A review by karenstory
The Crime Writer by Gregg Hurwitz

4.0

This is an interesting mystery – in that it provides us with a likable, but unreliable narrator/protagonist in the character of Drew Danner.

The setting is Los Angeles, 2007. Drew is a novelist who wakes convulsing over the body of his former fiancé. His hands are wet with blood from the handle of a boning knife buried deep in her chest. Four months later, he is released from the hospital holding a jar. Inside is his own brain tumor, which he owes a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity.

Now, that should be enough, right?

Wrong.

In his heart, Drew doesn’t see himself as a killer. He has no memory of the night in question, but there are memory lapses which causes him to believe that he did not do this – nor does he believe himself to have it within him to do something like this to another person – especially his former fiancé.

So, who is framing him? Because this is the only possible solution, right?

The author provides quite the supporting cast as Drew plays amateur sleuth attempting to find out what really happened. Afterall, he is a crime writer character, too.

And…

The story moves along weaving quite the plot.

There are conflicts. Red herrings. Twists. Difficulties for our main protagonist Drew to overcome.

And…

A strong climax.

And…

A resolution that is satisfying, yet not too easily predicted.

In this way Hurwitz does a masterful job at writing quite a captivating story. And even though it was slow at times, it still is worth adding to one’s reading list.