Say My Name begins as a mystery writer returns to his Connecticut hometown. His mind are on two classmates (female twins) who vanished from a local mall in 1985, and he's pondering a recent similar case in which two sisters also disappear. He decides to research the cases.

The narrator (does he have a name?) was clearly a bit of a quirky guy. His first person account is conversational and also a little off-putting.

Is this true crime, is it metafiction, is it a big twist book? Kind of all of the above. I don't think the ending was completely successful, but it was interesting for sure.

This is a very interestingly written novel that is framed as true crime, but is fiction. I quite enjoyed it, and thought it was gripping, and thrilling for sure. I liked the plot, writing, characters.

I thought it was a strongly paced novel that kept my interest all the way through.

I was fascinated with this novel. It reads like a true crime investigation. As others have commented and as the book is described, it is a novel. It is fiction but it does not read like it is. Reading this book was really an interesting and almost disconcerting experience.

I did have trouble liking the hero. I liked the idea of him trying to get a new start on life after so many things had recently happened to him. But he got drunk way too often and checked out of a conversation right when someone was telling him some important information. I am sure his character was deliberately crafted that way, considering the twist at the end. In a sense, this novel is a mystery but also a character study.

The plot was well crafted. It certainly could be predicted that digging into a decades old unsolved crime in a relatively small town would cause trouble. The villain was not expected, but the other people involved did not come as a surprise. There were suitable twists and red herrings that kept me reading as new facts were uncovered.

Perhaps we are left with a creepy question at the end. How much of our life do we create like an author writes a story? This is a good novel for readers who like an unusual spin on a cold case investigation.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Swell Media. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Book Review 📚

Say My Name by Joe Clifford 4/5 ⭐

A novel about a writer, who seems to be writing a book based off the disappearance of two 15 year old girls. He had a crush on one of the girls (don't worry he was 15 when they went missing too) which has some sort of connection as to why he's decided to write their story. But, as always, him digging around about the girls' disappearance is creating a bit of a drama! But why? Surely people want to find out what happened to these two girls?

The books keeps you gripped from start to finish and the writing style from the author is phenomenal. Being inside the MC head is somewhat mind blowing when you're reading, but I love the way it adds to the story. There are twists and turns throughout the book which makes it impossible to put down, but the ending! Oh my god the ending. I can promise you, you will not predict it. There was nothing predictable about the story, it was so interesting and yet intense.

Maybe, sometimes, it is best to leave the past in the past! Although there is an underlying "what if" when the MC starts digging - well let's just say it makes for an interesting read!

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for allowing me to read this ARC - this is an HONEST review from my own personal opinion.

This novel works on more than one level, as there are hints from the very beginning that the narrator, damaged, an alcoholic. may be unreliable. We don't even ever get to find out his name, though his character enjoys modest fame as a crime novelist!

As the story warms up, it becomes more conventional crime tbriller. The middle-aged writer has returned to his small town to lick his post-divorce - then realises that a real-life cold case remains on his very doorstep: that of a pair of winsome twins who had disappeared without trace in his teen years. However, his old mates at the local don't seem enamoured of the idea of his stirring up the pond - to say the least. Neither do the local cops. Real life is messier than whatever neat whodunnit you might be able to come up with, they earn him.

Those looking for a good old-fashioned reveal here won't be disappointed, though the biggest reveal is that all of this could still be more Twilight Zone than Chandler.

The writer manages to build up the suspense so that the pages keep turning nevertheless. The main turnoff is that neither the writer nor many of the main characters seem particularly pleasant. There is the grubby selfishness of those most complicit, alongside what comes across as the vanity and even narcissism of the the writer. It's a great idea but possibly a little more greatness needs to have been built into the characters.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review.
Very odd book with the main character being a complete “train wreck” whose name is never used. He’s all over the place and even gave me anxiety (which I don’t have) reading this book. The synopsis states it “races towards it’s shocking conclusion”…I’m still waiting for that shocking conclusion, I think my kindle must have been missing some pages.

Wow! This book was quite different from other novels. I was captivated throughout this fast paced, intriguing , puzzling, tormented book. What a different read!

First of all, I want to thank the author and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Say my name by Joe Clifford is coming out on June 06, 2023.

This was a hard book for me to get into and follow. I found myself stopping a lot and not ready to pick it back up. I’m not sure if it was the type of book (true crime) or if it was the way the author wrote the book. #SayMyName #NetGalley

I was really exited to read this book after reading the blurb however, this was nothing like described. The characters were bland and the storyline did not keep me interested, I found myself putting the book down and dreading picking it back up, the writing style did not keep me interested.

