We discuss chapters 1-14 of Sulari Gentill‘s brand new metafiction standalone, ‘The Mystery Writer’. Theo Benton is a law-school escapee from Tasmania, fled to her brother Gus’ home in Lawrence, Kansas. The world of law might have suited Gus, but Theo wants to be a writer, and her brother is ready to support Theo through that journey. Soon after committing to her new life, Theo meets Dan Murdoch, a famous writer who is usually a recluse. They bond over fiction and start writing together. Unfortunately for Theo, this is a Sulari Gentill novel, which means safety is only a portent of chaos. Theo slips in Dan’s pool of blood as she goes to invite him for dinner, and reality has fractured. All the while, a mysterious web forum called ‘The Shield’ discusses the Minotaur controlling the Labyrinth at the core of the world.

Thank you to Ultimo Press and Berkelouw Paddington for providing Death of the Reader proof copies of ‘The Mystery Writer’. Sulari Gentill is the informal title sponsor of our first-place award on Review Season each year, which is not a paid placement.