A solid three star novel- entertaining enough, with a plot that has some different or uncommon elements, but contains some editorial choices that the reader might not have made. A workhorse of a mystery novel that will get the job done. Not one that I expect patrons to be raving about, but will keep avid readers satiated.

Slow-paced mystery yet it's intriguing to listen to. The storyplot gets thicken slowly which may let impatient readers go. The characters are smartly created. The narrator presents the story well and her tones and pace are great.

Many thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for my copy.

Pub date: Mar 19, 2024

DNF at 57%

I wanted to love this. The premise sounded intriguing, and I was expecting to love this. However, unfortunately, I am not enjoying the story. I wish I could pinpoint why. Perhaps I don't care for the writing style. I wish I hadn't read the blurb. I try to go into most books blind, and I feel the blurb gives too much away. I have read several other reviews to see if I wanted to continue, and many say that there are several plot twists, which I don't typically enjoy.

I did enjoy the narrator, and hope to come across them again.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Theodosia Benton has decided to divert her path to become an attorney, and is attempting to re-start as a writer. She moves in with her brother and begins work on her novel. One day, she is working at a cafe writing and she is lucky enough to one day meet her favorite author, Dan Murdoch, and she gives him her manuscript to read. He becomes her mentor and Theo can't believe her luck, until Dan Murdoch is brutally murdered. Now Theo will take it upon herself to find out what really happened to Dan. With the help of her brother and another friend named Mac, Theo will stop at nothing to uncover the truth behind Dan's murder. And sometimes the truth is stranger than ficiton.

This book was a little slow and could be cut down a bit, clocking in at a hefty 400 pages. This book had a very convoluted and overly confusing plot, and by the end it didn't make much sense. I would say skip this one and try Gentill's other book, The Woman in the Library. I listened to this book on audio and have to add that the narrator, Katherine Littrell, did an amazing job. She definitely upped the enjoyment factor of this otherwise blah novel.

When Theo moves in with her brother, and meets the man of her dreams, she doesn't expect to find out that he died the day after giving him her manuscript to read. Does the manuscript have anything to do with it? Why does she feel as though someone is watching her, and why do bad things keep happening to her and her brother. Read The Mystery Writer to find out.

They mystery of this novel didn't quite work for me. From an audiobook perspective, the dual American and Aussie accents threw me for a while - it took a lot longer (and slower) than usual for me to settle into the audio. However, I did find the accents helpful in reminding me of the backgrounds of the characters, so I ultimately liked the choice!

I loved the author's first book and connected with the characters.
Unfortunately, I did not finish this book.
I will try again in the future at another time.

The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill had an intriguing premise but ultimately fell short for me. The story follows Theo, a young aspiring writer who gets entangled in a murder mystery when her mentor, bestselling author Dan Murdoch, is killed. As Theo, her brother Gus, and their friend Mac dig deeper, they uncover a tangled web of conspiracy, lies, and deception.

While the book had some clever twists and an interesting cast of characters, I struggled with Theo’s naivety and found the time jumps toward the end jarring. These jumps left gaps in the story that felt like missed opportunities for action and suspense, making the conclusion feel rushed and a bit over the top.

Despite these issues, there were elements I enjoyed, like the conspiracy theorists and the bond between Theo and Gus. I also paired my reading with the audiobook, and Katherine Littrell's narration was a highlight. Her excellent delivery brought the characters to life, adding a layer of engagement that elevated the overall experience. Littrell's performance made it easier to stay immersed in the story, even when the plot itself faltered.

Although I didn't love this book as much as I hoped, it had its moments, and I may consider reading more from Sulari Gentill in the future.

Thank you to Sulari Gentill, NetGalley, and Poisoned Pen Press for sending me the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a DNF for me. I got through about the first chapter, then realized I wasn't as interested in the book as I thought I would be at the moment. I might try again with the book, but I think it may have been that the hook did not hook me. A book for a different reader.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked this one up, but I ultimately ended up enjoying the story. The narration was pleasant and easy to listen to.

Really compelling thriller. This definitely took a turn I didn't expect but I was in for it. I didn't know who to trust, but I had my suspicions all along the way, some that proved to be well founded. The narrators were good and helped me to rush through this thriller.

Mystery Writer
⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
Author: Sulari Gentill

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley, Poisoned Press and Dreamscape Media and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: There's nothing easier to dismiss than a conspiracy theory—until it turns out to be true

When Theodosia Benton abandons her career path as an attorney and shows up on her brother's doorstep with two suitcases and an unfinished novel, she expects to face a few challenges. Will her brother support her ambition or send her back to finish her degree? What will her parents say when they learn of her decision? Does she even have what it takes to be a successful writer?

What Theo never expects is to be drawn into a hidden literary world in which identity is something that can be lost and remade for the sake of an audience. When her mentor, a highly successful author, is brutally murdered, Theo wants the killer to be found and justice to be served. Then the police begin looking at her brother, Gus, as their prime suspect, and Theo does the unthinkable in order to protect him. But the writer has left a trail, a thread out of the labyrinth in the form of a story. Gus finds that thread and follows it, and in his attempt to save his sister he inadvertently threatens the foundations of the labyrinth itself. To protect the carefully constructed narrative, Theo Benton, and everyone looking for her, will have to die.

My Thoughts: I love books that contain books or writers, so I gravitated towards this one. Theo decides to abandon her career was an attorney and finish that unfinished novel that she has been working on. While Theo knows there will be challenges, she doesn’t expect what comes next. A highly successful writer takes her under his wing, then wounds up murdered. The initial suspect is her brother, Gus. Theo then shifts into protection mode to save her brother and does what she never thought she would have. Then Gus has to save his sister and follows a thin trail.

