The Mystery Writer
WINNER OF THE MARY HIGGINS CLARK AWARD
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- £9.99
Publisher Description
WINNER OF THE 2025 MARY HIGGINS CLARK AWARD
‘A writer’s writer, who never disappoints.’ —Australian Women's Weekly
‘It's the perfect cosy crime read!’ —Woman's Day
She needs to write the ending ... before she meets hers.
Theo has one dream—to become a bestselling author. Determined to make her mark in the literary world, she heads to the US on a whim to stay with her brother Gus and focus on her writing. But her plans take an unexpected turn when she befriends a famous author, Dan Murdoch, at a local bar—and then he turns up dead. Suddenly, Theo finds herself as the prime suspect.
As Theo grapples with the shocking turn of events, she realises that Dan may not have been the person he seemed to be, and there is something sinister going on in the world of publishing. Desperate to clear her name and uncover the truth, Theo sets out on a quest to find out who killed Dan and why.
As she digs deeper, Theo uncovers a web of deceit, conspiracy, and hidden motives, with clues leading her to a shadowy organisation with far-reaching power. With her own life in danger, Theo must unravel the mystery before she becomes the next victim.
PRAISE FOR THE MYSTERY WRITER
‘A mischievous twist on mystery novels and the people who write them.’ —Benjamin Stevenson, author of Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone
‘Some mysteries need a crime writer to solve. Clever, twisty, and surprisingly unexpected.’ —Michael Robotham, author of Lying Beside You and The Secrets She Keeps
‘It's wild, it's wacky and just a bit mad but definitely worth the cost of a ticket to hop on Gentill's bus.’ —The Sydney Morning Herald
‘The Mystery Writer is a cleverly concocted and original novel that gently plays with the conventions of the crime genre, while providing a good dose of mystery and suspense. I think that it is Sulari's best novel to date.’ —Canberra Weekly
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Gentill (The Woman in the Library) nimbly balances the plausible with the outlandish in this sly thriller set in the publishing world. Theodosia "Theo" Benton has dropped out of law school in Australia to pursue her dream of becoming a novelist. Determined to leave her old life behind, she flees Australia and moves in with her brother in Lawrence, Kans., to hunker down and write a novel. In Kansas, she meets and befriends Dan Murdoch, a bestselling author who agrees to read her manuscript and offer notes. When Dan doesn't show up for one of their meetings, Theo goes to his house, where she finds him stabbed to death and calls the police. A few days later, she agrees to meet with Dan's agent, Veronica, who says her agency would like to take Theo on as a client. Her elation slowly gives way to terror when others in her circle, including a reporter she speaks to, are killed, and she becomes a suspect. With her life and career on the line, Theo does some digging and turns up startling details about the twisted operations of Veronica's agency. Every time readers think they've got the plot pegged, Gentill swerves in a shocking new direction. Certain late-stage reveals, which might ruin the fun in less capable hands, only serve to enhance the novel's biting wit. This is a winner.
