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

DNFed at 48%

Unfortunately, the premise of this book enticed me but the writing pushed me away. The sub plot of the subreddit was confusing to follow and was not introduced well enough- I simply did not care about it. The characters were not fleshed out and the intentions and acts where confusing. I was surprised that I made it so far before DNF because I was bored of this book from the beginning

Theodosia (Theo) Benton left law school to pursue her true passion – writing. Meeting writer Dan Murdoch in a local café, she befriends the man who will become her mentor. When Murdoch is murdered, Theo’s brother Gus becomes suspect number 1. What follows is a trail of clues that lead to some murky places, with questionable people and ever-present danger.

Throughout the story are constant references to a conspiracy, represented as online chats between people with hidden identities. They seem to be just background – until conspiracy becomes the story and Theo gets tied up in it. The conspiracy seems over the top, but isn’t that what conspiracies are all about?

Gus and his friend Cormac Eldrige are important characters, as are Cormac’s family. The Eldriges are preppers and so are well equipped to handle any conspiracy, plus they add plenty of color to this story.

The brother-sister relationship was also central to the story. Theo and Gus are motivated by their love for one another, and their actions go above and beyond what they might imagine a sibling would do.

The Mystery Writer is a twisty, dark mystery. Some parts were predictable, but there were also plenty of surprises. And by the way, the title, The Mystery Writer, doesn’t mean what you think it does.

Through Netgalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book. My review is my honest opinion.

This was one twisty, turny ride! Theo comes home from university, having decided that she does not want to finish her degree. She's worried that her brother will not understand and make her go back, but Theo has a half written novel she wants to take a chance on, instead. She meets another writer while working on her book out at a bar and she hopes that this more experienced, successful writer can help her on her path, but he seems reluctant.

This book was crazy--it takes everything you know and turns it right on it's ear like....all the time. Things you dismiss as wild conspiracies turn out to be not so wild. Theo is a really likable character, but it fees like everyone in her life is working against her. Well, her brother, despite Theo's initial misgivings, is on her side.
Gentil is a master of twists and turns--I did not see Theo's writer friend's plot coming at all. I thought it was just one of those weird, wild things that people say that always just end up a perversion of the basic truth. Nope, Gentil takes that and spins it on its head and gives us twists I've never seen before in a thriller (and I read a lot of thrillers).

I really enjoyed this book.

This is an addictive and unputdownable mystery thriller. I loved the writing and how the plot unfolded. The characters were mysterious and a lot of things were happening in the book in the midst of conspiracy and never ending mystery.

Theo Benton abandons her career in law as the idea of working in a law firm doesn’t entice her anymore. She shows up at her brother’s doorstep with an unfinished novel and tells him that she is not interested in pursuing a degree in law but she is more interested in becoming a novelist. Gus always supported her and he let her stay and work on her novel. Soon she starts working on her novel and meet a renowned author Dan Murdoch. He motivates her in an unexpected way. As writers, they share about their source of inspiration and what works for them and soon they form a close bond but the unexpected and mysterious death of Dan shocks Theo and makes her the suspect. In the web of conspiracy, suspense and mysteries, people are becoming victim. Everyone is trying to fathom why would anyone wanted to kill Dan but mystery gets deep when another person is found dead and Theo goes missing and some unthinkable things happens as well. But despite everything Gus tries to find Theo until the end. The twists and turns kept me on edge and revelations at the end were shocking.

Many Thanks to the Author and Publisher.

'The Mystery Writer' is about Theodosia Benton who, upon dropping out of law school in Australia, travels to New York to live with her older brother and pursue her dreams of becoming a writer. She begins her novel and quickly befriends a fellow author at her local coffee shop who becomes her mentor. and beau. Things become complicated, however, when this fellow author winds up dead.and Theo is the one to find the body. She finds herself the primary suspect in an increasingly complicated situation convoluted by conspiracy theorists.

I really enjoy Sulari Gentill's writing and in particularly loved her most recent work, 'The Woman in the Library.’ Gentill writes clever plots with likeable and nuanced characters who are fun to follow. I enjoyed all of the main characters in this novel and found myself engrossed in their story. I was surprised by the ending and did not see it coming, either. I love books about books and enjoyed reading about an author seeking publication. I will definitely be picking up more of Sulari Gentill's future works!

