but not overwhelming. The plot constantly incorporated subtle clues with new information. While the ended was pretty evident early on, the plot continues to kept me invested and racing towards the end.

Elements of family dynamics, social media use, public persona vs privacy issues, seeds of corruption, etc were all well-woven into the story to create depth without drowning the audience. Even though this is a General Fiction, I think advanced teenage readers would definitely enjoy it.

My only "complaint" is how quickly the ending reached its conclusion. I'll be on the lookout for more Sulari Gentill books in the future!

Overall: 4.5 stars

I'll tell my students about: alcohol, language, trauma/death, violence, sex, stalking, sexual abuse

**Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the free ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.**

A woman wanting to write a novel quits college and shows up at her brother's house. She finds a cafe to write in, and meets another writer there. They get to know each other. She then finds him dead when she goes to visit, which begins the rest of the story.

I absolutely adored the Woman in the Library, so had really high hopes for this book as well. I enjoyed but not nearly as much as the other. That said, it was still ab entertaining and twisting ride.

I was so excited to receive this book. I got confused early on by the introduction of a chat room
Conversation that led me to believe this was more fantasy or sci-fi related. so I put the book aside thinking perhaps I wasn’t in the right mood. The premise was wild if there was a defined premise and having an Australian author set a mystery in Lawrence KS -shall I say was too bad for Lawrence KS because every stereotype was thrown at Lawrence and KS for that matter. I thoroughly enjoyed the book set in Boston however this title with its emphasis on survivalists and conspiracy theories and a dystopian, well I can’t finish that thought because that would give away more of the book. Not a fan-at all. Not recommended.

I’m a mystery lover, a British police procedural lover, not a conspiracy theory lover, or so I thought until I was given an advance reader’s copy of this book by NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press. Because I had so enjoyed the authors last book and the different way the story was told I decided to keep going after the first chapter opens with an online prepper watching “The Shield growing, strengthening”, and I’m so glad I did. Aussie Theo has dropped out of law school and come to Lawrence, Kansas, surprising her attorney older brother. Gus warmly invites her to stay with him and his huge dog, Horse, while she works on her novel. Meeting a famous author who befriends and mentors her draws her into a life that quickly spins out of control, taking her brother and his friend Mac along for the ride. The trust and love between the three of them was so evident and believable as they try to work out what is happening. Mac’s wild family, and Theo and Gus’s childhood as ‘ferals’ in Tasmania add to the story line, which had twists and turns that kept me reading nonstop. Definitely a must read, this was such a well written story in a smaller town you can picture through the vivid writing. Another out of the box mystery by Sulari Gentill.

I absolutely loved Sulari Gentill’s last mystery thriller, The Woman in the Library, which was one of my favourite books of 2022 – so when an opportunity to read this latest stand-alone release was presented, I immediately jumped onto it. In short, this book was a difficult one for me. On one hand, the the conception of the central plot and certain devices the author uses (e.g., opening each chapter with a chat room post) is novel, well executed and adds suspense and backstory to the book; but on the other hand, the plot devolved into incredulity (particularly in the last 1/3 of the book) and a couple plot choices in the latter half of the book demolished what suspense/tension the book had built up.

The plot revolves around an aspiring author, Theo, who leaves her law degree at an Australian university and moves to the US to live with her lawyer brother whilst she writes her debut novel (an alternative career she has long craved). It is during this time that she befriends a famous but mysterious writer (an older man) who becomes a mentor, confidant, and – inevitably – a lover. When he is subsequently brutally murdered, Theo and those she loves become prime suspects. They attempt to uncover the truth behind the murder, efforts which thrust them all into a corrupt literary world where manipulation of image, and voice is used as a tool of control.

As I mentioned, this was a polarizing book for me. I enjoyed the originality of the plot concept, which touches on topical issues today. The execution did not hit the mark for me however. There were too many moving parts to this plot, which meandered and looped through some unnecessary detours in my opinion. There are also several examples late in the novel where I lost track of what was going on as the narrative switched rapidly between characters. Worst of all for me is that there is, late in the novel, a fast-forward of several years in the story. This was presented so unexpectedly that it really detracted from the suspense/momentum building, and it was at this point that the book lost me. The book is worth a read, but for me did not quite do it, especially compared to other books Sulari has written. 3.5/5 stars, rounded down. This book is due for release in March 2024. Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great follow-up book from Sulari Gentill. It is a suspenseful, offbeat literary mystery and just a plain good story. At this point I would read most anything Gentill writes. Recommended for book and mystery lovers. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I would like to thank NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Theodosia Benton, what have you gotten yourself into?? First time aspiring writer Theo Benton traveled from her Aussie home to Lawrence, Kansas to start over. Becoming a lawyer no longer appealed to her, but writing did. After several shared glances with another writer at a local bar, Theo and Dan strike up an easy camaraderie, and eventually become more than friends as they continue work on their respective novels. When Theo goes to invite Dan to dinner so he can meet her brother, Gus, Theo walks in to find Dan murdered on his kitchen floor. As the bodies in this small town begin to pile up, and the police have no other suspects, Theo, Gus, and their PI friend Mac are put in danger time and time again. Who is targeting writers in Kansas?

