True Crime Story

Starred review from October 4, 2021
In 2011, 19-year-old University of Manchester student Zoe Nolan, the victim at the center of this stellar standalone from British author Knox (the Aiden Waits series), inexplicably goes missing during a chaotic fire alarm evacuation in her high-rise dorm. In the aftermath, her disappearance irrevocably alters—and in some cases destroys—the lives of her twin sister, her boyfriend, and numerous friends, some of whom are witnesses and potential suspects. In a metafictional twist, crime writer Joseph Knox takes an interest in the case after another writer, Evelyn Mitchell, starts investigating what happened to Zoe and sends him chapters of the true crime story she’s working on—a story that involves drug use, infidelity, and mental illness. Then there’s “the so-called Shadow Man, who stalked Zoe through the city, tracking her every move.” Interview excerpts and emails sometimes corroborate events and other times refute them. The impressively twisty plot drops one bombshell revelation after another. Twin Peaks fans won’t want to miss this one. Agent: Daniel Lazar, Writers House.

March 1, 2022

Knox's (The Smiling Man) latest concerns a struggling writer named Evelyn Mitchell, who has become obsessed with the unsolved disappearance of a college student named Zoe Nolan seven years earlier. She researches the details and interviews Zoe's friends, family, and acquaintances as she attempts to puzzle out what happened after the young woman walked out of her lodgings at the University of Manchester for the last time. Inconsistencies and odd details abound, and Evelyn turns to her friend crime writer Joseph Knox to help her make sense of her findings. It's clear from the beginning that Evelyn was killed at some point during her investigation and Knox continued her efforts in the wake of her death, with this book combining the work they both did. The author, David John, Sarah Parks, Chris Thompson, Drew Dillon, Ciara Baxendale, Louis Bernard, Shane Zaza, Caitlin Griffiths, Conor McLeod, Dolly Webb, Grace Cooper, Isla Lee, Levi Brown, Noah Marullo, and Tara Tijani narrate, and while all do a good job with characterization, the sheer number of characters requires listeners' close attention, at least at the beginning. VERDICT The unique premise, well-executed twists, and satisfying conclusion make this a natural fit for listeners with an interest in crime stories both true and fictional.--Stephanie Klose

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