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for access to this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was a wild, chaotic mess, but an interesting mess nonetheless. Theo, a young Australian woman, decides she’s done with her career path & moves in with her brother in Kansas to pursue being an author and thus chaos ensues. What a wild ride. Moral of the story . . . Ask your lover a few questions first!!! Actually ask a lot of people questions, your lover, your potential boss, random people in cafes, etc. . . . Theo just missed a lot of those cues and we ended up where we did - conspiracy & murder!

*Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press for this advanced copy of Sulari Gentill’s newest book, The Mystery Writer.

I finished this in one day but I found the plot to be chaotic at times. As a reader, I felt that it went every which way. From a hopeful writer starting to fall for her unofficial mentor to conspiracy theories and doomsday preppers, this book has everything.

It felt a little convoluted in some areas and like the writer just threw in the whole kitchen sink. While I personally did not love this book, I could see others getting on board with the concept.

The premise of this book is excellent. The story begins with the protagonist leaving her home and law school in Tasmania to crash at her brother’s home in Lawrence, Kansas, USA. She has suddenly decided that she does not want to become an attorney and arrives in the USA with a dream to become a writer, somewhat of a plan for a book, and uncertainty as to whether she will receive her trust fund money that hinged on her completing law school. She finds a spot at a local pub/cafe where she spends her days writing. She meets another writer who has been quite successful and they become friends. He gives her advice on her book as well as the business.
As the plot unfolds in this story, I found things to love and things that made me stop and question how realistic a scenario this was. For instance, I loved the relationship between the siblings and their unconditional support for each other. I loved the intermingled plot lines that you know will merge. I had to question the decision to make the protagonist both confident enough to move halfway around the world leaving everything behind (alone) and her naivety with the various situations that she founds herself in. She seemed worldly and mature in one situation and childlike and overly trusting in another situation.
The other issue was the seemingly jumping in time and place without warning or explanation. This made the plot difficult at times to follow. The ending was also rushed although in the story, many years separate some of the events. The ending could have had more devoted to it.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this and would recommend it. However, it was a good book and felt like it could have been a great book with editing.
#mysterywriter #NetGalley #PoisonedPenPress

I liked this book, even though I felt lost in parts and couldn't figure out what was going on. I think I would still recommend this book. I got the jest of the story line.

I was curious about this book because it has a great title and cover and I also 3njoyed her previous book. However, this one I found a bit complicated and confusing and I didn’t enjoy it as much. Thanks for the opportunity to read it.

I went into this story based on my enjoyment of the author's last book, The Woman in the Library, but completely blind to the plot of this story.
And it took quite a few completely unexpected turns Theo(dosia) has left law school in Australia and turned up at her brother Gus' doorstep in Kansas because she has realized the law is not for her - she wants to be a writer. Her brother, who actually is a lawyer, lets her crash and supports her in her endeavor. She starts writing at a local coffee shop and meets an older established writer ...
A tentative potentially problematic relationship starts and soon after she stumbles on his dead body. This starts the mystery and his agent and her highly restrictive rules are especially intriguing. The whole story takes place over a matter of weeks, moving quickly until there's a skip of a couple of years towards the end which felt a little jarring. This book delves deep into the topics of public perception of authors and conspiracy theories, this was intriguing.
I'll continue to think about this book for a while.
Thank you so much to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the eARC of The Mystery Writer!

This author was a recent discovery, I really enjoyed the woman in the library and her follow up did not disappoint. Great mystery and intrigue- really clever meta narrative that sets it apart from every other crime novel.

A change of pace was the following of Theo B, until you couldn't! Her dead mentor created an early point of puzzlement, too. Writerly processes were included, and brother Gus was a plus. Can't say too much, or the cat's out of the bag!

This one kept me on my toes, especially in the wrap-up.

*A sincere thank you to Sulari Gentill, Poisoned Pen Press, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and independently review.* #mysterywriter #NetGalley