Thanks to NetGalley & Recorded Books for providing a free audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn't entirely aware of the conceit of this books when I started it; I had just seen it in a few trade publications and was curious. It's essentially like a Blair Witch Project, but for a true crime narrative, and despite a slow start, it's way better than I expected.

We start off with author Joseph Knox reading off some disclaimers and explanations about an earlier edition of the book, and how changes have been made to this 2nd edition. The book gets off to a rocky start, with that rather odd inclusion of the actual author (it makes sense later, but initially it sounds like he went through a thesaurus looking for great adjectives and honestly I almost quit then), and we are introduced to another writer who is interested in the story, Evelyn. Evelyn is friends with Joseph, and she forwards audio of friends and family of a girl who's been missing for several years, answering questions about her case. There's lots of verisimilitude here, not unlike a drama podcast such as Homecoming or Limetown, such as the clicking of computer keys while we hear Evelyn's voiceover. Parts of her emails, presumably containing personal info unrelated to the case at hand, are bleeped out, adding to the film of reality.

The voice actors are mostly great. I saw some reviews that think the voices are all the same, but each one has a particular accent or something to set it apart. I did have some confusion between the female police officer and the missing girl's mother, because those voices were a bit similar, but as I listened more I became more aware of the distinctions. The voice actor playing Kim was especially good (she sounds exactly like Jessica Barden).

I do think the story went on a bit longer than was necessary, but it had plenty of drama and action, lots of B-plot stuff that was pretty entertaining, and of course the interplay between the two authors was good. I really got into it and it was a fun listen - I'd imagine it's far less immersive as a book versus audio. The twist (of course there's a twist) was a good one and I didn't see it coming, always a plus for me.

All in all, a welcome surprise!

Holy Moly this audiobook is amazing! This entire story felt so real due to multiple POV narration. The unique writing style also hooked me. I will say the middle of the story was a little slow but picked up by the end. Highly recommend this audiobook..

I was fooled. I thought this was a legit true crime novel. True Crime Story is a fiction told in much the same way as the fearsome and beloved true crime book, "I'll Be Gone in the Dark" by Michelle McNamara. This author used interviews and email correspondence between characters to put together the unsettling disappearance of Zoey Nolan.

During a pre Christmas break party, college student Zoey Nolan goes missing. Unsure at first if it by choice or by foul play, as the author pieces statements, rememberances and emails together, the reader can see more clearly that things are not as they first appeared.

So many characters (and suspects) are introduced and their stories are told bit by bit, but I found the audio book eay to follow along with. The narrators were excellent and I could picture clearly each one in my head.

I had no idea how it would end. And I loved the way Knox imposed himself into the narrative of this missing person mystery.

I enjoyed it, and I think it would be a good book club discussion for fiction or true crime fans.

Thank you Netgalley for the audiobook of True Crime Story by Joseph Knox. As an avid reader, I’m still cautious (and particular!) about audiobooks and this one is going to be hard to beat! The story was phenomenal, the format so fascinating and the characters complex and complicated. The storyline was dark with so many twists and turns that all came together in the end, at times making me gasp out loud. As much as it was a foray into the depths of the worst things humans can do to one another, it was also beautifully written to show human strength and courage in adversity. I really enjoyed the different voices for each of the characters, as it really helped to build the scene and atmosphere. I can not recommend this highly enough and I think it may be my best read (listen) of the year.

I went into this audiobook blind so to speak. I requested it based off the title but wasn’t sure if it was based on actual events or pure fiction. Initially based off the format, I began to think it was nonfiction but as it went on, it became obvious that it was a work of pure fiction.

I did enjoy the story and the format although around 35% through I was getting a little bored and wanted to just find out what happened to Zoe but then the next part started and piqued my interest again.

I would like to say that the idea of this book sounded very appealing to me, and I'm a big believer that narrators have a very important job. They are the ones delivering a story to the listeners. For the most part, I was enjoying the story until one of the narrators came in to play. It really made the audio unbearable. The format had so much potential, the style was on point with how the story was developing but the narrators did it for me.

