Mystery

True Crime Story: The most original and compelling crime novel of 2021

True Crime Story: The most original and compelling crime novel of 2021

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  • Create Date：2021-06-16 00:51:15
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Joseph Knox
  • ISBN：0857527703
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Summary

'A triumph: at once an old-fashioned whodunnit and a smart postmodern literary novel asking questions about the ethics of all editing， as well as the true-crime genre。 Dazzlingly original。' Sunday Times
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'What happens to those girls who go missing？ What happens to the Zoe Nolans of the world？'

In the early hours of Saturday 17 December 2011， Zoe Nolan， a nineteen-year-old Manchester University student， walked out of a party taking place in the shared accommodation where she had been living for three months。

She was never seen again。

Seven years after her disappearance， struggling writer Evelyn Mitchell finds herself drawn into the mystery。 Through interviews with Zoe's closest friends and family， she begins piecing together what really happened in 2011。 But where some versions of events overlap， aligning perfectly with one another， others stand in stark contrast， giving rise to troubling inconsistencies。

Shaken by revelations of Zoe's secret life， and stalked by a figure from the shadows， Evelyn turns to crime writer Joseph Knox to help make sense of a case where everyone has something to hide。

Zoe Nolan may be missing presumed dead， but her story is only just beginning

'Riveting and relentless。。。A unique story， brilliantly told' Terry Hayes
'Brilliant， compelling and original' Steve Cavanagh
'Highly original and mischievous' John Boyne
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Readers love TRUE CRIME STORY:
'Perfectly combines the best parts of true crime， fiction and mystery。 Superb'
'My favourite read of 2021。。。fascinating， perplexing and bloody brilliant'
'I've been looking for something different and new in the crime genre。 Here it is'

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Reviews

Vivienne ，

My thanks to Random House U。K。/Transworld Publishers and Penguin Random House U。K。 Audio for an eARC and review copy of the unabridged audiobook via NetGalley of ‘True Crime Story’ by Joseph Knox in exchange for an honest review。 The audiobook is read by a full cast with a running time of 11 hours， 22 minutes at 1x speed。This highly original crime novel presents itself as a true crime book focusing on the disappearance on Saturday 17 December 2011， of Zoe Nolan， a nineteen-year-old Manchester Un My thanks to Random House U。K。/Transworld Publishers and Penguin Random House U。K。 Audio for an eARC and review copy of the unabridged audiobook via NetGalley of ‘True Crime Story’ by Joseph Knox in exchange for an honest review。 The audiobook is read by a full cast with a running time of 11 hours， 22 minutes at 1x speed。This highly original crime novel presents itself as a true crime book focusing on the disappearance on Saturday 17 December 2011， of Zoe Nolan， a nineteen-year-old Manchester University student。 She walked out of a party taking place in the shared accommodation where she had been living and was never seen again。Seven years after her disappearance， writer Evelyn Mitchell finds herself drawn into the mystery。 She interviews Zoe's friends and family， and begins piecing together what really happened in 2011。 She becomes aware of troubling inconsistencies in the reports and also uncovers evidence of Zoe’s secret life。Finding herself stalked by a shadowy presence， Evelyn reaches out to crime writer Joseph Knox to help her make sense of the case。 No further details to avoid spoilers。Every now and then I like to read true crime books and so felt that Knox was quite clever in writing a novel using a style that imitates true crime nonfiction。With respect to the audiobook， ‘True Crime Story’ with its format of interviews， emails， and reports proved a perfect title for an audiobook edition or to be experienced as a combined read/listen。 It has sixteen narrators， including the author， again giving the sense of a series of podcasts or an audio-based documentary。 While audiobook productions are usually polished in terms of sound quality， there are some crackles， white noise， and the like in some sections that increases the sense that you are listening to off-the-cuff recordings。This was an unusual and totally absorbing work of untrue crime。 Simply brilliant！I feel that this will be a novel that will appeal to readers of both crime fiction and true crime。 Highly recommended。 。。。more

Kelly ，

I honestly didn't know what to make of this book to start with， it didn't grip me from the start as it took me a while to get used to the layout。。。。but once I did I loved it！ I love a good "whodunnit" so this was right up my street。 It feels like it's a true crime book but it's a fiction that misleads you。。。。it's a clever blend of fact and fiction and I loved it。。。。absolutely brilliant and so so clever ❤ I'm looling forward to reading more from Knox in the future。 I honestly didn't know what to make of this book to start with， it didn't grip me from the start as it took me a while to get used to the layout。。。。but once I did I loved it！ I love a good "whodunnit" so this was right up my street。 It feels like it's a true crime book but it's a fiction that misleads you。。。。it's a clever blend of fact and fiction and I loved it。。。。absolutely brilliant and so so clever ❤ I'm looling forward to reading more from Knox in the future。 。。。more

