What a cracker! I've read many of Jeffrey's books before now, but The Crime Writer is my favourite to date.

It's a well paced thriller with chapters switching back and forth from 2019 to present day, interspersed with 'audio' excerpts from the Missing, Presumed Murdered podcast.

Unreliable narrators and several well placed red herrings had me second guessing throughout.

Great characters and an immersive plot made The Crime Writer an enjoyable and engaging read.

The Crime Writer is a gripping psychological thriller told across two timelines—2019, when Leona Walsh disappears, and 2024, when human remains are discovered, reigniting speculation around her husband, Matthew, a bestselling crime novelist. The dual perspective keeps the tension high, gradually revealing unsettling truths. Jeffrey expertly crafts an eerie, atmospheric mystery, making readers question everything they think they know. The ending let it down for me as there is closure, everything is left very open ended, hence my 3 star rating. Saying that it is perfect for fans of slow-burning, character-driven suspense.

He plots the perfect murder...but did he commit one...?

I do enjoy a good Diane Jeffrey thriller, absolutely loving he last one "The Other Couple" (though that was a tough one to top). This one had great potential and it built gradually to the inevitable conclusion though I felt it fell a little flat. That said, it was a good read but I didn't like the ending. It was too open ended and I like them clear cut not ambiguous.

The story surrounds the disappearance of Leona Walsh, 34 year old wife and mother of two. Events begin in the immediate aftermath the following morning when she didn't arrive home after her evening run, as the police try to unravel the mystery of her disappearance and honing in on their prime suspect: husband, Matt, a renowned crime fiction writer and former police officer. He can plot the perfect murder but is he capable of committing one?

Five years later, no trace of Leona has ever been found and Matt's life has been turned upside down and those of his two daughters Scarlett, now 19 and, Trixie, now 12. And the case has gone cold.

Until bones are discovered in the garden of Rose Cottage, the home in which Matt grew up and where his mother continued to live until moving to a care home due to her advancing Parkinsons.

Journalist Gabi Conti had a tenuous link with Leona in that she went to school with her but the two moved in vastly different circles. She knew Leona could be a bully but did that extend into adulthood? Having interviewed Matt at the time, Gabi now continues to investigate the case with her own podcast on the disappearance. But are the bones that of Leona? And did he do it?

I did feel the story dip in parts as it moved through both past and present timelines before settling in the present. But like I said, the ending was rather ambiguous, leaving the reader to draw their own conclusions and I would like to think the first outcome is the one that really happened and not the twist in the end that left the reader second guessing everything that went before. There were also some aspects I feel weren't explained properly (though I can't say what here as they are spoilers), however, when the remains were actually buried there are not explained properly. You'll see what I mean when you read it.

Overall, it was a good thriller. Well thought out and plotted, even if a little underwhelming for me. But I will still not pass up another by the author and look forward to what she delivers next.

I would like to thank #DianeJeffrey, #Netgalley, #BoldwoodBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #TheCrimeWriter in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

Matt Walsh is a former police officer who’s used his former career to make a new life for himself in crime writing. He’s married to Leonora, a political figure who is facing trouble due to some bad decisions. One night she goes out for a run with the family dog and the dog returns but she doesn’t. Of course, as the husband, suspicion immediately falls on him. Her former classmate, Gabi, is the only one who even remotely believes Matt’s story that he is innocent. Gabi is a journalist and is going to investigate Leonora’s case as a means to launch her podcast career and finally figure out what really happened even if the evidence shows that Matt is guilty. As she digs further into the case, secrets come to light and you find yourself going back and forth as to whether or not he really did it is he really as innocent as he claims or did he put his crime writers mind to good use?
This is not your typical who dun it as right from the start we know all the key players and therefore one of them will be found to be the killer and there’s no unreliable or anonymous narrator to throw you off the course and Matthew’s story keeps changing the more that’s he’s questioned.
I kept waiting for the story to jump up and grab me and me but that never really happened. There wasn’t really any major surprises but if you are looking for a quick read with a fairly unique story, this may be the book for you.
Thanks to HQ and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

An very enjoyable read which Matt a crime writer is under suspicion about his wife Leona has disappeared five years before. Told in two time lines it grips you from the start. Good characters especially Gabi the reporter who interviews people in a podcast. Thanks to HQ digital and Netgalley for this review ARC.

I'm reviewing this via NetGalley, as part of a tour with Rachel's Random Resources.

The narrative alternates between 2019 and 2024. Leona vanished in 2019, leaving behind her husband Matthew, and her two daughters. Matthew is a crime writer, and some people believe that he is responsible for her death. Journalist Gabi Conti wants to know the truth.

From the beginning, I took an interest in the characters, as they felt real and believable to me. Initially, while I felt some sorrow towards her family, I found that I was most interested in Leona herself. I wanted to know about her and the kind of person that she was. Gabi was an interesting character too.

