Although this book is structured and reads like true crime, this novel is a blend of mystery and thriller that focuses on the case of a missing teenager, 19-year-old Zoe Noland, who seemingly vanished from the rooftop of her Manchester University residence tower on the night of a student Christmas party.
The narrative includes excerpts of "interviews" conducted by a woman who is intent on publishing a book about Zoe's disappearance. This wanna be author, Evelyn Mitchell, starts corresponding with Joseph Knox (clever little bit of realism inserting himself) in a series of emails asking him to read her manuscript and provide a mentorship of sorts. Since these snippets jump around between all the people who were close to Zoe at the time of the event, the story sometimes seems a bit disjointed. Add in the fact that many of these interviewees are lying, exaggerating, or omitting important details and you have a large volume of information to process. Mix in the twists, the surprising revelations, and the bad behavior of some of the characters and you have a tale that is so bizarre and crazy that it's hard to put down. In all, a very unique way to tell a story though the wild denouement had me shaking my head -- what???
I found it all very entertaining, but a bit frustrating with the lack of linear structure. The main body of characters were quite unlikable and not nice people with redeeming qualities. I was drawn into the case and really wanted to know what happened to Zoe which makes the lack of a definitive answer all the more frustrating after the time invested in reading! Just like real life, sometimes you don't get the resolution you need or want.
Definitely should appeal to anyone who likes amateur sleuths or true crime podcasts/documentaries though the style might be off-putting.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this e-book ARC to read and review.
This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre - fiction that reads like true crime, mystery, thriller
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