Say My Name

A small town’s secrets make this story intriguing. This talented author has written a mystery that is different. It is difficult to discern the truth from the lies. This book moves quickly and the characters are realistic. This is a novel that will be remembered long after it is finished. This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. Thanks to the publisher and the author.

A brilliantly written novel with an extraordinary story about an unbalanced author trying to write a true story about a childhood crime. Impossible to put down as you journey through the twists and turns in the story that lead to a surprising finale. A highly recommended read and worthy of five stars.

I wasn't sure whether I was reading a crazy novel or a novel with a crazy narrator. It didn't take long for our returning novelist to get involved in an old case involving the disappearance of twins he knew in high school. He relentlessly pursues any leads he finds as he plans to write his first nonfiction story about the case. In Say My Name, author Joe Clifford creates an aggressive story that sometimes feels like a stream of consciousness in its approach. He missed big clues and ends up with surprising results. I enjoyed the novel.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

A Seemingly Idyllic Place..
A mystery writer returns to his seemingly idyllic, yet claustrophobic, hometown - amidst his own personal and domestic issues - and finds himself pulled into an unsolved crime which took place years before. The small town vibe is done exceedingly well. Careful characterisation, an atmospheric and firm sense of place and a sense of growing tension combine to produce a truly compelling and engaging tale of an author relentlessly pursuing a true crime where fact and fiction blur.

Great pace and action make this book literally a non-stop read. I loved the care taken in detailing the characters of the town in which it is set and was left wondering what might have been based in fact. An excellent, enjoyable book.

Another good one from Joe Clifford. This one is a great ride where we spend most of our time in the MC's headspace, and what makes this so interesting is the MC is the author, although i assume in a (somwhat) fictionalized portrayal. There is a mystery or two in this one and they are engaging, tho the conclusions are not too far out there if you have been paying attention...or are they. The ending may leave some guessing as to what was really going on.....but i really enjoyed the ride and seeing the world through this characters eyes. 4 stars

A great meta novel and lots of bits that you can nod to if you're a reader of his past works. Full review on Murder in Common here:
https://murderincommon.com/2023/05/14/joe-clifford-say-my-name/

I’ve read many of this author’s books, none in the vein of metafiction like this one. The title sums it up and is appropriate. It’s a psychological sledgehammer hitting you with an array of hometown suspects in the fate of two missing twin girls. A writer returns to his small hometown in Berlin, Connecticut. He’s getting a divorce, drinking too much, writing to little. He decides to craft a new mystery based on the true disappearance of Annabelle and Ava. Bodies have never been found, presumed dead. Reconnecting with childhood friends Jack, Jim, and Ron, he becomes quite obsessed in solving the case, not just writing a fictional story. Answers come with consequences when he begins to suspect the only family he has left, uncle Iver. Another old acquaintance is local cop Wayne who is seemingly bailing him out of sticky messes.
Are the girls still alive, missing or were their murders swept under layers of small town dust? Read it for yourself to find out the truth. Not at all what I expected, still scratching my head wondering what I missed. The writing style will not be for everyone. A few of the rambling pontifications threatened to bog me down. None of my theoretical perpetrators held up to scrutiny. The resolution was unexpected and made perfect sense all at once.
“Say My Name” by Joe Clifford, published by BooksGoSocial, was provided to me by NetGalley as a digital advance reader copy. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.

SAY MY NAME is a true crime story about a crime that never happened … or did it?

On the heels of a divorce, a midlist mystery writer returns to his hometown in Central CT and is dragged back into a decades’ old, unsolved case involving former missing classmates to expose the horrific secrets of a quaint, idyllic New England town.

Fusing the modern domestic psychological thriller with popular unsolved mysteries (Girl on the Train meets In Cold Blood), this meta blend of true crime and fiction plays with expectations and perspective before its mind-blowing conclusion.

I really enjoyed this story. I like the unique take on this thriller. My first and not last read by Joe Clifford. Will recommend to others.