The relationship between Theo and her brother has been estranged since childhood. There was an incident involving a cult and ever since then, their relationship has suffered. Their grandparent’s will required them both to become lawyers, to get out from their parent’s cult ways, and as a bonus they get a trust fund. Theo just could not continue on the lawyer path, when her dream is to become a writer, so she moves and comes in contact with Dan. Just as she finishes her novel and wants to get in the hands of a publisher, Dan is mysteriously murdered in her house. Now she is suspect and her brother’s job is in jeopardy due to her involvement. To complicate matters, Dan’s close friend and PI, Mac, comes to aide, so she thinks. However, Mac’s family, the Etheridge Family, have some odd conspiracy theory beliefs. As Theo is trying to come to terms with Dan’s murder, she becomes enmeshed with some fans, then a hungry journalist is threatened to expose her secrets, not to mention the Etheridge Family, whom are very powerful and extremely wealthy.

The characters were well developed, had depth, were mysterious, and very intriguing. Theo was a bit naive, maybe even too much. The author’s writing style was complex, contained multilayered narrative, twisty, suspenseful, and brilliant. The conspiracy theories and doomsday scenarios really elevated the novel. The only thing that was a tad confusing was the time jumps at the end. The characters were built up with backstories. The plot was developed into twisty layers. The flow and pacing was spot on for the most part. The first 60% was paced just as a thriller is expected, then it slows for a bit, then the final chapters heat up with a conclusion that is freaking amazingly brilliant, even if some believe it was a little outlandish.

This is a little on the longer side at 400 pages for the book or 10 hours and 52 minutes for the audio. I had the pleasure of having both the audio and digital version of this ARC. The narrator, Katherine Littrell, did an amazing job. She had excellent voice variation that came through in the character distinction. The pitch and flow was superb, and I was able to listen at 2x speed with no issues keeping up. This is a very unique premise. One I have not read before, and that kept me engaged.

This was archived before I got a chance to download it, so I did not get to listen to it. Bummer! Sounded good.

The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill is a gem disguised as a literary thriller. It has single handedly reignited my love for literary fiction with its cast of characters, mysterious circumstances, and superb storytelling. The writing immerses you into the story from the depictions of the characterizations to the coffee shop environment. I enjoyed the easy nature of this book. Annnddddd it's a book about books one of my favorite tropes. Tha audio book narrator was excellent and the audio quality perfect.

This story follows Theo Benton, a young woman who has abandoned law school to pursue a writing career. She relocates to a town in Kansas to live with her lawyer brother Gus. Both siblings grew up in a commune in Tasmania, but their grandfather, a lawyer, left them some money in a trust fund to follow in his footsteps.

One day, Theo meets an older man in a coffee shop, and they strike up a conversation. He is a famous writer, and she aspires to be like him. After a few months of seeing each other, she asks him to send her manuscript to his publisher. However, he declines, saying that they are not the right fit. Theo feels disappointed, but things take a turn for the worse when he dies, and her life falls apart.

The story is intriguing from the very beginning, as the literary company Theo deals with seems shady. However, they take a backseat when people start dying around her. Some blame her for the death of the famous author, with whom she had a romantic relationship. As a result, Theo is stalked by several people, and more deaths follow.

Other characters add to the story's excitement, such as Mac and his family. Mac is a private investigator, of sorts, and his family is made up of doomsday preppers, which often puts him on the wrong side of the law. Gus hires Mac to keep an eye on Theo, and she also enlists his services to find out who killed Dan, the famous author.

The story also has a hint of romance between Theo and Mac, which feels more natural than her relationship with Dan, but strange given the circumstances. However, the last quarter of the book feels like a different story altogether, with a shift in tone and subject that feels out of place. The ending is also abrupt and somewhat unsatisfying, it honestly felt like they slapped an ending on just to get an ending in.

Overall, was I entertained? Yes. Was I confused with where this story went? Also, yes. I think that the premise was unique but not quite executed to the best of the stories potential. Still, it was worth the read.

Another great mystery by Sulari Gentill. I enjoyed listening to the mystery unfold with so many twists and turns. This one did take me a little bit longer to get into but overall it was good.

This book was a bit slow, but every detail matters. Having listened to it, I'm wondering if the formation of the text might have helped my understanding a bit when it came to the messages. It was quite twisted and interwoven and not what I saw coming. An intriguing read!

ALC from pub
This book started so strong. I was invested in Theo and what she was doing with her life after leaving law school. I always enjoy a story with an author plot line and I felt like this is what really got me invested, especially after she met another author. I knew from the synopsis that this other author would die. However, the parts that came after this murder started really strong, but fell apart for me by the end of the book. I think sometimes ending a mystery, especially with plot lines that are in this book that I don’t want to say and give away, can be tricky. I felt like the ending was too long and drawn out and convoluted, and it really impacted my enjoyment of the story. Overall, while this wasn’t my favorite, I would be open to reading this author again in the future.

I don't want to say too much in this review and spoil the book for anyone, so I'll try to talk a little broadly.

I really wanted to love this one, but I think it would have worked better with a revised format. The book was written with a time jump about 3/4 of the way in. I think it would have been better to have a little faster pace at the beginning and put the time jump 1/4 of the way in, and then have the clues come out and work through the mystery from there, after one of the main characters goes missing. As written, the first 3/4 starts to drag, and the disappearance and time jump breathes life back into the story.

Very slow paced beginning, enjoyed the way it wrapped up.

Thanks for the advance read.
It was a wonderfully written, plot twist of a book. Full of complexity and layers that you didn't expect.
To think it all began with two writers passing in a bar.