This is my first read by Diane Jeffrey, and I was drawn in by the high reviews so far, but something just wasn’t clicking for me!

The plot itself was a good one – 5 years ago, wife and mum-of-two, Leona, goes missing whilst out for a run. Naturally, the husband, Matthew, is the prime suspect. But the police can’t find any trace of what has happened to her.

Now, 5 years on, the story of Leona’s disappearance is back in the news as human bones are discovered in a garden. Journalist Gabi is back on the case, and manages to get close enough to Matthew for him to confide in her.

But Matthew’s story keeps changing and is so inconsistent that even Gabi is unsure of his innocence. As a crime writer himself, he is good at telling stories and it’s hard to know what is real and what is a performance.

For me, this was let down by a lack of suspense and pace. I found myself getting bored during the first half before it picked up a little. The hook of Matthew being a crime writer seemed to get a little lost – I kept waiting for some clear link but it almost felt irrelevant that that was his job. It could’ve been The Loss Adjustor or The Business Development Manager.

I hoped it would all come good with a great ending but I was just left a bit confused!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book! It was fast-paced, gripping, and the podcast elements added an engaging layer to the storytelling. The plot kept me hooked, and I enjoyed how the mystery unfolded over the dual timelines.

⚠️ SPOILER ALERT ⚠️
My only criticism is that, while we hear the full aftermath of Leona’s death from Matthew’s perspective, we never truly find out what led to her death. The epilogue felt incomplete—I wanted to know definitively whether it was at Matthew’s hands or his youngest daughter's. I understand that the author likely left it ambiguous on purpose, but I personally don’t enjoy open-ended conclusions. I don’t want to assume—I want to know!

Overall, this was a fantastic thriller, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a well-crafted mystery with compelling characters and a dark, twisty plot.

Diane Jeffrey is a new author to me and before I had finished reading this novel I had already bought more of her books. The Crime Writer is a very good thriller full of mystery, obsession, and deception. An intriguing plot, interesting characters set at a fast pace.

The novel has two timelines 2019 and 2024. In 2019, Leona Walsh while out jogging disappears without trace. A police investigation takes place and Leona’s husband Matthew is under the microscope. Matthew is a bestselling crime writer who is known for plotting the perfect crime, but could he be involved with Leona’s disappearance. Sustained searches are made but Leona is never found, and Matthew has to father his two daughters alone under a shadow of suspicion.

Moving forward to 2024, human bones are uncovered in a garden and it revives the case under the scrutiny of journalist Gabriela Conti. She covered Leona’s disappearance five years ago and is determined to uncover the truth. Gabriela ;looks into the case and risks getting closer to a killer putting her life in danger.

This is a fast paced novel, well written, great characters and kept me guessing. Lots of twists and turns add to the excitement.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and HQ Digital for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

When Matt's wife Leona goes missing in 2019 after going for a run he is the main suspect, after all he's a crime writer but would he be get away with murder?
With Leona still missing and no body found has he got away with a perfect crime? Then some bones are unearthed in 2004, could it be Leona and if so what happened to her? Will the truth ever come out?

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this novel. Highly recommend especially if you love crime thrillers.

Rating: 3.4/5

"The Crime Writer" is an entertaining, if not entirely unique, psychological thriller. Matthew Walsh writes murder mysteries, but when his wife, Leanne, goes missing there is considerable speculation that events bear an uncanny similarity to the events described in one of Matthew's murder mysteries. Is he as innocent as he claims, or has he put his crime writer's mind to nefarious use?

Diane Jeffrey isn't the first author to play with the idea of a crime writer potentially executing the perfect crime, but she creates an engaging story around that premise. Whilst reading I also sensed echoes of the real life Nicola Bulley case from a couple of years ago, as well as the movie, "Jagged Edge" and the most recent series of the television drama, "Unforgotten". The plot works well enough and there ample twists and turns in the narrative. The author follows the current trend for incorporating other media into the storyline by featuring excerpts from a true crime podcast hosted by an investigative journalist with a keen personal interest in the case. On the whole, this mechanism works well, but some of the featured guests fail to come across as entirely credible. This is a pity as the characterisation in "The Crime Witer" is generally good.