Effy ，

If Daisy Jones and the Six was a murder mystery， this is the book that you would get。This book was so deeply gripping from start to finish as slowly we try to unravel the mystery of what happened to Zoe Nolan after she mysteriously disappeared almost a decade ago through interviews with those closest to her。From start to finish there was a large amount of intrigue and I appreciated the creeping sense of foreboding Evelyn （the author investigating Zoe's disappearance） starts to receive mysterious If Daisy Jones and the Six was a murder mystery， this is the book that you would get。This book was so deeply gripping from start to finish as slowly we try to unravel the mystery of what happened to Zoe Nolan after she mysteriously disappeared almost a decade ago through interviews with those closest to her。From start to finish there was a large amount of intrigue and I appreciated the creeping sense of foreboding Evelyn （the author investigating Zoe's disappearance） starts to receive mysterious phone calls and unexpected visitors to her home。 I also loved how deeply flawed and thus so completely believable the cast of characters were to the point that throughout the book I was certain that I knew what had happened to Zoe or at least who had done it。The ending took me completely by surprise and shook me， it was so clever and， whilst breadcrumbs were left throughout the story， they were incredibly subtle ones。 。。。more

Kath ，

Where do I start。。。？ For me， this book was a bit of a cross between Daisy Jones and the Six and The Word is Murder， although， that said， it was also wholly unique。。。 Let me explain。 The DJ resemblance is in the delivery -in the format of cleverly spliced together interviews with the main players （and a few extras） which make up the majority of the book， and tell the story。 The Horowitz resemblance is in the fact that the author takes a front seat in the investigation。That aside， I am still not s Where do I start。。。？ For me， this book was a bit of a cross between Daisy Jones and the Six and The Word is Murder， although， that said， it was also wholly unique。。。 Let me explain。 The DJ resemblance is in the delivery -in the format of cleverly spliced together interviews with the main players （and a few extras） which make up the majority of the book， and tell the story。 The Horowitz resemblance is in the fact that the author takes a front seat in the investigation。That aside， I am still not sure what to think about this book other than I really loved it！。 It's a cracking book about a crime being investigated， by a writer; the police having long since unofficially given up。 It's about the disappearance of a young university student who had only just started her course。 Set some seven years after this time， the "author" Evelyn Mitchell， whose own career is flagging， decides to write this book。 To try and figure out what happened to Zoe。 But she struggles a bit making sense of it all so turns to crime writer Joseph Knox to assist her。 Every so often throughout the book there are emailed correspondence between the two。 As well as the odd newspaper article。 But， for the main， the text is made up of snippets of interviews。 So， we go back to that night， that fateful night， and actually the days leading up to it。 We meet our cast。 The scene is set。 We have contradictory versions - well， no one remembers the same event in the same way。 But is there someone who is holding back the truth。 Most people lie about things， especially when the police are involved。 But there are lies and LIES。 I do have to admit that it did take me a wee while to really get into this book。 Mostly cos I was a bit confused about what I was actually reading！ But， once I had it all straight in my head， I was totally cooking on gas and pretty much read the rest all the way through in just a couple of sittings。I hung on every word spoken - which reminds me to set a reminder to get my hands on the audiobook when it comes out - by each of the family， friends and acquaintances along the way。 I gasped at some of the contributions from others， delivered in just the right places for maximum shock value - but never for shock tactics！ We also heard quite a lot from the FLO assigned to the family but pretty much nothing from the police who， I guess， frown on this kind of dredging up。And the ending， when we eventually got there was wholly befitting of what had gone before。Having read and loved this author's Aiden Waits series， I recognise that this is quite a departure for him。 Whether it's a one off or， like Horowitz， he is going to make a series of books like this， I am not sure。 But I'd kinda like to read another。。。My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book。 。。。more

