When a famous crime writer (Matt) reports his wife (leona) missing after they’ve had an argument the finger of suspicion is pointed firmly at him . Has he got anything to do with her disappearance? Or is he just an innocent husband eager to find his wife ?

This is the main question explored in this twisty thriller. Told in two timelines, the present day and the aftermath of leona’s disappearance, it weaves a multi layered storyline which had me guessing and changing my mind constantly.

The introduction of Gabi, an old school fiend of leona’s who is now a journalist adds to the story. She is invested in finding out the truth of what happened to leona, even setting up a podcast to explore every possibility.

Full of twists and turns this book explored how devastating someone’s disappearance can be to all those around them. The unanswered questions and outside pressures change the whole family’s lives permanently.

An easy read, and although I found it predictable at times I still was left wondering if the whole truth had been uncovered at the end.

Leona has not returned from her run, her husband Matthew writes crime novels, there is a lot of suspicion surrounding him, he couldn’t be charged with anything as there was no body, until now,5 years after she disappeared!
Gabi is a journalist and she has covered the story from when Leona first went missing, she is creating a podcast, Missing Presumed Murdered!
Did Matthew kill his wife? Why would he bury her in his mother’s back garden? There seems to have been some secrets in their marriage, Leona was having an affair, she had been accused of embezzlement.
Gabi has always supported Matthew but now she wonders if she has been hoodwinked, has she befriended a murderer? Gabi is relentless in her pursuit of the truth. This book will keep you guessing, There are some twists and lots of clues, as Gabi interviews the main characters, I started to slot the pieces together towards the end,
A whodunnit mystery, an enjoyable read
Many thanks to Net Galley and HQ for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review. My 2nd book by this author and I will definitely be reading more.

A famous crime novelist reports the disappearance of his equally famous wife. The dual timeline story covers Leona's disappearance in 2019 and the discovery of bones in a North Devon cottage in 2024. Gabi Conti, a local journalist, gained exclusive access to Leona's husband, Matt, at the time of the missing person investigation; now a true crime podcaster, she wonders what he has to say about the macabre discovery that implicates him. It's an immersive and suspenseful domestic suspense with many unlikeable characters and unreliable narrators. The suspense builds from the initial missing person investigation, and the reader doesn't know which version of events to believe, if any. The twists are compelling and dark, and the final ones leave doubt about everything that has gone before in the reader's mind. It's an absorbing story.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

2019. Leona Walsh, a thirty-four-year-old wife and mother vanishes on a bitterly afternoon while jogging on the edge of Exmoor. It's a mystery which captures public interest and ignites public speculation. The police have a prime suspect: Leona's husband Matthew, a renowned crime writer. He can plot the perfect crime. But is he capable of committing the perfect murder.

2024. Some human bones are discovered in a garden. Could they be Leona's remains? And if do, is there enough evidence to find out what really happened five years ago.

Ex-journalist now podcaster Gabi Conti had interviewed Matthew years ago, She had hoped his story would be her big break. Now she's back investigating the case, hoping that this time she will find the answers.

What a well-written and twisted read. The characters are well-fleshed out. The story has a dual timeline written in the past and present day format. The story touches on domestic abuse. I was a bit undecided about everyone, could they be guilty? I was pulled in b y the end of the first chapter.

Published 13th March 2025

I would like to thank #NetGalley #HQDigital and the author #DianeJeffrey for my ARC of #TheCrimeWriter in exchange for an honest review/

Having long been a fan of Diane’s books, I was really looking forward to discovering her new characters in The Crime Writer-which is a brilliant title by the way and really excited me before I’d even started it! And I’m thrilled to report that I absolutely loved this book and think it’s her best book so far!

The Crime Writer is Matt whose wife Leona goes missing one evening whilst on her run with the family dog. Now Matt doesn’t have the best response to his wife’s disappearance when he doesn’t immediately report her it to the police. And certain circumstances seem to fit in with his own crime novels which makes him a prime suspect. Five years later, the trail has become cold and no trace of Leona has been found so Matt has continued with his life, raising their two children. Enter Gabi who quickly became my very favourite character! Gabi has been involved in the case since she covered it in her role as a reporter from the beginning and five years on, she is invested enough to continue her work by investigating the case in a podcast. So when a body is discovered during a local dig, Gabi is determined to find out the truth about what happened to Leona…

I loved the way in which the author unraveled the plot of The Crime Writer. Told in two timelines covering the present day and the aftermath of Leona’s disappearance plus the addition of the podcast, the narrative flowed from start to finish with a story full of twists and turns. And I was gripped throughout. I can highly recommend The Crime Writer as an excellent, entertaining read.

I have always enjoyed a dual timeline story and this one did not let me down.

Set both in the present day and five years ago we follow Gabi Conti as she tries to make a name for herself, as a journalist, off the back of the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Leona Walsh.

With so many twists and turns I was never totally convinced of the direction I was about to be taken, although at the same time had an overall predictability. I liked the way part of the book was set as a podcast too, I think this book would make a great candidate for an audiobook because of this.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an easy read full of twists to keep you doubting yourself to the last page.

A twisty missing persons case alternating between the present day and 5 years ago when Leona goes missing, we see journalist Gabi try to work out whether Leona’s husband Matt is responsible for her disappearance and death…

There’s lots to keep you guessing here, even right up to the end. I did guess who might have done it, but then right at the end you wonder if you can believe what you’ve just read, or is it all a lie? I quite enjoyed it, even if I can’t say I took to many of the characters bar Gabi and Joe (whose relationship I am pleased about).

I received a free ARC copy of this book via NetGalley and the publishers, in return for an unbiased review.

