True Crime Story: A Novel
True Crime Story: A Novel book cover

True Crime Story: A Novel

Paperback – December 7, 2021

Price
$9.00
Format
Paperback
Pages
400
Publisher
Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-1728245867
Dimensions
5.5 x 1 x 8.25 inches
Weight
14.4 ounces

Description

"[A] stunningly unique take on a thriller...For fans of stories with a little something extra, this book is set up like an oral history, complete with emails, newspaper clippings and photos that propel the story all the way to a shocking and satisfying conclusion." ― Newsweek "Cleverly blending the real and imagined worlds until the reader can't differentiate the two, Knox has created a twisty, turny thriller that cuts through the heart of the modern true crime fascination, all while keeping us enraptured by it." ― BuzzFeed "Knox the author pulls off a hybrid 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." ― The Sunday Times "Joseph Knox now offers an ingenious metafictional work about a cold case involving the disappearance of Zoe Nolan... This is one of the most engaging cold-case novels I have read." ― Literary Review "The gifted Joseph Knox continues his upwards trajectory with True Crime Story forging something original and innovative." ― Financial Times "Mr. Knox is a fantastic writer. His ambitious fourth novel satirises and celebrates the true-crime genre with glee. True Crime Story , by turns horrific and hilarious, is scandalously entertaining." ― The Times "The impressively twisty plot drops one bombshell revelation after another. Twin Peaks fans won’t want to miss this one." ― Publishers Weekly, STARRED Review "Each voice is distinctive and convincing, and each story within the central tale captures the youth culture of the time in unglamorous Manchester." ― Kirkus Reviews "Pure genius – all the things you want to a crime novel to be, also hilarious. I love it." ― Jane Casey, author of the Maeve Kerrigan novels " True Crime Story is phenomenal. One of the most original thrillers I’ve read in years, perhaps ever. A gritty, twisted murder mystery told in the unique style of a true crime account. I’ve rarely raced through a book so fast. I’m just gutted that it’s probably ruined me for thrillers for a good long while! Absolutely remarkable." ― Erin Young, author of The Fields "Riveting and relentless. A unique story, brilliantly told." ― Terry Hayes, author of I Am Pilgrim "Absolutely brilliant. I think it’s a game-changer." ― Martyn Waites, author of The Woman in Black "Highly original and mischievous novel – a complete triumph." ― John Boyne, bestselling author of A Ladder to the Sky "Reads like a cinematic true crime documentary. Brilliant, compelling and original." ― Steve Cavanagh, award-winning author of the Eddie Flynn series JOSEPH KNOX was born and raised in and around Manchester, England, where he worked in bars and bookshops before moving to London. His debut novel, Sirens, the first in the Aidan Waits trilogy, was a bestseller and has been translated into eighteen languages. True Crime Story is his first stand-alone novel, and was a #1 Sunday Times bestseller.

Features & Highlights

  • "Cleverly blending the real and imagined worlds until the reader can't differentiate the two, Knox has created a twisty, turny thriller that cuts through the heart of the modern true crime fascination, all while keeping us enraptured by it."―BuzzFeed
  • THE #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER!
  • For fans of true crime documentaries and
  • Only Murders in the Building
  • comes the chilling story of a university student's sudden disappearance, the woman who became obsessed with her case, and the crime writer who uncovered the truth about what happened…
  • What happens to all the girls who go missing?
  • In 2011, Zoe Nolan walked out of her dormitory in Manchester and was never seen or heard from again. Her case went cold. Her story was sad, certainly, but hardly sensational, crime writer Joseph Knox thought. He wouldn't have given her any more thought were it not for his friend, Evelyn Mitchell. Another writer struggling to come up with a new idea, Evelyn was wondering just what happens to all the girls who go missing. What happens to the Zoe Nolans of the world?
  • Evelyn began investigating herself, interviewing Zoe's family and friends, and emailing Joseph with chapters of the book she was writing with her findings. Uneasy with the corkscrew twists and turns, Joseph Knox embedded himself in the case, ultimately discovering a truth more tragic and shocking than he could have possibly imagined…
  • Just remember:
  • Everything
  • you read is fiction.
  • Praise for
  • True Crime Story
  • :
  • "Stunningly unique...For fans of stories with a little something extra, this book is set up like an oral history, complete with emails, newspaper clippings and photos that propel the story all the way to a shocking and satisfying conclusion."
  • Newsweek
  • "Mr. Knox is a fantastic writer. His ambitious fourth novel satirises and celebrates the true-crime genre with glee.
  • True Crime Story
  • , by turns horrific and hilarious, is scandalously entertaining."
  • The Times
  • (UK)
  • "The gifted Joseph Knox continues his upwards trajectory with
  • True Crime Story
  • forging something original and innovative."
  • Financial Times
  • (UK)
  • "This is one of the most engaging cold-case novels I have read."
  • Literary Review
  • (UK)

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
30%
(415)
★★★★
25%
(346)
★★★
15%
(208)
★★
7%
(97)
23%
(318)

Most Helpful Reviews

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Annoying

I had not read the first version of this book when it was released, but I was keen to try this one.