Karen Barber ，

True Crime is a relatively familiar story - about the disappearance of a young female student at Manchester University - but its execution was clever， and certainly had me convinced its origins were in truth。The book begins with a rather strange note from the publishers to Joseph Knox， the author， indicating that this book is problematic。 Of course you want to know why。We then hear about Evelyn Mitchell， the actual writer， and how she meets Knox。 Both are trying to think of a great idea for thei True Crime is a relatively familiar story - about the disappearance of a young female student at Manchester University - but its execution was clever， and certainly had me convinced its origins were in truth。The book begins with a rather strange note from the publishers to Joseph Knox， the author， indicating that this book is problematic。 Of course you want to know why。We then hear about Evelyn Mitchell， the actual writer， and how she meets Knox。 Both are trying to think of a great idea for their difficult next book and Evelyn thinks she’s hit upon a gem of a story。。。the disappearance of Zoe Nolan。Last seen on the night of a party at Owens Park， Zoe went missing and has not been seen since。 Police say her case remains open but they have no clue what happened to her。 Family and friends of Zoe were interviewed at the time but to no avail。After some years Evelyn decided this case is worth re-examining。 Her interviews have， she insists， thrown up new information and suggest some aspects of the police investigation were not as thorough as they might have been。From the outset I found myself invested in this。 Having studied in Manchester it was a bit of a trip down memory lane to be reading about places that were so familiar。。。but what really endeared this book to me was its sense of self-awareness。Knox inserts himself wholeheartedly into the story and this offered us something a little different in what was a story that， at its heart， moved forward little。From start to finish we are offered insight into the Nolan family and the dynamics between the new group of friends starting their lives at Manchester University。 Some of the characters are quite unlikeable。 All of them have things they’d rather stay hidden， and I was constantly looking for clues as to what the missing pieces of the story might be。I genuinely did not want to stop reading this once I’d started。 There are twists and turns， and not all the scenarios are （if we’re being honest） wholly credible， but with the villains of the piece hiding in plain sight it was a lesson in keeping your eyes open and not trusting everything you’re told。Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this in advance of publication。 。。。more

Nina ，

Powered through this this morning so I could move on to a different book。 It’s an okay story， but just reads like a long interview column， and you’re going around and around in circles for most of it。 If 100 pages were taken out， I think it would be much more engaging and fast-paced。

Helen ，

A fascinating look into the case of Zoe Nolan disappearance。 Transcript of meetings with all the key people and the overlaps and contradiction of their recollection。Updated post humously。

Sandy ，

I'm going to keep this short because the promotional blurb tells you all you need to know about the supposed plot。 The real story is how it's delivered。 The author has come up with a cleverly constructed narrative that blurs the line between fiction & true crime， a genre that has exploded in recent years。 Knox starts off by telling us how he met a woman named Evelyn Mitchell at one of his book signings。 Also an author， Evie gently dismisses him as another attention-seeking writer whose books foc I'm going to keep this short because the promotional blurb tells you all you need to know about the supposed plot。 The real story is how it's delivered。 The author has come up with a cleverly constructed narrative that blurs the line between fiction & true crime， a genre that has exploded in recent years。 Knox starts off by telling us how he met a woman named Evelyn Mitchell at one of his book signings。 Also an author， Evie gently dismisses him as another attention-seeking writer whose books focus more on the salacious details of the killers than the victims。 Evie is currently doing research for her next book， one she hopes will balance the scales。 It's definitely about the victim。。。。a Manchester university student named Zoe Nolan who disappeared in 2011。 Knox & Evie begin to correspond & the majority of the book is composed of their emails， transcripts of interviews with people from Zoe's life & the odd paragraph from Knox explaining how he got involved。On the surface， it's a detailed investigation into a cold case with some great twists。 But the author takes a darkly satirical approach， poking fun not only at the genre but himself。 The opening letter from his "former" publisher sets the tone & lets you know you're in for suspense delivered with a wink & a nudge。 It also has something to say about social media & its dodgy relationship with the truth。 The format can be a challenge。 It's not always clear who was sending an email & who was receiving。 Also， there's a section devoted to transcripts of duelling statements from Zoe's friends that basically consists of he said-she said-oh no you di'int。 You learn a lot here about events leading up to her disappearance but I thought it went on a bit too long。 At about the 40% mark Zoe has vanished & police join the conversation。 That plus a couple of twists meant I was fully invested from there on。 The pace picked up & a story that was already very readable became compelling。 I've read a couple of other books this year where authors inserted themselves in the story。 It's the literary equivalent of breaking the fourth wall & usually done with a self deprecation that adds to the story。 Knox clearly doesn't take himself too seriously as he gently mocks his process & profession but the thriller writer inside is never far from the surface， ensuring the reader is gripped by Evie's investigation。So perhaps we need a new genre label for this mash-up。。。。true fiction？ Doesn't really matter， all you need to know is it's a clever & innovative take on crime fiction that will keep you entertained。 。。。more