This book drew me in from the very beginning! It was such a fast paced thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat and reading until I could find out everything! I could not put it down and I did not want to. Diane Jeffrey knocked it out of the park with this one.

First off, always fun to read about mystery writers stuck in their own mystery, and I loved the idea that the main character was stuck in a crime that mimicked one of his own novels. It certainly raises the question of just how likely is it that a crime writer (who in this case had also been a police officer) could plan and get away with the “perfect” murder?

I just found that I kept waiting for this book to really pick up the pace and grab my attention, and that never really happened. I was also hoping at least one of the characters would really surprise me, but they were all pretty tame and a bit dull. There were a few really great chapters, but then the book would just slow down again. I guessed the twist early on, mostly because I’ve seen similar characters / twists in a number of recent books. The book is fine, just felt a little underwhelming to me.

A crime writer who is economical with the truth, his missing wife, their traumatised children, a couple of journalists who won't let the story go, a broken family, and missing pieces to the puzzle...Read it!

A crime mystery about a writer whose wife goes missing. Set between two timelines, I found the narrative pace slow and the main character Matt unbelievable in some of his behaviour.

lots of people hold secrets in the book. including the victim. and we are torn and taken back and forth between what to feel of each character and certainly what we think of the guilt and or innocence.
it was a gripping read. it did well because there is ALOT of true crime and podcaster esque thriller coming out at the moment. and just like in real life they are a struggle for me. perhaps because they do indeed hit too close to home with people being too involved and often now hinder investigations with their own need to be investigators and judge jury's.

here we have a missing woman and her husband who because of his writing crime fiction is a common suspect. in the future his wife still not find hes still obviously troubled but events and clearly focused on how to keep his children safe and content.
then we have the podcaster. who was a journo at the time and lost her way at the time. she now thinks due to remains being found that this might be her way back. enter her podcast. and enter her becoming a little too involved. when more secrets come about will she be putting herself in danger?

I enjoyed the style of writing and plot. An easy read but not that gripping. A great read for a lazy day.

I enjoyed this book but it wasn’t the gripping thriller that I’d hoped for. The ending was disappointing, and I felt the plot was rather weak with quite a few plot holes. Definitely worth a read, but nothing to get excited about. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the early copy.

The Crime Writer by Diane Jeffrey is an engrossing psychological thriller that keeps readers guessing until the very end.

In 2019, Leona Walsh, a wife and mother, disappears while jogging on Exmoor, leaving behind a mystery that captures public fascination. Suspicion immediately falls on her husband, Matthew, a celebrated crime writer. He knows how to craft the perfect crime, but did he commit one? Despite intense investigations, no trace of Leona is found, and the case eventually goes cold. Matthew, left to raise their two daughters alone, cannot escape the shadow of doubt that lingers over him.

Fast forward to 2024, when human bones are discovered in a garden. Could they be Leona’s remains? Journalist Gabriela Conti, who reported on the case five years earlier, sees an opportunity to revive the story—and her career. She is determined to uncover the truth, even if it means getting close to a man who may have gotten away with murder.

Diane Jeffrey masterfully weaves together past and present, leading the reader through a cleverly structured, multi-layered narrative. Just when you think you have figured it out, the story shifts, forcing you to reconsider everything. The pacing is gripping, and the twists are expertly placed, making it impossible to put down. The Crime Writer is an exceptionally well-written thriller that keeps you engaged, making you question every character’s motives and drawing you into the mystery until the very last page.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

When a woman goes missing when out jogging he husband falls under suspicion as he has a previous published novel with the same scenario. 5 years later the case is still unsolved when a body is found buried in the grounds of the house previously owned by the crime writer's mother. Coincidence or are we now going to learn the truth? Lots of twists in the plot including at the end. A good time thriller, readable but not for me the best

A very clever book- of course a crime writer will have "how to dispose of bodies" search on his computer and of course he could theoretically commit the perfect murder and get away with it but the police had no solid evidence when his wife disappeared 5 years ago whilst out on a run, no motive and no body.
5 years down the line a podcaster trying to make her name digs around the cold case and a series of coincidences leads Matt into trouble once more.
A great read, lots of did he? moments and a thoroughly satisfying ending!

The Crime Writer by Diane Jeffery is a story about just that a crime writer whose wife goes missing and he’s the prime suspect. His wife’s name was Leona and she was in politics and recently accused of embezzlement and Miss handling of funds. When she goes missing a fellow classmate of hers is the only one who be friends or even comes close to believing in the innocence of her husband Matt. Gaby, is the prior classmate and a journalist and she will use Leona‘s case to become a podcaster. She is there from the beginning and although her opinion of his innocence waffles, she will be surprised when more of Leona‘s secrets come out and it seems she had more to hide than her husband. I love Diana Jeffery’s crafty mysteries but I must admit this wasn’t one of them but I still found myself not wanting to put the book down. Even as the reader you will go back-and-forth as to whether he did it and there is a surprise at the end I don’t think it was big enough to carry the book but it’s still a very very enjoyable read.#NetGalley, #HGDigital, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview, #DianeJeffrey, #TheMysteryWriter,

Dual timelines and some of it appears as a podcast, this gripping book about Leonora’s disappearance will keep you captive until the end.

There are many twists in this book, and I would say the majority of them hit really well. I was desperate to find out the answers and felt the different types of writing intense.

You’ll need a whole weekend for this one so definitely book it off!

A griping suspenseful read. The disappearance of a crime writers wife is mysterious. Leona Walsh disappeared in 2019 . The story is told in timeliness between 2019 and five years later. . I was sure I knew who had done it until doubt crept in.. A clever suspenseful plot.