Review of Crime Writer by Vinnie Hansen

When your real life becomes a crime fiction novel, it’s bound to be a bestseller. In true Crime Writer fashion, main character Zoey Kozinski does her research. But participating in the California policing ride-along program provides more hands-on book material than Zoey expected. From the shocking first scene straight through to the hair-raising finale, Crime Writer is an action-packed story of an author pursued by a killer.

Bearing witness to a murder puts a target on Zoey’s back since she can’t help the police identify the person responsible, leaving the killer free to tie up any loose ends—meaning Zoey. Not sure who to trust, she needs to find the car and the shooter from that horrific night when Officer Austin pulled over a vehicle for a burned-out taillight before she becomes the next victim.

As Zoey tries to recall clues about the killer’s identity, she senses she is being followed and someone is snooping around her house, paranoia settling in after her traumatic experience. Also dealing with the stress of the lead detective’s questioning, the downed officer’s wife, her agent’s request for book chapters, her mother’s intrusion into her life, and her rock band’s drama, Zoey seeks help from a hypnotherapist to trigger her memory. She questions whether her weed-growing landlord, Harvey, might be involved in the shooting, not to mention her new love-interest, Good Samaritan Jimmy, who stopped at the scene of the fatal shooting. 

A suspenseful story of a crime fiction author reluctantly-turned amateur investigator, Crime Writer kept me flipping the pages with a sense of urgency as Zoey simultaneously ran from potential danger and chased down the murderer. The tension builds and suspicion narrows to the person responsible for not only the cop-killing, but the murder of someone close to Zoey. With twists and turns as jolting as the mountain road where Zoey lives, this fight-or-flight adventure will keep you hanging on till the final showdown. Fasten your seatbelt for a rollercoaster of a ride-along!