Sarah Sansom ，

There is so much I want to write about this book … and yet I don’t want to say anything。 Partly because I don’t quite know how to do it justice and partly because once I start writing I’ll find it almost impossible to kerb my tongue。 And trust me you really don’t want that。 There is twist after turn after bluff after revelation after lie in this superb book， page after page after page。 Just … wow！！！！True Crime Story is a bit of a change in direction for Joseph Knox; he’s an author whose books I There is so much I want to write about this book … and yet I don’t want to say anything。 Partly because I don’t quite know how to do it justice and partly because once I start writing I’ll find it almost impossible to kerb my tongue。 And trust me you really don’t want that。 There is twist after turn after bluff after revelation after lie in this superb book， page after page after page。 Just … wow！！！！True Crime Story is a bit of a change in direction for Joseph Knox; he’s an author whose books I hugely enjoy， so when I heard he was working on something new I basically stalked his Twitter feed for updates。 This new book still plays to the author’s strengths - crime genre， pacy and dangerous， precision writing - but this time he’s presenting his work as a metafictional epistolary。 In a superb move， Joseph Knox has written a character into his book called - wait for it - Joseph Knox。 His bookish alter ego makes a fleeting appearance， albeit complete with a damning photo as part of a Facebook accusation made by one of the book’s other characters。 It’s an accusation that throws the reader off-course a little; the man we trust in his real-life guise is suddenly appearing just a tad shady in the world of his book。 And that is the metafiction genius。In using the 'epistolary' term I’ve stretched the interpretation a little， but True Crime Story is presented as a series of transcribed interview statements made by the main characters - suspects， even - in the case of the missing student， Zoe Nolan。 It gives the book a voyeuristic-slash-documentary vibe; an ingenious contrivance that draws the reader inescapably in to the dark heart of the story。 You're not in the characters’ heads， but you're seeing a version of the story that has been edited by the fictional people living it。 And then there’s the emails that punctuate the end of each of chapter - emails between Evelyn Mitchell and Knox discussing the accounts of the characters， the direction the book is taking， and shining a bit of light on the relationship between these two characters。This is very much a character-driven plot， but whilst it’s all about Zoe Nolan she’s the one character who makes absolutely no contribution to the story。 Instead， the narrative is in the hands of her friends and family， and a small number of individuals involved in a more official capacity。 Everybody has a point to make， an axe to grind， an opinion that’s evolved and distorted in the ten years since Zoe vanished。 So， to try and express my excitement about this book， I’m framing my review around the characters as a way of （hopefully） inciting a similar reaction in you。Zoe is an identical twin to Kim， and whilst the girls may look the same， the sibling relationship is pretty damn close to broken。 There’s no hatred， just reciprocated envy， distrust， and ill-feelings。 It’s a fracture that stems from their toxic childhood， created by their obsessive and controlling father Robert （Rob）， and their passive mother， Sally。 It permeates the whole book， and makes it difficult to fully trust Kim’s account。 Having said that， she still came across to me as perhaps the most likeable member of Zoe’s family。 We don’t hear so often from Sally， but Rob is a dominant and manipulative character who plays a big part in the direction of the plot; courting the media， ignoring police requests， and making statements that almost every other character debunks。Then there’s Zoe’s uni friends - Andrew Flowers （the abrasive boyfriend）， Fintan Murphy （the course mate）， Liu Wai （Zoe’s flatmate）， and Jai Mahmoud （Andrew’s housemate） - and a smattering of less central characters whose seemingly incidental accounts aren’t weighted with the bias and bickering of those given by Andrew， Liu， Fintan， Jai， and Kim。 The statements were made to Knox’s friend， and struggling writer， Evelyn， and she’s chosen to transcribe them directly into her book， but rather than presenting her readers with one long narrative after another， she’s broken them up to reflect the differing perspectives and recollections of each individual。 This decision gives rise to a plot with superb momentum， keeping the reader very much on their toes。 The deflection， the self-protection， conjecture， and inveigling all make for a sinuous mystery … one that convinces the reader they will be the one to spot that all-important nugget that cracks the case wide open。 SO ridiculously addictive！And then … yes， there’s more！ … there’s the story within the story that plays out in the emails between Joseph and Evelyn， and the interjections by the publishers。 It’s every bit as sinister， and compelling， and unspeakably brilliant， as what’s being uncovered in the missing person case。 You’ll get a degree of clarity and closure as the book races towards its dramatic conclusion， but in a story that’s designed to toy with your perception of reality， there’s a degree of ‘not all stories have neat， happy endings’ that will leave you wondering。 Personally， I felt this was perfect， and completely in-keeping with the intent of the book， but not everyone likes dangling what-ifs。 It’s what you take from the story’s details that will shape your reaction to the ending。Bra-flipping-vo！ This is an incredible， rule-breaking masterpiece of a novel。 The precision writing， formidable plotting， and inspired formatting are all hallmarks I’ve come to admire and enjoy so much from Joseph Knox， and yet he’s raised it to a whole new level of excellence。 If you hadn’t got the impression thus far … I absolutely LOVED this book， I’ve worn out my thesaurus of superlatives in my effort to impress upon you that YOU NEED TO READ THIS！Thank you to Joseph for sending me a signed， advance proof copy of True Crime Story in return for an impartial review。 And thanks also to NetGalley and Doubleday for approving my request for a digital copy … proving you can’t have too much of a good thing。 。。。more