On the whole, this is well worth a read and I dare say I will return for more from Diane Jeffrey.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

Thank you to Net galley and HQ Digital for this ARC

Gripping thriller kept guessing throughout.
Ending felt a little rushed and i would have preferred more clarity. I really liked the journalist Gabi and the writers daughter Trixie.

I would like to read more by this author.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

I did enjoy reading this story about Leona who while out jogging goes missing. The police suspect her husband, an ex policeman and now a crime writer, Full of twists this is an enjoyable thriller and one to be recommended.

The Crime Writer is a twisted thriller/mystery that had me hooked and guessing until the final page.

It is a very stormy night and Lenora has been reported missing by her infamous crime writer husband Matthew.

The police are quick to respond and Matt knows that being the husband he will be prime suspect.

Enter Gabi a reporter/podcaster. I just loved her tenacity, her fairness, her ability to go one step further for the family.

This podcast can make or break her career but something just tells you that Gabi will succeed.

Matt is desperatly trying to protect his daughters , his wife's reptutation as her secrets come to light and his home.

There arent many suspects but something about Matt' story resonates with the reader .

Then I found myself doubting everyone.

Twists and turns, red herrings an atmospheric read keep those pages turning quickly to the surprising conclusion.

Clear your calendar because The Crime Writer is a hard book to put down.

Thanks to NetGalley and HQ Digital for the privilege of reading and reviewing The Crime Writer.

A did he didn't he mystery.
I enjoyed Diane Jeffrey's earlier book "The Other Couple" and so was looking forward to this one, which lived up to and indeed exceeded my expectations.
Writer of crime thrillers, Matthew Walsh, reports that his wife Leona has not returned from jogging near a local reservoir. Subsequent searches by the police, assisted by a large public presence and even a team of divers, only find a shoe and a bag. Suspicion falls on Matt, but there is little or no evidence of his guilt.
Four years later a freak event breaks the case wide open. The story switches between the two timelines chapter by chapter.
Diane Jeffrey has done it again. She's produces a book packed with twists and turns that is also a police procedural and a court procedural.
This is well worth a read and I'm looking forward to her next book.

This is very readable book but it is not an original story line by any means. Matthew and leona Walsh with two daughters appear to be a happy family. Then Leona disappears. I had read another book and watched two television programmes with exactly the same theme just before reading this! Matt was a policeman who resigned after his partner was knifed beside him. He is now a fairly successful crime writer but his sales rocket when his wife disappears! Five years later she has not been found and as ever in these cases the husband is assumed to be the culprit. A local,journalist gets involved in trying to solve the crime and her role is an important contribution to the story. Eventually of course all is solved unfortunately not with any surprises! It is fairly obvious all along who is going to be found guilty. This is a good read and all the various strands are brought together carefully! I recommend it.

2019, early December, and Leona Walsh, wife of ex policeman and crime writer Matt, goes off on her daily run with family dog Sydney. Nothing at all unusual about this, but when Leona doesn’t return and Sydney comes home by himself, Matt is a little concerned. Not overly perturbed as the couple had a row just before Leona left and Matt is convinced she is just cooling off. When there is still no sign of his wife the next day, Matt does the call round of family and friends, before notifying the police. When the police do arrive, the usual questions are asked and, as Leona is judged to be vulnerable due to her mental health, it becomes a major search. After initially supporting Matt and his story, the police become more interested in the background of the couple and the family, particularly Matt, are soon ostracised by the locals. After all, isn’t it always the husband?

2024 and a rare gold coin is discovered in a young couples garden. The archeologists descend in the hope of revealing more treasures. Sadly, no further Roman artefacts are found, just something far more recent.

An interesting and twisty tale, not dissimilar to a recent true life misper case. Well paced with well written characters. I liked the podcast chapters and the involvement of journalist Gabriela

I enjoyed this book, though thought it obvious what had happened on the night in question from very early on. It didn’t spoil the story as I was hoping I was wrong and continued to be invested in the plot.

A good read, but a rushed ending.

3.5*

Thank you NetGalley and HQ.

