The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill fulfills the tantalizing promise of its title in more ways than one. It keeps the reader spellbound with its racy style of narration and builds the urgency of the plot while seamlessly fleshing out the personalities of the protagonists to perfection. It is impossible to forget the protective affection of Gus, the bewildered genius of Theo and the quiet care of Marc without being drawn into the emotional web. One gets angry with Gus and weeps with Theo in equal measure. The use of Marc's family to illustrate the role of conspiracy theorists is a smart innovation and enhances the mystery of the book.
It is also impossible to get over the perfidy of the publishing house which preys on unfortunate indiscretions of talented writers to enslave and exploit them forever. It is scary to realize that this could well happen!
I would gladly recommend this book to discerning readers with the assurance that it will definitely not disappoint.

Reviewed by Mitra Vasisht

Mrs Plansky has far exceeded my expectations. She is one of the most likable heroines in a strange tale that could be anybody's plight in the modern day world of greed and avarice. Her agonizing experience epitomizes the ruthlessness that has taken over humanity when it comes to cheating and money. I especially loved the focus given to the targeting of senior women and the belief that they are sitting ducks for exploitation.

Unfortunately, they very often are.

And this is the reason the portrayal of the doughty Loretta strikes me as a very topical necessity. It gives beleaguered victims the energy to find a way and the hope that resistance is better than meek acceptance.

The upbeat message of the book neutralized some of the truly ambitious, sometimes unrealistic forays into fantasy, like Loretta's march into romance with much younger men. It is the strength of the writing that makes the reader identify completely with Loretta and cheer for her when she succeeds in resolving the issue without any help from her rather self-absorbed children.

A great read.

McGaritty has done it again. This story about the Lansdale siblings has never a dull moment and plunges the reader straightaway into the lives of the protagonists. The character of Raymond Lansdale generates lively interest and evokes one's imagination instantly to how his sister Barbara will turn out. And she does not disappoint either.
The highlight of the book to my mind is the captivatingly descriptive style of writing especially while describing locales and places. Montana comes alive as do the ranch lives that figure in the book. The outline of daily life in the military stations is simply outstanding.
One is half way into the book before realizing the actual reality of Barbara. The suspense is very well maintained. The romantic lives of the siblings have been very sensitively dealt with.
Perhaps my one wish could be a further drawing out of Barbara's personality, and a more convincing explanation of her silence after departure, especially with those who loved her.
Overall, a great reading experience!

I always start a new book with no expectations and just a hope that my love for reading is rewarded. The Poet's House not only rewarded me, it did so most handsomely and in great style. I loved the development of the main characters Carla and Viridian. And the subtlety with which the inescapable and daily fact of male bonding and fight for control has been portrayed. Although the plot was predictable the presentation was original. And there were a few surprises like the relationship between the mom and Oliver that defied the beaten track. I was grateful to the author for the realistic ending. There was no fanciful outburst of poetry from a protagonist with a reading disability which would have spoilt the entire effect of the book. Her reunion with an errant lover was actually a relief. Her back to university and classes was a great end to a most enjoyable adventure of the mind in which I was happily transported along. And the dignified end to a tremendous Viridian was noteworthy.

Altogether a very enjoyable read and a book I would recommend to my own and other book clubs.

The writer Ms. Lisa Hsiao Chen leaves no doubt in the reader's mind of her mastery over the New York artists scene. The whole book deals with pulls and pressures that conflict her very existence. The pull of her ancestry but the fears surrounding her ignorance of all its aspects. The pull of an artists excitement but her fears and insecurity that lead her to live her dreams through another artist. The pull of her wide episodic knowledge of the artiste's scene in New York but her inability to edit her knowledge into an effective commentary. Ms. Chen evidently is very knowledgeable on the general scene around the artists in New York and every aspect that is linked with it. Where she comes short, in my view, is to pull together the family angle and her career angle into a more holistic account. The reader is left tired jumping from one disjointed chapter to the other. The book will no doubt make an impact on a tiny, much younger section of New Yorkers with similar proclivities and tuned in more accurately to the city's particularities. However, it is possible that it will fail to grasp and keep the attention of all ethnicities and ages. The main reason is that the bond between the reader and the writer, so essential for universal acclaim, fails to make its presence at any point.