Kat ，

What a story 😳The audio book is so engaging and I loved every minute of it。

Madeleine Black ，

This is a story about a young woman named Zoe who disappears from Manchester Uni and is never seen again。 I knew that it was fiction but it is so cleverly written and plotted out that I started to think I was reading true life crime story！

Nic ，

True Crime Story is a very clever take on the crime genre。 The book is told as a series of eye witness accounts， with not everyone being a reliable narrator。 It is further elevated by the roles of the author and his ‘co-author’ in the story - causing the reader to continually question whether it is fact or fiction。 It is incredibly well done。 When Zoe Nolan’s parents go to pick her and her twin sister up after their first term as students in Manchester， they find that Zoe is missing。 True Crime True Crime Story is a very clever take on the crime genre。 The book is told as a series of eye witness accounts， with not everyone being a reliable narrator。 It is further elevated by the roles of the author and his ‘co-author’ in the story - causing the reader to continually question whether it is fact or fiction。 It is incredibly well done。 When Zoe Nolan’s parents go to pick her and her twin sister up after their first term as students in Manchester， they find that Zoe is missing。 True Crime Story is a reconstruction of events surrounding Zoe’s disappearance， mainly using interviews of those who were there。 It delves into the murky relationships between the protagonists and ultimately delivers a very satisfying ending。 I read Joseph Knox’s debut Sirens when it was released， as it was a featured ‘new blood’ novel at the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival。 True Crime Story is another level。 It is pithy and intriguing and keeps you guessing throughout。 I listened to the audiobook and the production values are top notch with unique portrayals of each character。 I suspect people will make comparisons to true crime podcasts （and to the Six Stories series of books） but True Crime Story sits as its own being beyond the podcast world。 My only slight concern is that none of the characters are particularly likeable。 Thanks to Netgalley and PRH for the ARC。 Thoroughly recommended。 4。5* 。。。more

Christopher Jones ，

What JK does here is nothing short of brilliant， loved everything about this book， cheers buddy ， you are a ⭐️ ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Martha Brindley ，

A bit of fact and a bit of fiction， all rolled into a slightly disappointing read。 Difficult to get into， due to the format of snippets of interviews and the constant unfolding emails， but I persevered and was so pleased to reach the end。 I failed to like any of the characters and I found the ending somewhat disappointing with unanswered questions， overall， a bit dull for me。 Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC。

Jo Liddiard ，

Blown away by this。 I LOVED it。

Karen ，

This is a new author to me， but having heard a lot of good things about this book and with it being set in my hometown， I was excited to get stuck in。 In 2011， Manchester University student Zoe Nolan went missing after a party at her student accommodation。 With year's passing and Zoe still not being found， the case grabs the attention of writer Evelyn Mitchell who seeks out Joseph Knox for advice on writing about the mystery。 The book is written by way of emails between the two and interviews co This is a new author to me， but having heard a lot of good things about this book and with it being set in my hometown， I was excited to get stuck in。 In 2011， Manchester University student Zoe Nolan went missing after a party at her student accommodation。 With year's passing and Zoe still not being found， the case grabs the attention of writer Evelyn Mitchell who seeks out Joseph Knox for advice on writing about the mystery。 The book is written by way of emails between the two and interviews conducted by Evelyn with the main players - Zoe's twin sister， parents， boyfriend and friends。 The accounts of each slowly weave the backstory before Zoe's disappearance， up to the event of the night she went missing and beyond， in the aftermath of her disappearance。 It is a complex case and although I loved the way it was told， it takes some concentration to keep up with who is who and what they have said before。 I felt like making my own murder board at times just to keep track！Well worth a read if you like true crime and mysteries。 。。。more