I tried to get through it, but I gave up after four chapters. There were several reasons why I couldn't continue reading. The first is that, frankly, it felt to me like the author stole this book, and I couldn’t tell if it was from a real person or a fictional person .He talks at great length about how the idea, a huge amount of research and a partial first draft all belonged to his friend who is dead and doesn't have her name on the book. That does not endear me to the author at all.

Secondly, I don't like his 'voice' in the book. He comes across as arrogant and condescending.

Lastly, the interview format throughout the book, which is supposed to be direct quotes from numerous people involved with the case is irritating and lazy. Either write a book or don't, but don't expect your readers to do all the work by slogging through hundreds of pages of characters snarking at each other or going off on tangents.

In sum, I am really disappointed in this book, and I do not recommend it at all.
18 people found this helpful
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Wow!

I couldn't stop reading this book.
5 people found this helpful
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Not much of a crime story

I absolutely loved the first three books that Joseph Knox wrote. I’ve been saving this one for when I really had the time to dive into it. Sadly I am very disappointed in it. It was a unique way to write the book but I found that I pretty much hated all of the characters. Its so boring and dragged on forever. I was just glad to get it over with.
1 people found this helpful
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Can't get enough of Joseph Knox books

Wow. What a roller coaster read. Is it fact or fiction? I absolutely loved the format of each friend/family member/acquaintance of the victim giving their versions of what transpired. As you move through the book, you get more and more info from each one that starts to shock you. You think you know them then wham.

This is written so well that a little bit in I started googling to find the Zoe Nolan case. Generally, my research skills are excellent, but I couldn't find a thing. But then I found an article about the book that explained the truth and I had to laugh at myself.

I've read another book by Joseph Knox and he is an incredibly good writer. He writes like someone with much more experience than his age. Seeing his picture the first time blew my mind. He's such a seasoned author, I expected someone in his 40s at least. But I'm happy he's so young as that means we'll get so many more books out of him.

Excellent book. Excellent author.
1 people found this helpful
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Incredibly unique with a staggering ending!

True Crime Story by Joseph Knox is an epic thriller everyone will want to put on their must read list!

College student Zoe Nolan disappeared from her dorm building in Manchester, England in 2011 and has never been seen since. What began as a missing person investigation, erupted into a full-scale is she dead mystery, with suspects including her twin sister Kim as well as her boyfriend, father and even friends.

When writer Evelyn Mitchell decides to write a book about the case and asks her friend, fellow best-selling author Joseph Knox to give her some guidance, never did they see the horrible, shocking outcome to the mystery.

Through a series of riveting transcribed interviews Evelyn does with Zoe’s family, friends and the police, before, during and after her disappearance, Evelyn and Joseph begin to learn many alarming pieces of information about Zoe, as well as about her twin sister Kim, who always felt as if she could and would never live up to her sister’s talent. Zoe’s boyfriend is even suspected as more is learned about the days and hours leading up to her vanishing. Even Zoe and Kim’s father is suspected as he has no alibi for the time his daughter went missing. More importantly, it seems everyone involves is hiding information.

As days turn into weeks and then years there is no word or sign of Zoe. Everyone has tried to move on, most not being able to let go of the trauma they had endured. Then suddenly, out of the blue, close to the anniversary of the disappearance, they are all jolted by information none of them had ever known. Why now?

Will Zoe ever be found? What happened to her? Is she alive? If not, who killed her? And why?

This story is so unique, eerie, captivating and gripping with astounding twists and turns and an incredible jaw-dropping ending which was staggering!
1 people found this helpful
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Not a good read

I am not a fan of this style of writing. I think reading courtroom transcripts would be more interesting.
✓ Verified Purchase

Slow drag to the end

The story dragged on and on and on. The ending was nothing spectacular. Too many characters that were mentioned and served no purpose. I just didn’t care who killed anyone by the end just wanted to finish.
✓ Verified Purchase

Well done

True Crime Story: A Novel (Paperback) by Joseph Knox

This book is well written, well preface, and well epilogued. As with most true crime books of this type, there is never really an ending. There are some answers, and more questions. I admire the way Knox presented Evelyn's (EX) research, discoveries and ultimately her story too. Thank goodness that he did as this is a marvelous way to memorialize her genius.
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Couldn't put it down!

I'll admit - I read past the end of my lunch hour a few days last week while racing through True Crime Story. It felt like reading a true crime podcast, which I guess is how it was supposed to feel, with the overlapping interviews of all the characters.
At one point, it felt so real, that I actually went and searched Zoe Nolan's name to see if it was based on a true story. It's not...but it sure felt like it could be.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Early Reads for an ARC of this book.
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Loved it

You’re either going to love this book or hate it. I happened to love it!

This is a novel mocked up to look like the author, Joseph Knox, is involved in a true-crime story that a friend of his is researching. (Kind of like Anthony Horowitz does in his Hawthorne books.). The story is an investigation of what happened to a young uni student who went missing from a holiday party in 2011, and how her disappearance derailed the lives of everyone around her, including the people trying to find her.

The story is told as “interview notes” so it jumps from person to person. I liked the format and the snark as the characters argued with and contradicted each other. Unsurprisingly, almost everyone is an unstable narrator.

The ending was pretty satisfying but like another reviewer pointed out, you aren’t going to be able to guess what happened—this is a twisty thriller, not a puzzle to be solved.