I asked myself so many times while reading The Mystery Writer, "what is going on here??!!" I kept returning my focus to one character in particular, but there were revelations I was not prepared for. This book had just enough twists to hold my interest for the long haul. The ending was satisfying, and really tied right back in to where it all began.

Thank heaven for Sulari Gentill. In a murky world of mediocre writing, she is a breath of fresh air; one of those authors who allows the reader to sink right into her world. (And one who makes me remember what good writing is.)

This book was bonkers but in the best way! I really enjoyed this tale about a young woman who wants to be published and all the ensuing chaos (and conspiracy theories!) as her [redacted] is murdered. There’s an underground bunker, a shady literary agent, a weird dog, a private eye named Mac, and a manuscript about ghosts– if you’re looking for a unique contemporary murder mystery, “The Mystery Writer” has everything.

My first from Sulari Gentill and I must say I was pleasantly surprised. I will say that it took me couple of days to really get into the story as it was a bit of a slow burn but once I was hooked… I was HOOKED. Everything about this book screams plots twists and who dun it’s and I couldn’t get enough. Every time I thought I had something figured out, I was wrong! Who knew a story about a law student turned writer could be turned into a great thriller?! I will definitely pick up another novel from this talented author.

I was eagerly awaiting Gentill's next book, as I thoroughly enjoyed The Woman in the Library, but this did not work for me. It was okay, and I'd rate it a 2, if it weren't for the rampant Goodreads inflation and my general reticence to rate anything low, given that I know how hard it is to write a book in the first place and it's obvious that this wasn't a result of a lack of trying. I struggled the entire time to connect to the characters and to the Q-Anon-inspired plot, but the biggest disappointment was in the dialogue, particularly in the first half. Were it not for the positive reviews, I'd have stopped reading at the point when we're introduced to the P.I.'s conspiracy theorist/doomsday prepper family. The dialogue in those scenes feels like a completely different, much more novice, writer. But the book does get much better after that point, and I did appreciate that the premise is unique.

Theo is an aspiring author who is taking a break from her schooling to become a lawyer in order to pursue her dream. Her brother, Gus offers her a place to stay in Lawrence, Kansas and she soon finds herself a regular at the café/bar, Benders where she works away at her writing.

She makes some new friends at Benders, one in particular is a man she finds out to be famous author, Dan Murdoch. When her new friend is found brutally murdered, however, her life becomes a whirlwind of chaos and conspiracy theories.

I had the please of reading an ARC of this book. I've really come to enjoy Gentill's storytelling. I find she has a way to not give away the twists in her books.

I didn't want to put this one down. I felt like the story was like a runaway train, continually picking up speed. I dont know if I could have predicted where the story actually ends up.

Highly recommended!

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen for the opportunity to read The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill.

Wow.

What a roller coaster ride this is!!

And the ending? I had to read it a second time just to be sure . . .

After leaving her Australian university, Theo shows up unannounced at her brother Gus’ home in Kansas with the intention of writing a novel. While working on the novel at a local cafe, Theo meets Dan who is a famous writer that follows online conspiracy theories for inspiration and they become friends. As their friendship starts to become romantic, Dan doesn’t show up at their usual meeting place. Theo goes to his house and finds that Dan has been murdered. As the police question her, Theo realizes just how little she knows about Dan and what he was working on.

I enjoyed The Woman in the Library so I was glad to see the author has another book coming out. This one read more like a cozy mystery to me than the author’s previous novel. The story has likable characters and seems to leave room for a sequel. Who doesn’t love a good conspiracy theory?! WKWWK

Thank you @netgalley @poisonedpenpress for an advance digital copy.

Much like the woman in the library, this just was not the book I thought it was going to be. That isn't good or bad, but it is notable. There is a Grisham-esqe turn that was a touch excessive, but it was a fun enough read that I didn't really mind.

Oh, man . . . I'm torn on this one. Let me start by saying that I read and loved Gentill's last novel (The Woman in the Library ) and this book looks like exactly the type of book I'd love. I have to say that there are lots of things here that did work for me.

The premise is very intriguing: a law school drop out from Australia joins her attorney brother in the US where he has recently bought into a practice. She decides what she really wants to do is write and, hence, starts spending her days at a local cafe/bar where she can write her novel. But complications ensue when she starts a relationship with an older man and writer who ends up murdered. And things get increasingly chaotic from there.

I liked the first 1/2 of this novel and then started to question my experience in the second 1/2. Part of my response might have been related to genre--I wasn't sure what this was supposed to be--and there seemed to be a whole lot happening by the end. I enjoyed the dive into how conspiracy stories take off and how they are related so intricately to story telling; I also questioned how much was satire--I loved the line about poets making good assassins. 😁 But while I saw the narrative reveal coming, I felt very removed from the action by the time the story got there.

Bottom line: lots of readers are really enjoying this one so I seem to be in the minority. If you like Gentill, give this one a try. I'll be waiting for the next novel and hoping I get back to the magic I felt in The Woman in the Library .

I liked this book. It was a murder mystery whodunit with a conspiracy theory thrown in. The action just kept going and I Loved Theo and her brother. Great thriller!

I was looking forward to this book as it sounded like a gripping storyline. It was very good at the start and then just went downhill. Too confusing, too jumpy in timelines and because of that I DNF.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.