Leah Moyse ，

Review to follow as part of blog tour。

Kate Henderson ，

**listened to the audiobook**This book is so clever！ At the start of the book I was left slightly bemused as to what was real and what wasn't？ Was it all fiction？ What was going on？The audiobook has multiple narrators， and reads like a podcast or documentary series。 It's really clever， and definitely made it more engrossing that maybe the physical copy of the book would。I loved the idea for this book， but the more it went on the less interested I became。 I found it to be repetitive， and slow pac **listened to the audiobook**This book is so clever！ At the start of the book I was left slightly bemused as to what was real and what wasn't？ Was it all fiction？ What was going on？The audiobook has multiple narrators， and reads like a podcast or documentary series。 It's really clever， and definitely made it more engrossing that maybe the physical copy of the book would。I loved the idea for this book， but the more it went on the less interested I became。 I found it to be repetitive， and slow paced - I genuinely cared about what happened but I found it became very 'waffly' and went off-topic too many times。 I just wanted to find out what happened！ Overall it's very clever， but I don't think the plot was as good as the concept。 。。。more

Lucy ，

This documentary style story is based around the disappearance of Zoe Nolan， a young twin who vanishes suddenly whist at University。 There are a group of main characters that we are introduced to very early on and as everything unravels， it is made clear that most of them have something to hide， secrets begin to become revealed。 I really enjoyed the flow of this， and just when I thought I had it all figured out， Joseph Knox flipped everything， and made me begin my own investigation once again。 I This documentary style story is based around the disappearance of Zoe Nolan， a young twin who vanishes suddenly whist at University。 There are a group of main characters that we are introduced to very early on and as everything unravels， it is made clear that most of them have something to hide， secrets begin to become revealed。 I really enjoyed the flow of this， and just when I thought I had it all figured out， Joseph Knox flipped everything， and made me begin my own investigation once again。 I read this with a notepad close by， to help me conclude what had happened to Zoe， and I am delighted to say the final twist was not foreseen at all。 This is a thrilling and engaging read and is perfect for those readers who love to do a bit of detective work。 。Is this a True Crime Story as the title suggests？ It certainly gives the impression of such in the style of writing， and I don't mind admitting that I was duped into thinking this was based on real events， but research proved me wrong！ This is a highly recommended read， which I predict will be a massive hit for all readers alike。 Thank you NetGalley， Random House UK and Double Day for a gifted digital version of this， in exchange for a honest review。 。。。more

Jules ，

True Crime Story is so cleverly done that， at first， I was absolutely convinced I was reading a real true crime， non-fiction book。It’s written like an interview of possible suspects， which have been spliced together to give one long picture of what may or may not have happened to Zoe Nolan。 The characters are all flawed， none really likeable & I genuinely never figured out what was going to happen， so the ending was also brilliantly done。 Like I say， clever！The only reason I’ve not given it 5 st True Crime Story is so cleverly done that， at first， I was absolutely convinced I was reading a real true crime， non-fiction book。It’s written like an interview of possible suspects， which have been spliced together to give one long picture of what may or may not have happened to Zoe Nolan。 The characters are all flawed， none really likeable & I genuinely never figured out what was going to happen， so the ending was also brilliantly done。 Like I say， clever！The only reason I’ve not given it 5 stars is that I’ve read all of Joseph Knox’s books & his Aidan Waits series is outstanding （especially The Sleepwalker）， and I didn’t feel True Crime Story was quite as brilliant！ It’s still excellent & I’ll still highly recommend it， but if you haven’t read Joseph’s other books then you absolutely should！！ 。。。more

Anne ，

Some books are incredibly difficult to review coherently， and True Crime Story is one of those books。 It's a story that ingrains itself into your brain， it lingers and you find yourself wondering and pondering， and desperate to get back to it。Knox has structured this story so well。 From the beginning， with the 'publisher's note' printed at the start of the book， the reader finds themselves asking questions。 I defy any reader not to Google the characters and the case， because it feels so real， so Some books are incredibly difficult to review coherently， and True Crime Story is one of those books。 It's a story that ingrains itself into your brain， it lingers and you find yourself wondering and pondering， and desperate to get back to it。Knox has structured this story so well。 From the beginning， with the 'publisher's note' printed at the start of the book， the reader finds themselves asking questions。 I defy any reader not to Google the characters and the case， because it feels so real， so authentic and it is utterly brilliant。In the early hours of Saturday 17 December 2011， Zoe Nolan， a nineteen-year-old Manchester University student， walked out of a party taking place in the shared accommodation where she had been living for three months。She was never seen again。 In January 2019， crime fiction author Joseph Knox receives an email from a woman called Evelyn Mitchell。 Evelyn has been carrying out her own investigation into Zoe's disappearance and has spoken with her family and friends。 She is determined to turn these statements into a book， and wants advice from Knox; an author who she admires。 True Crime Story is made up of the various accounts given to Evelyn by Zoe's family and her friends， and is interspersed with the email communication between Knox and Evelyn。 It is very clever， it is compelling and intriguing and the further you read， the more you learn about Zoe， her life and her circumstances。It's an uncomfortable read at times。 It feels a little voyeuristic， it is also quite disturbing and none of the players in this story are cast in a good light; including Zoe。 Expect the unexpected， do not be fooled by anything you read。 This tale is full of unrelenting pressure， twists and dark secrets that are slowly exposed。 There is danger and dirt， there are characters who hide in plain sight， there are events that will chill you。True Crime Story is outrageously good。 This is fiction writing at the highest level。 It is masterfully created and it's a story that will stay with me for a very long time， not just for the plot， but for the ingenuity of how it is put together。 Highly recommended by me。 。。。more

