Review: True Crime Story by Joseph Knox
True Crime Story
by Joseph Knox
Thanks so much to Sourcebooks Landmark for this gifted book.
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publish Date: December 7, 2021 (first published June 17, 2021)
Paperback
320 Pages
Standalone
Genres: Crime, Thriller
What happens to all the girls who go missing?
The thrilling story of a university student's sudden disappearance, the woman who became obsessed with her case, and the crime writer who uncovered the chilling truth about what happened...
In 2011, Zoe Nolan walked out of her dormitory in Manchester and was never seen or heard from again. Her case went cold. Her story was sad, certainly, but hardly sensational, crime writer Joseph Knox thought. He wouldn't have given her any more thought were it not for his friend, Evelyn Mitchell. Another writer struggling to come up with a new idea, Evelyn was wondering just what happened to all the girls who go missing. What happened to the Zoe Nolans of the world?
Evelyn began investigating herself, interviewing Zoe's family and friends, and emailing Joseph with chapters of the book she was writing with her findings. Uneasy with the corkscrew twists and turns, Joseph Knox embedded himself in the case, ultimately discovering a truth more tragic and shocking than he could have possibly imagined...
Just remember: Everything you read is fiction.
My Review:
Uff, it pains me to write this review. Isn't it so hard to write an unfavorable review for an author you really like? MEEP. OK, here goes nothing.
TRUE CRIME STORY is FICTION but written like a ... well, true crime story. It is written in email and interview format mostly, which I was fine with for about the first 100 pages and then just kinda got bored with it altogether. I'm not entirely sure if it's the format or just the story itself though. I LOVE the idea behind this read and I certainly did find it intriguing. What DID happen to Zoe?!
Unfortunately the characters were all just so terrible - they're terrible people. The whole lot. Not that I don't have my own issues but wow.... and I loved hating on them. But I needed more Zoe and less of their own drama. Le sigh... maybe I just wasn't in the right mood for this one. When we finally do get to somewhat of a conclusion, I was more creeped out about what a certain person was hoarding than I was about any crime itself. IYKYK!
Ultimately, while I appreciated what the author was doing, it just didn't quite work for me and I found myself losing interest too fast. But it's Knox so I had to finish ... plus I really did want an answer. I'm just not sure I'm entirely happy with what I found. I have a feeling that reviews on this are going to be love it or hate it. Me... I'm sticking with his Aidan Waits thrillers because those definitely make my black heart beat faster.
★★
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