I thought the inclusion of the podcast episodes, in which Gabi interviews some other characters, were an interesting idea, and that made the book feel very current. As the story unfolded, there were some twists that I didn't see coming, and when the truth was revealed, it came as a surprise.

This was a clever page turner, and I also liked the cover design; it was definitely something that I'd feel drawn to in a bookshop or library.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel's Random Resources, and the author and publisher, for the opportunity to read and review this.

The story opens with the mysterious disappearance of thirty-four year old Leona Walsh and the start of an investigation which will see her family placed under intense scrutiny not just by the police but also by people on social media. The finger of blame points at Leona’s husband, Matthew, whose success as a writer of crime fiction places him in the spotlight, however, with time passing and no real evidence linking him with Leona’s disappearance the case pretty much comes to a dead end. Five years after Leona’s went missing, new evidence comes to light and once again Matthew Walsh finds that the past never really goes away.

I’ve really enjoyed this intricately plotted crime novel, especially the added inclusion of local journalist Gabriela Conti, who befriends Matthew, and whose True Crime podcast helps to put snippets of the plot together with some interesting character vignettes. There are lots of clues and hidden twists which I enjoyed working out, and the flip between time frames is done with precision and fine attention to detail. The conclusion to this complex story is done really well, with a twist I didn’t see coming, making The Crime Writer such an intriguing read that I’m still pondering about the ending.

A well written suspense filled with twists that kept me hooked from the very beginning.
A quick and fun read that I finished in a few hours.
The characterization was superb, the writing pacey and flowing, and the tension delivered in a series of shocks and twists along the way.
This is a tightly written story, with well developed characters and enough suspense to keep you reading.

I loved the intriguing premise of this book. Matthew Walsh is a crime writer and therefore adept at devising fictional ways to kill – but did he act out one of his plots in real life to kill his wife? Can journalist and podcaster Gabriela Conti get to the truth of what happened to Leona? Is Matthew innocent? Or guilty? Is he telling the truth, or plotting to mislead Gabriela and the police?

This book was brilliantly executed and it will keep you guessing until the final chapter. I especially enjoyed the two alternating timelines, which revealed what had happened to Leona Walsh alongside Gabriela’s journalistic investigation. The podcast interviews were a clever way to reveal information from key witnesses in the case.

A well-structured and cleverly plotted book with lots of twists. A very entertaining read.

Five years ago, Leona Walsh went missing, she was never found but suspicion fell on her husband Matthew, a renowned crime fiction writer. Now, bones are discovered in the garden of Matthew's late mother's house, so once again Matthew is in the spotlight. Could he have committed the perfect murder? A local journalist, who hoped to make her make on the initial disappearance story, is fascinated by the case and vows to get the truth. Lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing, and a hint that you will never know - a great read.

An easy read, this novel starts at a pace and keeps you reading, like all good whodunnits. I enjoyed the twists and turns, the characters were limited so you didn't lose track of who was who.

I didn't expect the journalist to be one of the more dependable people in this saga though! But a good sideline with enough going on to distract you from the main plot.

Did I see the end coming? Yes, I did, but it was still an enjoyable and śatisfying read.

Diane Jeffrey’s The Crime Writer is a gripping psychological thriller that keeps readers second-guessing until the very last page. Blending mystery, suspense, and dark intrigue, the novel explores the disappearance of Leona Walsh, the wife of renowned crime novelist Matthew Walsh, and the devastating ripple effects of suspicion and media scrutiny.

The story unfolds in two timelines: in 2019, when Leona vanishes while jogging on Exmoor, and in 2024, when human remains are discovered, reigniting public interest in the case. The police had their suspicions—after all, Matthew knows how to plot the perfect crime. But was he truly capable of murdering his wife? Journalist Gabriela Conti, who covered the case from the start, refuses to let it go, determined to uncover the truth—even if it means getting dangerously close to the man many believe is a killer.

Jeffrey masterfully crafts an intricate web of secrets, unreliable perspectives, and shifting allegiances, making every character feel layered and suspect in their own way. The psychological depth of the novel is particularly compelling—Matthew’s struggle to raise his daughters under the shadow of suspicion, Gabriela’s obsession with the case, and the unanswered question of what really happened to Leona all drive the tension forward.

Fast-paced and cleverly plotted, The Crime Writer is a thrilling read for fans of dark, atmospheric mysteries. With plenty of twists and a deeply unsettling premise, this novel will keep you hooked until its chilling conclusion.

An enjoyable read, I liked the plot and the story being told from two different timelines. Not too sure on the ending though. I guessed the twist about half way through so then it felt like I was just reading for the sake of finding out if I was right and the ending left me a bit disappointed as it wasn't conclusive. Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC.

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.