True Crime Story

Written by Joseph Knox

Narrated by Joseph Knox, Conor McLeod, Dolly Webb and 13 more

In the early hours of Saturday, December 17, Zoe Nolan walked out of a party in the apartment where she’d been living for three months. She was nineteen and a student at Manchester University.

She was never seen again.

Seven years after her disappearance, struggling writer Evelyn Mitchell finds herself drawn into the mystery.

Through interviews with Zoe’s closest friends and family, she begins piecing together what really happened that night.

But where some versions of events overlap, aligning perfectly with one another, others stand in stark contrast, giving rise to troubling inconsistencies.

Shaken by revelations of Zoe’s secret life and stalked by a figure from the shadows, Evelyn turns to crime writer Joseph Knox to help make sense of a case where everyone has something to hide.

Zoe Nolan may be missing, presumed dead, but her story is only just beginning.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Dec 7, 2021
• ISBN: 9781705030882

Joseph Knox

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.

Reviews for True Crime Story

[micareads · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

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.

[carolesrandomlife · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked this book. I am more than willing to try just about any audiobook that features a full cast. I just really enjoy the experience of listening to full cast bring a story to life. As soon as I heard about this book, I was more than ready to give it a listen and I found it to be quite entertaining.This book explores the disappearance of Zoe Nolan. Writer Evelyn Mitchell is looking into what really happened to Zoe with the hopes of putting everything together for a book. She discusses her progress with her friend Joseph Know who is also a writer. We hear from a lot of key individuals that might hold some information as to what really happened to Zoe all those years earlier. Zoe was a new college student enjoying herself at school but there were some strange things that happened just before she disappeared.I really think that this story is meant to be experienced in audio. I actually could not imagine reading the back and forth exchanges between the authors or other characters and enjoying them to the same extent that I did in audio. I think that each of the voice actors did a great job in bringing their character and this story to life. I think that the narrators were able to add a lot of excitement and emotion to the story through their narration.I would recommend this book to others. I thought that the mystery of what happened to Zoe was very intriguing and I loved that the story kept me guessing until the very end. I would definitely read more of this author’s work in the future.I received a review copy of this audiobook from Recorded Books.

[amym3317 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In 2011, Zoe Nolan disappeared from her dormitory in Manchester. The case went cold, and now years later author Evelyn Mitchell has decided to pick up the story, trying to shed some new light on Zoe by interviewing friends, family, police. After hitting a seemingly dead end, Evelyn decides to send her progress to fellow author Joseph Knox in hopes that he'll be able to give some good angles on where she can go next with the story. But as Joseph immerses himself within Zoe's story, the lines between fact and fiction begin to blur. I really enjoyed the idea of breaking the fourth wall so to speak. Joseph Knox blurs the lines between truth and fiction and brings the reader along for the ride. It's really clever and drives the story forward. I think it's a perfect commentary on our near-obsession with true crime with the number of docuseries and podcasts around, almost anyone can reach the status of armchair detective. Joseph Knox plays upon this excellently. I really like the oral history format of the story. It really enhances the idea of the supposed reality of the story. I've read other books that have utilized this technique and it's one that makes me want to listen to the audiobook as I feel like that's the closest way to really convey the idea of someone being interviewed. The story itself unfolds at a languid pace. I liked how with all the different characters putting in their own version of events you don't know what, or who, to trust. Everyone has secrets and reasons for keeping or telling those secrets. It's just interesting to see the narrative changes as the various twists and turns are revealed. I think my only complaint is, at a certain point, I did feel like there were certain points where I felt like the information was being recycled over and over again without any forward momentum, but once we'd hit on a piece of information it would almost be like looking at the story again with a fresh set of eyes. Without giving anything away, I also feel like Joseph Knox gives a satisfying ending. He clearly knows in True Crime Stories of any kind it's the resolution that people want to see, the answers. I don't think this one disappoints.

[pgchuis · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.This was very good. I read it all in one sitting, and while it perhaps sagged a little in the middle, it really kept me guessing throughout. I wasn't quite sure of the value of the author inserting himself into the story, although it did add another layer of potential unreliability. The characters depicted in the 'extracts from transcripts' were clearly distinguishable from one another and I loved Lui Wai, who was in HR with 'at least seven' people below her.I gather this is very different from this author's other works, which I haven't read, but I recommend this one highly.

[rowingrabbit · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm going to keep this short because the promotional blurb tells you all you need to know about the supposed plot. The real story is how it's delivered. The author has come up with a cleverly constructed narrative that blurs the line between fiction & true crime, a genre that has exploded in recent years. Knox starts off by telling us how he met a woman named Evelyn Mitchell at one of his book signings. Also an author, Evie gently dismisses him as another attention-seeking writer whose books focus more on the salacious details of killer than the victim(s). Evie is currently doing research for her next book, one she hopes will balance the scales. It's definitely about the victim....a Manchester university student named Zoe Nolan who disappeared in 2011. Knox & Evie begin to correspond & the majority of the book is composed of their emails, transcripts of interviews with people from Zoe's life & the odd paragraph from Knox explaining how he got involved.On the surface, it's a detailed investigation into a cold case with some great twists. But the author takes a satirical approach, poking fun not only at the genre but himself. The opening letter from his "former" publisher sets the tone & lets you know you're in for suspense delivered with a wink & a nudge. It also has something to say about social media & its dodgy relationship with the truth. The format can be a challenge. It's not always clear who was sending an email & who was receiving. Also, there's a section devoted to transcripts of duelling statements from Zoe's friends that basically consists of he said-she said-oh no you di'int. You learn a lot here about events leading up to her disappearance but I thought it went on a bit too long. At about the 40% mark Zoe has vanished & police join the conversation. That plus a couple of twists meant I was fully invested from there on. The pace picked up & a story that was already very readable became compelling. I've read a couple of other books this year where authors have inserted themselves in the story. It's the literary equivalent of breaking the fourth wall & usually done with a self deprecation that adds to the story. Knox clearly doesn't take himself too seriously as he gently mocks his process & profession but the thriller writer inside is never far from the surface, ensuring the reader is gripped by Evie's investigation.So perhaps we need a new genre label for this mash-up....true fiction? Doesn't really matter, all you need to know is it's a clever & innovative take on crime fiction that will keep you entertained.