"Crime Writer" by Dime Sheppard presents an intriguing premise within the crime fiction genre. However, my personal reading experience led me to DNF at 15%. While the narrative showed promise, I found that it didn't quite align with my reading preferences. I struggled to connect with the characters. That said, readers who enjoy gritty crime novels with a unique twist may find "Crime Writer" to be a suitable choice. While it wasn't the right fit for me, I acknowledge that individual reading tastes vary, and this book may still hold value for others seeking a suspenseful and immersive read.

Thanks to Ruby Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNFed - I requested this before I was an influencer and familiar with NG and how it works. This book didn't jive with me. The POV was off, and I couldn't get through more than three chapters before DNFing.

I loved how unexpected the storyline was and how likable the protagonists were. Dime knows how to write a good villain too!

At the start, this book took me by surprise with its magical realism element, which initially left me a bit bewildered. Gradually, I adjusted and began to appreciate it, but as the story escalated into an action-packed phase in the final third, I struggled to keep up. I couldn't establish a strong connection with the characters, yet the overall plot intrigued me, especially the concept of people's stories coming to life.

Feeling disconnected from the story, I ended up skimming through the action scenes, making the latter part of the book feel fragmented. It's unclear whether the disjointed feeling was due to the book's pacing or my rush to finish it.

If you're a fan of action-packed magical realism, this book might resonate with you! However, it didn't quite capture my interest.

In real life she's meant to be planning a wedding to adorable billionaire Daniel Bradley, but Evie is seriously snarled in the sixteenth book of her successful crime series. In fact, her protagonists are becoming almost impossible to wrangle: NYPD detective Carolyn Harding is volatile after a messy divorce, and Detective Jay Ryan has that heated look in his blue eyes again. They're both sick of being written. And frankly they're getting a little...physical. Evie is beginning to wonder if she's ever going to finish Book Sixteen and get them back into fiction where they belong.

Crime Writer, I left you unread for far too long. I never got around to reviewing this ARC and purchased myself a copy and was pleasantly surprised by how charming and creative this story was. Sometimes it leaned into the cliché, it dragged a little in the middle, it did not end like how I thought it would! This book deserves more attention!

A fun and quirky read that’s a dream for mystery readers. An author’s characters in her long going crime series coming to life? Yes, please.

It had action, a bit of romance and a psycho killer who wants everyone dead. What more could you ask for?

Highly recommended for those who like light and action filled mystery crime stories.

Crime Writer is an interesting and intriguing story.

The writing,the mystery and the surprising storyline are well executed, the pressing rhythm kept me on my toes throughout the book. The only drawback for me is that the end felt a little rushed.

4.5 stars. This was such a creative and fun book. It’s a unique story about freewill and being in control of writing your own story.

“I’ve learned to write my own story, in a different way. I’m still making things happen—advancing my own plot, so to speak—but with actions, not words on a page.”

The beginning was a bit too slow for my taste, but about midway the pacing picked up and it became a page turner. It is just a little bit steamy, has lots of action, great dialogue, and is a ton of fun.

“And then he…”

It wasn’t unpredictable but when I turned the last page, I actually laughed because it was such a fun, wild, and unexpected ride. I will definitely read another book by this author and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

Thank you to Ruby Books and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I found this plot to be unique and I think that’s so refreshing considering this book is a combination of several popular genres. I enjoyed the fast paced writing but found the ending to be a bit too rushed. I really connected to Evie but found it a little more difficult to connect to the other MCs.

I will definitely recommend this book to fellow crime thriller lovers.

This has been on my NetGalley shelf for over a year, and I still haven’t picked it up. I've tried, but it just isn't for me (right now). I hope other people enjoy it more than I did.

I do a lot of skimming because I feel a bit confused with the whole story, also it's hard for me to feel connected with the characters. Maybe this book is not for me :").

I dnf'd this book at 20% because as soon as the characters came alive I became very confused. It wasn't really clear if they are a figment of her imagination or if they are actually real. The writing is alright but I didn't feel engaged in reading this book and I wasn't a huge fan of the main female character as she came off as weak.

I absolutely LOVED this book. The blend of magical realism and mystery, the pace and premise, the characters and the witty writing, everything came together perfectly in this unique and fun novel. I'd love to read a thousand more books like this one.

Sometimes we all need a little magic realism. I did find the start slow, the long inner monologue of our struggling writer was difficult for me to keep reading. But I do love crime so I stuck with it, and I was rewarded with a thoroughly entertaining read.

I count myself as lucky every time I find a book that is new to me in style or content. I read a lot in any given year, and uniqueness is a way to draw me in. This book was completely unexpected.
We begin the story by the side of a writer struggling with writer's block. She has a dazzling literary career that has spanned several books and put her in the sights of her future in-laws. She has a special fondness for her two lead protagonists (the ones she has created - or has she?) and tends to talk to them as if they were independent individuals during the lower points in her day. This is where the reader has to be willing to accept the sort of magical realism that is at play here. The fictional and the real boundaries start to fray, and things get chaotic and murky.
Evie is supposed to be preparing for her wedding, but she is also late for her book's deadline, and the story is just not flowing. To make matters worse, the aforementioned world blurring means she might be the cause of the real-life murders taking place and can be the only one to prevent it all!
I really liked the uniqueness of the twist and the writing style itself. I was able to follow the entire narrative with no hiccups. The problem I had was with one plotline resolution. It was not as satisfying as I would have wanted. I will not go further into it since it would be borderline spoiler territory. Suffice to say, if things had been different between 'people', I would have rated this higher. I think readers who enjoy adventure stories with a lot of action and an almost sci-fi bent will appreciate this book more than I did. There also seems to be a sequel to this already out!
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

I loved this book and think if you like Janet Evanovich and Jasper Fforde this will be up your alley. The story, the characters, the quirk, the crime, the romance had it all as a good feel good book should.

I started out this book a bit confused, but that can happen when I start a book that I didn’t know was magical realism. Once I grew accustomed to it, I really started to like it, but then towards the last third, it got so action packed, that I had a tough time following it. I didn’t ever really connect to the characters, but I thought the whole plot concept was really interesting and I love the idea of people’s stories coming to life.

Because I didn’t really feel connected to the story, I did end up skimming a lot of the action scenes because I just wasn’t enjoying them, so the whole end of the book felt really disjointed. I’m not sure if it actually was, or if it was just that I was rushing to finish it and move on.

I think if you like really action-packed magical realism, this might be the book for you! It just didn’t do it for me.

I enjoyed the blending of the genres in this book and I loved the characters.
Many thanks to Ruby Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Crime Writer by Dime Sheppard is a mesmerizing read about a writer of crime fiction. When her own life turns mysterious, Evie’s world blurs, including the line between her fictional world and the real world. Can she solve a crime? Or write a bestseller? Readers of thrillers will love this book with a twist. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.