The main character finds hisself back in Berlin Connecticut after a divorce he reconnect with old friends some willingly and some clearly by accident but when he gets an amber alert for two girls that witnessing in a town a couple of cities the way from Berlin he is reminded of the twins that went missing when he was 12 he had a crush on Annabel even though they’re going missing would’ve been a loss had it just been a schoolmate it was made even more severe by his first teenage crush, he decides he’s going to write a nonfiction book about the girls going missing in the crime that took place but was is there a crime? I guess he’s left out to the readers to decide I really like the approachable feel he gave till I guess himself the main character I didn’t like the way he treated his uncle Iver who clearly cared about him but that is a small small part of the plot this was a great book if you love a great fiction book then you will Love “say my name” by Joseph Clifford I felt like we got a Flys eyeview of the behind the scenes in inner dialogue of writing and the writer. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

This is a true crime novel…what??? Is this a thing…Yep! With Joe Clifford as the author, anything is possible. The main character, is a writer and he has decided to write a true crime book about the disappearance of twins from his hometown. Needless to say, this does not bode well for him. He is attacked on all fronts. But why? What exactly is he exposing?

This book is intriguing from start to finish. And the ending…oh boy! You better pay attention! Now, the only reason for the 4 star rating is the main character (which I don’t think his name is ever mentioned…hence the title of the book!) is a bit of a mess. He is researching a “true crime” book but he ignores all phone calls and unplugs a great deal. But, like I said…the ending opens a lot of truths!

I have read every single one of this author’s books. And I will continue to try and read every one he writes. He is so diverse and different in every book. And this one tops the diversity list. But, my favorite is still The Shadow People.

Need a good thriller with an ending that is not at all what anyone will expect…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

This is a story about a writer who is looking for answers from his past. Even though he is a successful writer, he feels like a failure. Two missing girls, Annabelle and Ava Rodgers has been haunting him since the time they disappeared. But can he find the answers now, after all these years? Sometimes it is best to leave the past buried, for the remaining living souls. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.

Fresh off the heels of a divorce, a midlist mystery writer returns to his hometown of Berlin, Connecticut to accept a teaching job at his alma mater. Renting a house from a childhood buddy, he’s excited for a new start and the opportunity to take a break from writing. But when an Amber Alert is issued for two girls in a nearby town, memories of his past in Berlin come flooding back, specifically the unsolved disappearance of two teenage twin girls in 1985 when he was 15.

He’s never forgotten Annabelle and Ava Rogers or the day they disappeared all those years ago. How could he? They were his friends, and Annabelle was the first girl to break his heart. Now, all these years later, the similarities between the girls in the Amber Alert and the Rogers twins have his mind whirring. When his teaching job falls through, he decides to write a true crime novel about their disappearance, which means doing some investigating of his own. However, it’s quickly made clear that those around him, including the police, aren’t thrilled with his digging. He’s hot on the tail of the man he suspects took the twins, but the true culprit is hot on his tail, willing to do anything to keep him from discovering the truth. Who it is will shock him – and create one helluva final twist for you.

As taut and twisty as it is fast paced, “Say My Name” by Joe Clifford is guaranteed to tie your mind into knots. A perfect blend of metafiction and psychological thriller, the author uses a stream-of-consciousness narrative style to tell the story of writing a true crime novel about a crime that never happened. Because this style mimics the non-linear way our brains work, we get a deeper view into the narrator’s thought process and mental state, which makes the book all the more edgy and addictive.

“Say My Name” is full of twists that start early on and keep on coming. Combine the twists with a few red herrings, and you won’t be able to figure out what’s actually true and what’s not, not even when it comes to the narrator. Is the narrator a liar? The police have their suspicions. I did too. And who is the narrator anyway? The title of the book seems like a challenge for you to figure out. Could the narrator be a version of the author himself, making the author the main character? With the references in the book to the Jay Porter crime fiction series (written by Joe Clifford), it very likely could be. You’ll have to read for yourself to decide.

Psychological thrillers are a dime a dozen nowadays. Some of them can start to feel cookie-cutter and predictable when you read as many as I do. Luckily, that’s not the case with “Say My Name”. It’s unique and compelling. The whodunnit aspect of the book can be figured out, but not on the first guess and not long before the author reveals it to you. It feels wrong to say a book about missing teenagers is refreshing, but (in the world of psych thrillers) “Say My Name” is exactly that. I highly recommend it.

