The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill: A Literary Thriller That Outsmarts Its Reviews

Read time: 5 minutes

🎧 Listened in audio
📢 Narrated by Katherine Littrell
⏱ Duration: 11 hours
🏷️ Publisher name: Dreamscape Media and Poisoned Pen Press
📅 Published: March 19, 2024
🕵️ Genre: Mystery / Thriller

Book Blurb:

When Theodosia Benton abandons her path to becoming a lawyer and arrives at her brother’s home with an unfinished novel, she expects family tension and uncertainty about her future. What she does not expect is to enter a hidden literary world where identity can be shaped, rewritten, and manipulated for an audience. When Theo’s mentor, a celebrated author, is murdered the day after she shares her manuscript with him, suspicion begins to swirl around her brother Gus. Determined to protect him, Theo follows a strange trail left behind by the writer, uncovering a conspiracy where stories hold power and where the people chasing the truth may not survive it.

Let’s talk … murder!!!

You know that feeling when a book’s average rating makes you hesitate, but your gut says, try it anyway? That was me with The Mystery Writer. I recently read a wildly popular title with glowing reviews and even a Netflix adaptation and absolutely did not enjoy it. So walking into this one, with its modest 3.4 star rating on Goodreads, I wasn’t expecting to be blown away. I had read one of Sulari Gentill’s previous books, The Woman in the Library, and remembered liking it but not enough to hunt down her entire backlist. But when a fellow blogger mentioned this book, the title alone hooked me. Curiosity won.

This book grabbed me from the first chapter and never really let go. Before I gush about the story itself, I need to talk about the audiobook narration. Katherine Littrell absolutely nailed it. The smooth transition between the Australian and American accents felt effortless, and the performance added a layer of authenticity that made the whole listening experience richer. Audiobooks can make or break a story like this, and here it was definitely a win.

What fascinated me most was the meta-fictional structure. At its core, the story follows Theo, an aspiring writer who lands the attention of a major literary figure. When that mentor is murdered shortly after reading her manuscript, a strange and tangled conspiracy begins to unfold. If you read the summary carefully, you can probably guess where parts of the story are heading. But strangely, that predictability didn’t bother me at all. In fact, it did the opposite. Because I wasn’t obsessing over “what happens next,” I found myself paying more attention to how the story was being told.

And that’s where the book shines.

Gentill’s writing is vivid without being overindulgent. The descriptions build a clear mental picture while still leaving room for the reader’s imagination. The only small hurdle for me was the shifting perspectives. The narrative jumps between Theo, her brother Gus, Mark, a police officer, and several others. On audio, that took a little time to adjust to, because sometimes it took a moment to figure out whose head we were in.

Even with that minor bump, the overall experience was incredibly fun. It’s clever, layered, and delightfully self-aware in the way it plays with storytelling itself.

Trigger warning: This book mentions sexual assault involving a child. Please take care and skip if this content is distressing.

Would I recommend it?

If you enjoy meta fiction, literary thrillers, or stories about the publishing world, this one is worth picking up. Ignore the middling ratings and give it a chance. The story may not rely on shocking twists, but the writing, structure, and storytelling craft make it a genuinely engaging read. I’d happily hand this one to anyone who enjoys stories about stories, and mysteries that play with the rules. Be mindful of the trigger warning though.

If you liked this, you might enjoy:

• The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill – Smart, layered, and full of writerly suspense.
  Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | OpenLibrary | Litsy
• Who Is Maud Dixon?  by Alexandra Andrews – Ambition, identity, and a deadly literary twist.
  Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | OpenLibrary | Litsy
• The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz – A dark exploration of creative theft and moral compromise.
  Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | OpenLibrary | Litsy
• Writers & Lovers by Lily King – A gentle follow-up for readers who like fiction about writing, minus the murder.
  Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | OpenLibrary | Litsy
• The Word Is Murder by Anthony Horowitz – Meta-mystery with humor, intelligence, and a twisty conscience.
  Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | OpenLibrary | Litsy
  

Reader’s Corner: Truth or Fiction?

Have you ever read a novel where the “story within the story” completely messed with your sense of what was real? I’d love to hear which books pulled that trick best for you. Drop your recs below. I’m always chasing that mind-bending feeling.

Book Links:

Want to purchase this or any of your favorite books while supporting a local bookstore? Consider purchasing using the sites below. These sites work with independent local bookstore owners to fulfill your book orders. #SupportLocal

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Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | OpenLibrary | Litsy
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