I will still give another chance to the book format. I even purchased the book so I could read it at my own pace.

2.5 stars
Zoe Nolan goes missing from her apartment during a party and is never seen again. Evelyn Mitchell is a struggling writer who gets sucked in to Zoe’s case after it has gone cold. Evelyn starts to investigate the trail that was deserted by the police by interviewing Zoe’s last known contacts. Evelyn maintains correspondence with another author friend named Joseph Knox to share the new information she has uncovered.

The format of this one is what drew me in right away. I love true crime everything, podcasts in particular. I listened to this audiobook thanks to @librofm, @netgalley and @recordedbooks. There are multiple cast members who read the different parts for each character and it is told through interviews and correspondence exclusively. Normally this would be right up my alley, but I found it to be overwhelming. The cast of characters was large and they were all despicable people. The author didn’t set it up at the beginning for the reader to connect with Zoe, leaving me not really caring about what had happened to her. The plot line was muddled and difficult to follow as there would be little nuanced hints that were sprinkled in but didn’t really go anywhere. Overall, I didn’t enjoy this one very much…at all.

True Crime Story is a unique and fresh take on the thriller genre. Written in the style of a true crime documentary, I feel like it's one of those books that are best listened to, because the multiple-narrator cast is absolutely phenomenal, but, if you don't have the digital or print versions, you also miss the formatting of the text and the added content, like the suspect pictures. Maybe the best way to experience True Crime Story is like one of those read-along books with the cassettes? Anyone else remember those? However you choose to experience it, make sure to put this one on your TBR!

Integrating the author into the story was an interesting trick and this story played out in an interesting way with an ending that did not disappoint. It definitely could have been shorter and still just as effective, but overall I recommend.

This one was hard for me. First of all, the narration was sooooo good. So good that I kept forgetting I wasn’t listening to a podcast based on a real true crime. That also made me not enjoy this. I thought the background noise behind their voices to make it sound like an actual interview was distracting and made it difficult to hear some of the narrators. Also, there were so many characters that it was hard to keep them straight and keep up with everyone’s story. I thoroughly enjoy audiobooks and I really struggled getting through this one. I don’t DNF books so I made it. I am giving the book two stars because the writing was so wonderful and raw that I legit kept forgetting this wasn’t a fiction true crime story, real documentary, or podcast. This one simply wasn’t for me.

I heard about this book by listening to the Book Talk, Etc. podcast. They were talking about it and, being the true crime junkie I am, I immediately looked into getting it. I was pleasantly surprised to find it on NetGalley!

This is the true story of what happened to a young college student named Zoe Nolan. She left a party in 2011 and was never seen again. Although there are many leads, police simply cannot tie anybody to the case. It still remains cold to this day.

A writer named Evelyn Mitchell starts investigating this story and soon asks Joseph Knox for his help.
I really liked how the book was laid out. It's a true crime, nonfiction book but it reads much like a story, with the authors taking us step by step through the evening and interviews with those close to Zoe. The author narrates this book as well and you could tell how he puts his own spin on things as he comes closer to solving the case.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing me with an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

"True Crime Story" by Joseph Knox is a fictional book with an interesting concept. Zoe, a highly talented young and beautiful college student leaves her dorm room one day- and is never seen or heard from again. She simply vanishes into thin air. There are always many sides to these stories though, and in True Crime Story, an overzealous and determined female journalist is committed to unlocking the truth about the case.

I highly recommend listening to it on audio over reading the print copy of the book, because of the structure of the story and the format that the book is written in. The book is written as a series of e-mails and recorded interviews with the friends and family of the missing girl, Zoe. It was a quick and easy listen, with interesting twists and turns throughout, but with enough bread crumbs for you to play along (while still having no idea what actually happened!), which I love when these types of books include. It reads similarly to a true crime podcast when you listen to the audiobook, so if you like true crime and fictional thrillers, this is the perfect combination for you!