There was something about this that didn't draw me in. But I can't quite put my finger on it. I found myself re-reading paragraphs and pages because my mind wandered.
I received an advance copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

American author Joe Clifford’s latest standalone novel Say My Name (2023) is an interesting juxtaposition of domestic psychological thriller and popular unsolved mystery. A writer battling health problems returns to his former hometown of Berlin, Connecticut to take up a teaching role. He is nostalgic and gets fixated on the disappearance of two girls, his former friends thirty-five years earlier. As he investigates, he gets attacked and raises the interest of the local police in his almost deluded endeavours. This metafiction crime tale is narrated by an unnamed writer, whose fiction and reality are questioned. The ending is somewhat strange but does not detract from the riveting crime tale. A truly engrossing read with a surreal feel that makes for a four and a half stars rating. With thanks to BooksGoSocial and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and freely given.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a readers edition of this book. My reviews never contain spoilers and are freely given.
A writer returns to his home town where twins were abducted and never found. Soon after his return two sisters are abducted from a nearby mall. Are the two cases related? The writer decides to begin a true crime book about the disappearances that leads him down a rabbit hole of suspicion of those around him. Compelling and thought provoking.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for this arc in exchange for my review.

This book was described as a true crime mixed with fiction, and I couldn't source if it was actually a true crime or not before reading it. It is not a true crime book. It is complete fiction. With that said it is in the nameless author's narrative. He's gone back home after getting a divorce with the intent of a teaching job that falls through. He gets deep down a rabbit hole about writing a true crime novel and solving a 35 year old case of missing twins that he went to school with. There were a lot of suspects and red herrings throughout. The story was kind of all over the place. There was more living in this guy's head then any actual investigating or clue uncovering. The man was always drunk, or drunk and popping pills. He was not likeable, honestly no one was in the book. The ending was confusing and a bit of a let down.

2.5 stars, rounded up to 3.

A unique mystery told from the perspective of the main character, who is an author. The author moves back to his hometown and decides to write a non-fiction true crime novel about two girls (twins) who disappeared over 40 years ago, when he was in high school.

This was a really unusual read because most of the story plays out inside the author's head. It was fast paced but also felt like I was reading a long rant or ramblings of the author. I wanted to like this book but after a depressing and confusing ending, I felt let down. I was also really frustrated and disgusted with the drunk driving throughout the book.

Thank you to Joe Clifford, BooksGoSocial, and NetGalley for an advanced eBook in exchange for my honest review.

I understood that to de#caribe this book as a true crime story of a crime that never happened was just a device to encourage interest but it did make me expect more than it delivered.
The main character was self obsessed and so lost my interest quite early on. I found the ‘plot’ to be all over the place and whilst not awful just not neat enough for me.

If you enjoy a good mystery that you can't put down, Say My Name is the book for you. A mystery writer returns to his roots in a picturesque town in Connecticut. He quickly becomes involved with an old case revolving around former missing classmates. This story is well-written and addictive. I am now off to find every book ever written by Joe Clifford so I can read them this Summer.

This is supposed to be a true crime novel, but it quite simply is not. The narrator is a recently divorced writer who returns to his hometown where he starts digging into a case of a set of twins who went missing when the narrator was in high school. The narrator starts digging, offending almost every individual he encounters. The narrator is also incredibly self-involved and borders on annoying most of the time. The narrator continues to dig and he uncovers information that possible points to his beloved uncle as the perpetrator of the crime. The novel was rather predictable. I was convinced that it was possibly a true crime story until about half way through, then it became abundantly clear that this just an attempt to get true crime fans to read this. It's not a bad standard return to hometown mystery, but I don't think it should be called a true crime novel.

It's not that this book wasn't good - I just feel like I've read so many of this type of book (some vague spoilers ahead). The premise is one we've all seen - guy investigating cold case murder, has obvious suspect - obvious suspect isn't the actual culprit - actual culprit is the guy investigating the cold case's right hand man. I knew from early on that the bad guy was the actual bad guy. I did enjoy the misdirect of the uncle being involved, that really threw a wrench in me trying to figure out what was actually going on. Ultimately, I was unable to connect with the main character and it felt like they were dragging out the story with less investigating and more background/unimportant information. It's not a bad read, decent mystery with an "unexpected" ending, just wasn't for me.

A mystery writer returns to his hometown after his divorce. While there, he hears a news story about twins who have gone missing. This brings up an old case of missing girls that he knew in high school. Although his two friends try to talk him out of reopening and writing about this case, our narrator is determined. He goes through some crazy stuff that starts to make our writer unsure what is real and what is made up. Is he becoming a character in his own story? Are his friends really as innocent as they claim to be? Is his uncle, the only member of his family left, involved?
Lots of action, good pacing, and clues for the reader - who will probably be surprised at the end anyway.

This book would have been a four-star if not for the odd rushed ending. You are also led to believe that the protagonist was an unreliable storyteller, but not until the end. Cannot really recommend it.