Review: True Crime Story

True Crime Story by Joseph Knox
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book through Early Reads.
I think this is either one of those books you are going to love or you are going to hate. I was reluctant to read it because of all the negative reviews I saw, but I decided to go ahead and give it a chance, and I am very glad I did. This is a very different take on a mystery/crime novel, in that it is "told" as interviews done by a true crime author named Evelyn who has been researching the disappearance of a young college-aged woman named Zoe for her new book. This author interviewed everyone she could find who knew Zoe at the time, including her twin sister, her parents, her boyfriend, and her flatmates. She also conducted interviews with people who might have had something to do with her disappearance or who might be able to shed light on Zoe's state of mind. The interviews conducted by Evelyn are sent to another author, named Joseph Knox (yes, the author of this book), and emails between Evelyn and Joseph are also included in the book. As the interviews progress and the emails continue, more and more insights are revealed about Zoe, her personality, and what was happening in her life in the months before she vanished.
All of this might sound confusing, and this is possibly why some people don't like the book. But I found it to all flow together quite nicely. As the events leading up to Zoe's disappearance were revealed by many different people and their differing points of view, an interesting picture slowly but surely came into view. I found myself completely drawn in and did not want to put the book down. I wasn't a huge fan of the ending, but it did not take away from my enjoyment of the book at all.
If you enjoy true crime, slightly "meta" stories, mystery, and suspense, I would absolutely recommend this book.

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