As a fan of mystery novels, I found "The Mystery Writer" to be a refreshing and inventive take on the genre. The protagonist, a mystery writer herself, finds her own life suddenly entangled in a web of intrigue and deception. Gentill skillfully navigates the blurred lines between fiction and reality, creating a narrative that is both captivating and thought-provoking. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone in search of a compelling and immersive story. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Poisoned Pen Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you so much!

In short: complete and utter disappointment.
I was and remain the biggest fan of Rowly Sinclair adventures (previous series by Sulari Gentill). I was completely immersed in Crossing the Lines. But not this one.
The Mysery Writer failed to engage, failed to provide a hero to if not fall in love with (Rowly) but to like or identify with at least. It felt like this book was written to satisfy some agenda and tick list. But it failed to that as well.
I have the utmost respect for the character, talent and intelligence of Sulari. This book, however, dissapointed me big time. It felt like Sulari lost her drive, her voice, her mystery witer mojo and her respect for the characters she is creating.

I think I will think before engaging with this author again.

The synopsis gives away too much and left the first twist in the novel flat. The writing was great, but I didn't vibe with a few of the characters, and the time jumps were a bit much.

I’m am obsessed with anything this author writes. The characters and settings pull you in like a roller coaster ride and when it is over you immediately want to ride it again.

The premise of The Mystery Writer is conspiracy theories that play out during Theo Benton's decision to leave Law School and focus on writing her first book. Theo meets an established author, and they begin a relationship until she discovers his body. The beginning of the book was engaging. The problem for me was the lack of character development and a plot I found convoluted to the point that it was hard for me to stay focused. The conspiracy theory was past my point of believability. Thank you Netgalley and publisher for this ARC of The Mystery Writer in exchange for my honest review.

Unfortunately this one just didn’t do it for me. I’d pick it up, then put it down for a few days, pick it up and read a chapter or two, and put it down. I could not get into it and ended up skimming most of the remaining 70%. I’m sad because I enjoyed this author’s previous book!

I did not expect The Mystery Writer to go the directions it went! Usually thrillers have some familiarity and predictability, but this one was chock-full of suspense and tension, which kept me guessing throughout.

As a bibliophile, it is fun to read a book about an author ... writing a book ... entangled in a mystery ... that is several layers deep. This is a fun read, although it is beyond the scope of believability. It was also a little hard to follow with the giant jumps in the timeline. It was terrific and well developed until 'the confession'. I think it would have been easier to follow if it were broken into parts. Overall, it was entertaining and humorous with enough layers to keep your mind involved.

A really enjoyed the mystery but I had a hard time connecting with the characters!! Definitely try this if you’re interested!!

Theodosia is flat as the main character and I've seen it suggested that was so the reader would cast themself as Theo, but it just made her seem like a blank canvas for a lot of the book. Her main characteristic is being incredibly naive. I felt for Gus, Theo's brother, trying to be big brother and protector while giving Theo space to be herself and then when everything goes to crap he is trying to save his little sister. Gus was well developed and I could relate to him. Cormack (Mac) Etheridge is a good friend of Gus and a private investigator that gets involved. Mac comes from a wacky, conspiracy theorist, survivalist family that play into the storyline as well.

Very clever concept for the story and ultimate villain. Kudos there. The pacing is well done and once the murder occurs the tension is pretty constant with plenty of action to keep the story moving at a good speed. Kept me turning the pages. I like the writing style in general but at one point I was a bit confused with jumps between Theo's point-of-view and Gus' without any break or notice.

I thought interspercing the conspiracy theory message board discussions throughout really showed how such wild conjecture played into and was manipulated in the scheme of things. In this current atmosphere that was a spot-on element.

The climax occured fairly quickly in terms of number of pages, but I think it worked well. I will say that I figured who the villain was shortly after the murder but even with that I thought the suspense was built plausibly. In this case the wrap-up supplied explanations for all the myriad things that occured, giving the full picture of events.

I have to say that author Sulari Gentill has a knack for developing pretty unique storylines, but this one had some fantastical elements that some might find a little over-the-top, but I enjoyed it tremendously.

Overall a wonderfully entertaining mystery that I recommend.

Rating: Excellent - A fun read and enjoyable story throughout

This is the second story I've read by Sulari Gentill, and as much as it's very different from the first one I read, I found it equally engaging and intelligently written.

Normally, I'm not into stories about conspiracy theories, but living and working in the publishing world myself, I always gravitate toward stories about books and authors. And this one did not disappoint, even though some of the characters were a bit one-dimensional at times.

As Theodosia Benton begins working on her first novel, she is befriended by well-known writer Dan Murdoch, who takes her under his wing. But when her novel is finally finished, he refuses to introduce her to his agent, which leaves her hurt and perplexed. Before that can be resolved, though, he is inexplicably murdered and Theo becomes the primary suspect.