One of the best books I've read this year. And the audio version is even better. This book was made to be an audiobook. You get all the sense of a true crime podcast or documentary that the author is going for. Fabulous book, would totally recommend to anyone who likes true crime, mysteries/thrillers, etc.

I really struggled with this audiobook. It was very hard keeping the characters straight. The noise in the background, which I assume is there to make it sound like a real interview, really just made it harder to understand what they were saying. I did enjoy the email communication parts of the book between Joseph and Evelyn though. Overall, I am left confused and with questions unanswered. If you’re going to read this one, stick to the physical copy.

Wow this book was so different put together like a true crime when its actually fictional written though interview extracts with different people. this book was narrated by many different people and this worked really well for this style of book. i felt the middle section dragged on abit if i was reading it i might have skimmed these sections but mostly i really enjoyed this book and the style of it.

And she was never seen again. What happened to Zoe Nolan?

On December 17th 2011, 19 year old Manchester University student Zoe Nolan walks out of the party and no one ever sees her again nor is her body ever found!

Evelyn Mitchell, an author begins to investigate the unsolved disappearance of Zoe by interviewing Zoe’s inner circle; the jealous twin sister, the ex-boyfriend, the grieving mom, the. overly obsessed father and the roommates.
We follow the recorded interviews filled with explanations of what they think happened before and on the night that Zoe walked out of the party and disappeared. Throw in a creepy professor who dates his students, a couple of sex tapes, a kidnapping and an underwear thief and you get a dark and twisted story.

After Evelyn’s sudden death Joseph Knox takes over and continues her work.

The way this book was set up was truly unique. I did stop a few times and google “Zoe Nolan’ because I had to make sure I wasn’t reading/listening to nonfiction. With the way this book is formatted, it can be confusing at times, It’s written in interview sections from many points of view.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading crime fiction and watching documentaries on the IDtv channel.

I had the book and the audiobook and I highly suggest getting the audiobook. It’s in the format of a podcast. It was amazing. The cast of narrators did an amazing job at acting out their emotions and I loved all the background noise that transports you into the story.

Thank you to RecordedBooks Media and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review!

I absolutely loved this one!! It definitely felt like I was listening to a real true crime story and at one point I had to google to see if it really was. Haha This was an excellent piece of fiction. I really liked hearing all of the people involved talk about our missing person, the night she went missing and what they thought happened. I can’t wait to read more by Knox!

This AUDIOBOOK is fascinating! In this story, the actual author Knox participates as a narrator and crime writer who is assisting a colleague. The colleague, is attempting to get to the bottom a cold case mystery of a missing twin 7 years later. The facts are that in December 2011, Zoe Nolan, age 19 left a party in Manchester and was never seen again - leaving behind friends and family as well as her twin sister.

It's a fascinating work and made more fascinating (and probably easier to follow) by the many voices participating in this audiobook. Through a series of interviews, and emails, you, along with Evelyn and Joseph, begin to piece together what may have transpired. As the story unravels, Evelyn and Joseph uncover enough inconsistencies for you to question everything you thought you knew - the question remains, "What Happened To Zoe?"

If you like true crime, true crime-like fiction, loved Daisy Jones and The Six style story telling this book and ESPECIALLY this Audiobook is for you!

𝘊𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥!

When you read a true crime story that is fiction, but it reads like it is real you know it is a good story. I loved the format of this book, the interviews, the multiple narrators and POVs, all the investigation, it really made it an original book. I alternated between the audio and the bkok and it was a great experience.

Thank you Sourcebooks, NetGalley and Recorded Books for this gifted copy.

I have read other reviews and it has been said it was overhyped but as I was coming in cold I didnt know anything about it. I did like the way there were different characters and I really felt for the remaining twin. I liked the way it unfolded.

All in all a good listen, I think it might have been different as a book, but as an audio book it worked really well. Like a podcast.

Very enjoyable.

I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.