I absolutely loved this book . So many twists and turns, it grabbed my attention from the first chapter!
I devoured the book in one sitting.

This is a great novel that kept me guessing until the bitter end! It's 2024 when Gabi airs her True Crime podcast and Leona Walsh is missing--prime fodder for her! Obviously husband Matt is a suspect although he has two young daughters at home so detectives must proceed carefully. Lots of clues, many red herrings, and twists and turns in each chapter! Never would have guessed the ending!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

When a woman goes missing whilst out running around a remote reservoir, the police initially think either she has probably gone into the water either voluntarily or at someone else’s hand but when they start looking more closely at the husband then certain things don’t quite ring true.

This book will keep you guessing all the way through to the (in my opinion) slightly unsatisfying ending. It’s very fast paced but you have to keep your wits about you as it’s told in both the past and present tense but also through the form of a podcast transcript..

A great premise and a very enjoyable read.

It took me a while to get into this book but once I did I couldn't put it down. The plot does start off slow but definitely increases in pacing as the plot tension picks up. It kept me guessing too

An interesting take for a thriller, slow starting but does pick up. Intriguing enough. Worth a read, especially on a cosy day due to the atmospheric setting of the book

2019. Leona Walsh, a 34-year-old wife and mother vanishes on a bitterly cold afternoon while out jogging on the edge of Exmoor. It’s a mystery which captures public interest and ignites wild 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?! Wow! Great book! I usually don’t like books that end with the reader kind of guessing what truly happened! But this book it was very fitting! I loved it! This book had fantastic mystery, suspense, murder, very intriguing, a truly shocking who done it and some wild twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting!! I highly recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me! Can’t wait for more!

Leona Walsh, a public figure, as well as a wife and mother, disappears one night while out running. The story is quickly picked up by the news with her husband Matthew, a crime writer, the number one suspect. However the case then goes cold. Journalist Gabriela has been investigating the story for years and starts a podcast about it. Will she finally unearth the truth?

Having read this author’s previous book last year and really enjoying it, I knew I had to read this one as soon as possible. I was also drawn to the bold cover. This was certainly another top, twisted crime drama. Straight away I found myself invested in the storyline and trying to decipher the red herrings and clues to solve the mystery. The story was slightly repetitive at times, however the author did a great job in slowly upping the tension and suspense until the final scenes.

The characters were vivid, I especially like Gabriela and would be happy to read about her in further novels. The author successfully manages to create unreliable narratives, while pulling the rug from underneath you. I was convinced I knew what the outcome was and thought I was proved correct, until the clever ending was revealed. This has definitely put this author in one of my must read categories and I will be recommending. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

A very different read from this author compared to her previous books. It was well written with a good storyline that kept me interested

The characters were mainly good and well developed and I have no hesitation in recommending this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and HQ Digital for this ARC.

a gripping tale told from dual perspectives and multiple timelines, centered around the mysterious disappearance of Leona, a wife and mother. The story unfolds through the eyes of her husband, Matthew, a crime writer, and Gabi, a local journalist and podcaster.

At first, I struggled with the constant shifts in time and point of view, along with the introduction of numerous characters. However, once I found my rhythm and the plot began to focus on the main characters, the narrative picked up pace and became much more engaging.

While I was able to predict some of the twists, the story still kept me guessing in other parts, which I appreciated. That said, I was slightly let down by the ending. As someone who enjoys a neatly wrapped-up conclusion, this one left me wanting more closure, as it didn’t tie everything up in a way I’d hoped.

The book introduces a diverse cast of characters, which adds richness to the story, though I felt there were unnecessary sections focusing on police and legal procedures that didn’t add much value to the overall plot. These could have been streamlined.

I did enjoy the informal style of the podcast segments, but in truth, they didn’t fully land for me. They seemed to revisit details already explored in the narrative, rather than adding fresh insight or furthering the plot.

Overall, The Crime Writer was an enjoyable read, with strong character development and an intriguing plot, though the pacing and certain elements could have been tightened up. If you enjoy mystery novels with twists and turns, this one is worth picking up, even if you’re not a fan of open-ended conclusions.