The more she tries to unravel the mystery of what's going on, the more of a Gordian knot she unveils and the more trouble she involves her brother and his friend in. As the body count increases, it becomes a race to figure out who the murder is before one of them is arrested or killed.

I really enjoyed how the story came together in the end!

Thank you to Sulari Gentill, Poisoned Pen Press, and NetGalley for an advance review copy. I look forward to reading more from this author.

I have not read any previous books by this author but have heard a lot of good things about them. After reading the brief description of the book, I was excited to be able to read it. However, it did not live up to my expectations. Character-wise I could not connect to any of the characters. They all seemed very one-dimensional and had no personality. I spent most of the book either bored by the slow pace of the book or confused by the convoluted plot. I was even more lost when suddenly, with no explanation, there was a large time jump. It almost seemed like the author realized that they were running out of time to end the book and needed to wrap up the storyline. The ending felt very rushed. I did not enjoy this book and I am not sure if I would pick up another book by this author.

I lost my kindle and couldn't redownload it. Sorry!
I lost my kindle and couldn't redownload it. Sorry!
I lost my kindle and couldn't redownload it. Sorry!
I lost my kindle and couldn't redownload it. Sorry!
I lost my kindle and couldn't redownload it. Sorry!

A great mystery with plenty of twists and turns to keep you wondering just how exactly this is going to end! There was a large chunk of time that was (understandably) skipped to advance the plot. When that happened, a few of the events around it seemed a bit unclear and far-fetched since they hadn't been clearly explained. Other than that, this is an enjoyable, fast-paced, twisty mystery that you should add to your TBR.

The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill

A mischievous twist on the murder mystery. A conspiracy theory —. Until it was turns out to be true.

This book was very interesting and held your attention. It was different from all the other murder mysteries. People disappearing. Some held hostage. Told to forget their former lives. You must read it to believe it.

Thanks to Net Galley for sending me an advanced reader’s copy to review.

I feel like I'm going to be in the minority on this one. I did not love it. I didn't even really like it. I was so intrigued by the premise, but the book itself just fell flat and did not hold my interest at all.

The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill brings an action packed, edge-of-your-seat thriller full of suspicious characters, conspiracy theories, and a mystery within a mystery. A budding writer finds herself in over her head when she becomes the main suspect in a famous writer's death.

Gentill's previous book The Woman in the Library was also a not-to-miss mystery.

Click here to check out the book today.

Theo abodans her career and comes to her brother’s place with an unfinished novel in hand. She meets Dan at a bar where her brother recommends a place to write. Meanwhile Dan encourages her to write and gives her a overview of publishing industry and they become friends . But Dan was murdered and everything becomes mess. This book is Well paced and the plot is very good. I would love to read Sulari’s work again

How can a book be so entertaining, so well-designed, with numerous likable and relatable characters, with page-turning action... with so many hiccups and disappointment... while being an overall enjoyable and fun read?! Lukewarm to the (oft-mentioned ill-aligned) back cover overview, I am always up for a mystery. Always willing to try a new author and potential experience... and, really enjoyed this one. Several things jumped out to disrupt its potential greatness, but still a great adventure.

(Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC! Glad to have had the chance to read this.)

Almost all of the side and supporting characters were pretty relatable and well-designed. Most of them added some fun and nuance-- not to mention, support for and championing of. Most had a level of reality, fun, comedic relief, or added to driving the story forward. Theo, the main character, was a bit... lacking. Too many times, her naiveté was pretty unsettling. For all of the skill and craft the author seemed to obviously have, these moments jumped out like a sore thumb and left readers wondering if this was a Miss... too assuming... short-changing her audience, or what. To happen multiple times was pretty disappointing. Adding the oddly-placed and unsettling time jumps that so many others mention.. take away from an otherwise stellar storyline and potential. I don't understand how an accomplished writer misfired on multiple time jumps here.

Logistic issue aside... and a main character who is not quite fully realized... and, The Mystery Writer is still a good read!! Feeling more like it didn't meet the author's fullest potential, it was still better than most! Def recommend it for a nice time. The story was compelling-- if not all that well described-- and well crafted enough to turn pagers quickly! that I didn't fully realize its length! I wish that the ending wasn't cut short, that the time jumps didn't happen, and that the conspiracy and its related characters were given more of the pages and more of the effort. Lots of opportunity to be a GREAT read. The fact that it didn't match that potential's description should not take away from how good and fun it still was.
Read this. Enjoy. Just don't expect the masterpiece that so many people set it up to be.

Theodosia Benton makes the decision to not finish law school and to become a writer instead. She’s not sure what her brother will think of her choices, but she shows up at his house nonetheless. Theo befriends another writer who becomes her mentor, but when he ends up dead, she’s not sure who to trust or who is to blame.

I wasn’t sure what to think of this novel at the beginning and kept trying to work out in my head what exactly was taking place. I ended up enjoying it along with the twists and turns that took place.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisened Pen Press for allowing me to read an ARC of this novel. #NetGalley #mysterywriter