Rebecca Rowlands ，

WHEEEWW。 I KNEW that this book was fiction， presented as true crime， and yet I still found myself googling Zoe after the first few chapters juuuuust in case I was mistaken。 The author has written himself into the book and I think that is bloody brilliant。 The book is all transcipts of interviews between Evelyn and the characters， and then email correspondence between Evelyn and Joseph， which made it an easy read， easy to plant red herrings and easy to say "go on then I'll just read one more entr WHEEEWW。 I KNEW that this book was fiction， presented as true crime， and yet I still found myself googling Zoe after the first few chapters juuuuust in case I was mistaken。 The author has written himself into the book and I think that is bloody brilliant。 The book is all transcipts of interviews between Evelyn and the characters， and then email correspondence between Evelyn and Joseph， which made it an easy read， easy to plant red herrings and easy to say "go on then I'll just read one more entry"。。。 and then you're up all night finishing it。 Really smart， really captivating and really fun to read。 。。。more

Rebecca Sims ，

A good read if you like lots of dialogue。 I struggled with this book in places， it’s not the kind of book I usually go for due to the format it has been written。 It is interview based and paints a picture of Zoe’s life before her disappearance and puts a personality to her name rather than her being ‘just another victim’。 It seemed a little fragmented going from person to person， explaining the timeline。 It was very thoroughly researched and had a lot of information in it。 I enjoyed the narratio A good read if you like lots of dialogue。 I struggled with this book in places， it’s not the kind of book I usually go for due to the format it has been written。 It is interview based and paints a picture of Zoe’s life before her disappearance and puts a personality to her name rather than her being ‘just another victim’。 It seemed a little fragmented going from person to person， explaining the timeline。 It was very thoroughly researched and had a lot of information in it。 I enjoyed the narration style of the audiobook。 Probably much better for someone who likes this format of writing。 Many thanks to the author and NetGalley for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest， unbiased review。 。。。more

Alison Bradbury ，

Don't be deceived by the title of this book - it is not a true crime story at all。 Pitched as a blending together of fact and fiction this is just the opposite and is instead entirely fictitious。 This is the story of Zoe Nolan， who in December of 2011 disappears from her student accommodation in Manchester。 The police looked for her but could find no trace of either Zoe or foul play。 In 2018 writer Evelyn starts investigating the disappearance and interviews the main players， from Zoe's jealous Don't be deceived by the title of this book - it is not a true crime story at all。 Pitched as a blending together of fact and fiction this is just the opposite and is instead entirely fictitious。 This is the story of Zoe Nolan， who in December of 2011 disappears from her student accommodation in Manchester。 The police looked for her but could find no trace of either Zoe or foul play。 In 2018 writer Evelyn starts investigating the disappearance and interviews the main players， from Zoe's jealous twin sister Kim， sleazy boyfriend Andrew， obsessive father Robert， and a bevvy of friends who all have their own opinions of what they experienced in the run up to Zoe's disappearance and what has happened to them in the intervening years。This is told in part through a series of emails between Joseph Knox and Evelyn （an additional character within the book with her own story to tell） and interviews with everyone else。 We cover and recover and recover parts of the story with each of the characters having their 'say' in a series of interviews which are spliced together so that all characters comment on the same event at the same part of the book。 We are lead in every dizzying circles as the police do a sweep of the flat but miss a service hatch hidden in the wall。 where the 'killer/kidnapper' watches Zoe through holes drilled in her wall - really？？ The story is not thrilling， exciting or gripping - instead it is dull， monotonous and it takes an inordinate amount of time to make progress with the story。 None of the characters are in anyway likeable - in fact I struggled to care about them at all。 The 'reveal' of what happened is a disappointment as it isn't clear about what exactly occurred to Zoe， and I found that I didn't care about her either as we don't spend anytime getting to know her。 On the whole I found this to be a disappointing read。 Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