This is a book like nothing I've read before but it kept my interest the entire time! The unnamed mystery writer is working on a book combining reality and fiction, based upon unsolved mysteries surrounding the disappearances of two sets of twins set years apart. There are so many suspects, so many red herrings, so many clues that my head was spinning but it's so worth it in the end! I'll be looking at Clifford's other works in the near future as he's a wild story-teller!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Say my name by Joe Clifford is one of those classic crime novels that Truman Capote would be proud of. Now is it perfect? No, but it does a good job at upping the tension and anxiety of being a combined true crime novelist and trying to solve some kidnappings and murders.

The plot is as easy as it goes and that is what makes this book wonderful to digest. It is about a writer trying to find his way in this sleazy world, make some money, solve some crimes, maybe connect two missing persons cases forty years apart.

What people are not going to like is that it takes a very long time for it to get to where it is going. To me that is okay, it just means the writer is stretching his fingers to get his point across, but some people may not like that. Also, some people may feel the anxiety that the writer felt writing this in such a time crunch. I mean, he only mentioned that he was a writer and worked better with a deadline a million times in this novel.

Now, if you can overcome that, then you are really going to enjoy this book. The author does a fantastic job getting into the head of what it is like being a writer and the pressures we put on ourselves to always do better. I think that is what hit home with me the most. It felt like the writer was breaking the fourth wall by telling me that is anxiety and depression induced trauma if you want to be a writer. Plus, the pay stinks unless you become rich.

Overall, i liked it enough to go out and order a physical copy and another one of Joe Clifford's book, because I wanted to see if it was a fluke that he was able to make me feel so anxious reading a book. So far, I do not want to give him an ego, but it is his writing style, which is a good thing when a writer can make you feel the words that he is writing.

Don't take my word for it, go out there and get your own copy and find out if you like it as much as I did.

Happy reading, but stay out of trouble.
Chris Humphrey

Say My Name (2023) is Clifford’s latest novel. It is a novel about a writer who is writing (or at least researching) a true crime story about two fifteen-year-old girls, Annabelle and Ana Rodgers, who disappeared from the mall back when the author was fifteen too. Indeed, one of the missing girls had been his first big childhood crush, although he always believed she was out of his league. The character who is the author in this book is sort of Joe Clifford and sort of not. They are both writers. They both grew up in Berlin, Connecticut, and lived in San Francisco, before returning. Both are it seems introspective writers. So it is a part true crime story about a writer writing about a writer about a place where both the writer and the writer character grew up. Also, there are a few references to the Jay Porter series Clifford wrote (but as if the main character wrote the series) set on Lamentation Mountain about a handyman.

Beginning with the author’s note at the front of the book, it is hard to determine whether it is a true crime story or not or whether the “author” speaking at the front is Clifford or the character in the novel. We are told that the twins disappeared from the mall in 1985 and forty years later had never been found and it remained a black mark on the idyllic New England town and was still shocking to those who grew up there and knew the two girls. The other major point scored in the introduction by the “author” is that perhaps monsters do not just life in closets and under beds. Perhaps monsters are hiding in plain sight in our home towns, shopping at the same stores, eating at the same restaurants. “We don’t recognize them, Because they look just like us.”

Coming off a bitter divorce, the narrator returns to his hometown (where his only living relative is an oddball uncle Iver), he intends to write a true crime story about the missing twins from 1985 and maybe, just maybe, come up with answers to the town’s leading mystery. Much of the novel is introspective thoughts about a writer often lost in his own thoughts and disconnected to the outside world. He investigates though and is warned off the investigation and beaten till he was hospitalized, but doggedly still thinks he can resolve this old matter.

There is an introspective feel to the narration similar in many respects to what is found in Clifford’s Jay Porter novels, but this is a different character and a different story.

3.5 stars rounded up.

Say My Name is a true crime story about a crime that never happened.... or did it?

On the heels of a divorce, a midlist mystery writer returns to his hometown in Central CT and is dragged back into a decades old unsolved case involving former classmates to expose horrific secrets of a quaint, idyllic New England town.

