This story starts building from page 1 and adds a new character of new action often, as if she's living the writing of her book. The main character has suffered a serious trauma, changing locations and careers to help her cope. She moves through the new community quickly, finding friends and acquaintances around each corner until you start to wonder......what is going on. Well, if I told you, you'd not believe it so you'll just have to read the book.

The Writer
by Tracy Thorne
Pub Date 31 Jul 2021
Tracy Thorne
General Fiction \(Adult\)| Mystery & Thrillers| Women's Fiction

The Writer was provided to me by Tracy Thorne and Netgalley for review:


In the aftermath of a brutal attack, Frankie Moretti trades subways and high-rises for grape vines and rugged Central California shorelines, and speech writing for fiction. She spins the drama meant for her pages into real life when she has a tumultuous affair with a married man in the sleepy beach town. A murder investigation puts her at the center of a dilemma she can't reverse.



Frankie loses sight of what's real and what's not amid spoiled relationships, wine, loneliness, and PTSD. She will have to overcome her past trauma and navigate a dangerous situation in order to survive. But what if she's not able to? What will happen if she succumbs to impulsive behavior and poor decisions?



I give The Writer four out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Loved this book. The main character was so well done. The story was full and entertaining. Very nicely written and very detailed.

This one was not for me.
Thank you NetGalley for providing a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This cover and description immediately made me think of Jincy Willett's The Writing Club which I adored; probably unfair to set this one up with such high expectations, but I just couldn't get through it.

When Frankie moves from NYC to California in search of peace and safety she is not prepared for what is coming her way and the way it plays with her mind, her emotions and her life. The book is certainly engaging and page turning as you have to know what happens next and how Frankie’s journey ends. There are definitely trigger warnings to be issued here around sexual assault, PTSD qnd violence against women.

DNF. I tried and tried to get into it but it seemed convoluted and over the top and I just couldn’t get into the characters or the story, so unfortunately I DNF this book.

This is the first book I read from this author and I’ve really enjoyed it. The plot was well developed and it kept me on the edge of your seat from page one to the end. I didn’t like very much the jumping around from past to present throughout the story, but the story flows very well. Overall it was a good book and I will look for more from this author in the future.

Writers always seem to have the best or worst adventures depending on who you ask. In this case, the worst adventure made an excellent read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC which I received in return for an honest review.

A writer who has experienced some trauma in New York and has since moved to a quiet town. Since then she has become involved with a married man and the relationship has not gone well. The writers stories are a mix of fact and fiction - and the police are very much interested in knowing more about her - and she is very much a person of interest in the people who are disappearing around her. Highly recommend. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A great character ARC in the vein of the troubled writer. I quite enjoyed this twisty, mysterious read. Lots of red herrings that make you further question things. One thing that bugged me was the number of narrators--there got to be one too many and they were not well organized. But if you love slipping into an author's mind, this thriller will not disappoint.

I wanted to love this book, and unfortunately there were a few things that bothered me. I found it confusing that the first part of the book was all from Frankie’s point of view then sudden it became a multiple point of view storyline. There were so many narrators that it got confusing and I think it would have helped to have the name of the character before each of their chapters. I thought there were a lot of things that were put in the story for foreshadowing purposes, but it seemed like most, if not all, of them didn’t pan out. I also thought the story was fairly drawn out and could have been shortened. It was an okay thriller for me that with a couple things done differently would have been more enjoyable.

The Writer
by Tracy Thorne

I was on the fence with this book. It just seemed to go far in chapters . Less would have helped. I liked it, but it just had no true connection of characters, I completed it, but wow, the number of chapters was tough. So many people. and on the last page, I just felt I am glad I finished.

This is my first book by this author. Although I didn't love this book, I like the idea of the story and at times I was intrigued. But unfortunately it lost me along the way at many intervals. It really had so much potential but I just couldn't relate to the characters enough to stay interested. That being said it didn't turn me off to the author as she has another published book that I intend to add to my tbr and give that one a go. The talent and creativity is there, so I will keep my interest in this author.

What a wonderful book ... well written ... well paced ... and an excellent storyline. A twisty mystery of a woman that suffers with anxiety and depression after a brutal physical assault. Although a long story it is well developed and impossible to put down. The main protagonist 'Frankie' discovers that in the midst of her problems she is a strong, resilient and determined woman. Highly recommended read with a well deserved five (5) stars.

3.5 stars

Frankie is attacked in NYC and soon moves. She’s looking forward to a new beginning in California writing her book. She meets a married man and finds her self intertwined in a love triangle. Soon, Frankie finds herself in even bigger trouble- roped into a murder mystery. Weird things begin to happen around her and she isn’t sure if she’s losing her mind or if it’s really happening. Her PTSD from the attack in NYC keeps coming back, especially during these circumstances she’s facing in Cali.

This book flowed well for the first half and then I feel like it had a slow burn. I figured out who was behind stuff in the first 17% of the book.. it was just obvious to me. I found at the end, there were people barely mentioned anywhere else in the book that came through. I mostly became confused.

I grew to hate the deputy that was involved with this case, he annoyed me…. A lot.

Overall, it was okay.

Does Art Imitate Life?
After a brutal attack, thirty five year old Frankie packs up her life in NYC and moves to Cayucos, CA to pursue her dreams of becoming a writer. Frankie is a sexual assault survivor. She drinks and smokes her feelings. She often makes poor and impulsive decisions! Her obsession with becoming an artist is put into overdrive when she becomes infatuated with calm cool and collected literary agent Meadow. When Meadow turns her book down she begins to spiral and gets overly involved in the woman’s life. As the writing on Frankie’s pages become a catalyst for her own life she grows closer to Meadow’s husband the lines between reality and fiction begin to blur. The synopsis of the book immediately drew me in. I thought I would love ‘A Frankie’ however, our main character becomes a little overwhelming and kinda annoying at times. If anyone ever watched Gypsy on Netflix, it kind of reminded me of that (it got cancelled VERY FAST)! I also found the editing and ending a little dragging. Some tightening would have benefited both the plot and characters. It is important to note though that Thorne’s ability to write about the effects of trauma throughout the book was properly researched, structured, sensitive and honest. Definitely the highlight of the read!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Tracy Thorne for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review*

Overall I enjoyed this book. I found some of Frankie’s choices and decisions, like leaving the hospital AMA and impulsive trips to LA, were a bit much, but perhaps that is to be expected from someone suffering from PTSD. I found myself a little lost at times, but Tracy does an excellent job of bringing it all together in the end with a surprising conclusion.

Unreliable narrator? Lots of wine? Beautiful scenery? Sign me up! This was such a fast paced read, I could not put it down - every page there was something going on and I just wanted more! Our main character Frankie was tough and resilient, someone we root for - and this book did a fantastic job of showing someone dealing with anxiety and depression in a true and honest way.

Many thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was incredibly gripping at first. I was hooked and loved the story. However, after 140 chapters plus epilogues it was unnecessarily long and belabored. I think if this story had been more concise it would have been a 5 star read.