June Walters ，

I expect that the length of time it took me to finish this book， almost 2 weeks， gives a true reflection on how I feel about it。 I thought it would be a story I could really get into， but I found the way in which the interviews were set out were difficult to focus my attention， and had to reread at times。 The idea of the book is good， and had it been more cohesive， then the premise would have worked。 For me I found it too lengthy and also childish at times。 With some editing it would have worked I expect that the length of time it took me to finish this book， almost 2 weeks， gives a true reflection on how I feel about it。 I thought it would be a story I could really get into， but I found the way in which the interviews were set out were difficult to focus my attention， and had to reread at times。 The idea of the book is good， and had it been more cohesive， then the premise would have worked。 For me I found it too lengthy and also childish at times。 With some editing it would have worked better as a “teenager” book。 Not one for me sadly。Thank you NetGalley。 。。。more

Zuky the BookBum ，

DUDE 🤯

Ali Kennedy ，

Outstanding。 Definitely one of my books of the year and we haven't reached the end of June yet。This is like the love child of Daisy Jones and The Six， and any Harlan Coben or Linwood Barclay book I've ever read。Written in a dialogue/interview style， this tells the story of a young woman， Zoe Nolan， who goes missing after a party， 3 months into her first year at University in Manchester。Things I loved about this book:- At first I thought this was based on a true story （like Daisy） and I even goog Outstanding。 Definitely one of my books of the year and we haven't reached the end of June yet。This is like the love child of Daisy Jones and The Six， and any Harlan Coben or Linwood Barclay book I've ever read。Written in a dialogue/interview style， this tells the story of a young woman， Zoe Nolan， who goes missing after a party， 3 months into her first year at University in Manchester。Things I loved about this book:- At first I thought this was based on a true story （like Daisy） and I even googled to check。 It opens with a statement from the author that made it seem like all that follows is true。- There is the inclusion of emails， pictures， newspaper articles and a number of other "unconventional" formats。 I love this trend in fiction。 I first saw it in the YA book A Good Girls Guide To Murder and have since seen it popping up in crime fiction- particularly well done in Cara Hunter books。- Like any good crime fiction book， there is a whole cast of characters and you will suspect every single one of them at some point。 The characterisation is insanely good and you don't know who is telling the truth or whose perspective is "real"。- There are twists and turns and secrets and revelations that took me on a wild ride that I just couldn't even predict。I won this signed proof copy from the author on Twitter but I am still purchasing my pre-order from Waterstones because it is THAT good （and that copy has pink sprayed edges so of course I want it！！）。I've loved the author's previous writing so I am so pleased this lived up to my expectations。 。。。more

Jo Furniss ，

Told in true crime-style interview transcripts and emails between investigators--and with Joseph Knox as a character within his own novel--this playful and clever format elevates the story of a campus killer。

Kate Potapenko ，

I have picked up this book as I thought it was an actual true story。。 Didn't take me long to understand that it wasn't， however the idea behind it is very interesting。 To show events through the eyes of different people， who witnessed the same events。。In fact it's a brilliant idea！ Execution wasn't as good in my opinion。 It dragged and dragged and dragged。。 for something that is supposed to look like a true story there were a bit too many "big" events and "not coincidences" in it。Ending made me I have picked up this book as I thought it was an actual true story。。 Didn't take me long to understand that it wasn't， however the idea behind it is very interesting。 To show events through the eyes of different people， who witnessed the same events。。In fact it's a brilliant idea！ Execution wasn't as good in my opinion。 It dragged and dragged and dragged。。 for something that is supposed to look like a true story there were a bit too many "big" events and "not coincidences" in it。Ending made me think that the author just ran out of ideas。 Maybe it was supposed to leave way too many questions unanswered， way too many strange events， but it didn't sit well with me。Not exactly the author's fault， but it was also very poorly edited for a kindle reader and I had to go back to my table to read certain parts of it。 It was also interesting that parts that were supposed to be "edited out" of the emails etc。 were all readable on kindle。 Including phone number that was supposed to be couloured out。Thank you #NetGalley for my free copy 。。。more

Tamsin Preece ，

This is a different take on a typical genre of book。 I didn’t particularly enjoy it， but I can appreciate how well crafted and put together it was。 I liked the writing style and I was interested in finding out what happened。 Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=True Crime Story: The most original and compelling crime novel of 2021

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=True Crime Story: The most original and compelling crime novel of 2021&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,True Crime Story: The most original and compelling crime novel of 2021&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0