Author: Joseph Knox
Started: Nov. 12, 2021
Finished: Nov. 17, 2021
Thank you to Doubleday and Netgalley for the chance to read this advanced copy in return for an honest review.
Zoe Nolan is a young English girl who goes away to college in Manchester. She walks out of a party at her dorm and is never seen again. As the police investigate, they come to realize that her life wasn't exactly as it seemed.
Fast forward seven years later and an author named Evelyn Mitchell is attempting to tell Zoe's story in a bid to help solve the mystery and bring Zoe home. She begins to piece together the story of Zoe's disappearance through interviews with her friends, family, and the authorities in charge of the case. As she uncovers more information, she begins to receive odd calls and strangers appearing at her house without warning. As she proceeds with the writing she reaches out to an author she admires, Joseph Knox, for help and early reading of her book as it progresses.
There appears to be a new genre called true crime fiction. The author places him or herself in the story as a prominent character and frames the story as a true crime novel. There have been a few books that have pulled this off perfectly but sadly I do not feel this is one of them. I found the format a little less than fluid and there was far too much going on. As a reader, I like to be emotionally invested in the main characters but I felt no connection to these characters and wasn't excited to get to the end of the book.