A review by themomwithabook
True Crime Story by Joseph Knox

mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Review of True Crime Story by Joseph Knox: 
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 
 
On December 17, 2011, Manchester University student Zoe Nolan, walked out of a party and was never seen again.  Seven years later, author Evelyn Mitchell begins interviewing those closest to Zoe.  The interviews highlight some of the inconsistencies in everyones stories but also shed light on a secret life and a side of Zoe that not everyone knew.  To help parse out her story, Evelyn reaches out to true crime writer Joseph Knox, in the hopes that he can help her make sense of all the material she has gathered and try to solve Zoe’s mysterious disappearance once and for all. 
 
Ok first of all - if you’re going to read this book I suggest listening to it.  It’s an unconventional narrative that worked and what an experience it was!  Each character has a different narrator so that, mixed with the overlapping and contradicting interviews, make it feel like you’re listening to a podcast.  The author even inserted himself into the actual story which had me questioning everything and it’s that right there, that was the true ingenuity of it all.  I spent far too much time going down a rabbit hole that led to nowhere because Zoe Nolan doesn’t actually exist yet the book feels like she did.  I’m still not entirely convinced that she doesn’t exist - that’s how authentic this book felt.  Knox created a complex thriller that blends fact and fiction and tossed in a slew of suspicious, unreliable (and unlikeable) characters - I truly did not see the twist coming in the end.  I was so absorbed in the story and so caught up with the realness of it all that I just couldn’t put it down; couldn’t even flesh out fact and fiction - that’s what’s most wild to me! 
 
Albeit late in my review, thanks to @LibroFM [#partner] for gifting me with an advanced listeners copy!
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