This mystery takes place in Berlin, Connecticut. The protagonist is newly divorced and an author. He decides to write a true crime book based on twin girls who went missing from a mall nearly forty years ago. The girls were never found. Coincidently, two sisters about the same age have just went missing from a different mall bring the disappearance of the twins back to the minds of the Berlin locals. I wasn't keen on the authors writing style, so I took off half a star for this reason. This is a fast-paced and twisted read, and there's quite a lot of suspects to choose from.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #BooksGoSocial and the author #JoeClifford for my ARC of #SayMyName in exchange for an honest review.

I found this book entertaining; I definitely wanted to read on to find out what happened. I always find this a good measure of a book. The storyline was interesting and kept me wondering what was going to happen and the twist was well-written. If you like crime solving reads and want something that isn’t too taxing or complex, this is a good read.

Good story. Lots of action and twists and turns. Well worth reading.


Looking forward to more from Joe Clifford
Many thanks to the author and publisher for the ARC and opportunity to enjoy this wonderful book

Joe Clifford's writing style is out of the ordinary. His first person narration offers a more intimate view and understanding of the protagonist and it sucked me right in. The main character, recently divorced, returns to his hometown in Connecticut to write a True Crime book about the disappearance of twin girls. As he investigates, his "meta" riffs reveal more and more about who he is, his past and current relationships, and gives glimpses onto his seemingly self-distructive behavior. "Say My Name" is a page turner, but also a smart book that gives the reader access to a close-up view of the main characters' psyche. I loved the twists and turns and found the ending to be an excellent surprise. I know I will be twirling "Say My Name" around in my head for a long time. Thank you for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Say My Name is a mind-blowing blend of true crime and fiction, intertwining a midlist mystery writer's personal struggles with a decades-old unsolved case in his hometown. The small town's secrets and the author's relentless pursuit of the truth blur the lines between fact and fiction. This fast-paced novel with realistic characters will leave a lasting impression. The atmospheric setting and growing tension make it a compelling and engaging read. The title perfectly captures the psychological impact of the story. With an unexpected resolution and thought-provoking writing style, this book stands out from the rest. Reading an advanced copy through NetGalley was a fantastic experience.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Promised a position at a local college, a recently divorced mystery writer returns to his home town. Listening to a radio alert regarding two teenage girls missing from a mall triggers memories of a similar situation over thirty years ago. When his position falls through, he chooses to remain in town and write a true crime book around a hometown mystery that remains unsolved. He reconnects with old friends who warn him of the dangers of opening old wounds. He was a teenager himself at the time and date one of th girls who disappeared, but years have passed and memories are sometimes unreliable. His perceptions are also clouded by excessive alcohol and the stress of his divorce. A number of twists and an attack in the author keep the story flowing and an increase in tension, leading to a surprising ending. I had not read this author in the past, but Say My Name has made me a fan.

True crime fiction. Original. Yes. Also thrilling and suspenseful. I felt like it was true and the writing is great. Will read more from author.

The premise of the book might sound somewhat confusing but the way Joe Cliford has narrated the book it all fits together brilliantly.
Say My Name is very intriguing from the start, so it a true crime novel? I'll let you decide.
It's about a writer ( you never do get to know there name, hence the title) that starts writing a true crime novel about the disappearance of two sets of twins that vanish years apart from his hometown .
There are some wonderful red herrings along the way and the ending is brilliantly written.

From the publisher:
SAY MY NAME is a true crime story about a crime that never happened. 

On the heels of a divorce, a midlist mystery writer returns to his hometown in Central CT and is dragged back into a decades’ old, unsolved case involving former missing classmates to expose the horrific secrets of a quaint, idyllic New England town.

Fusing the modern domestic psychological thriller with popular unsolved mysteries (Girl on the Train meets In Cold Blood), this meta blend of true crime and fiction plays with expectations and perspective before its mind-blowing conclusion. 

Say My Name by Joe Clifford was released June 6th, 2023.

My thoughts: Say My Name by Joe Clifford is a strange book starting with the first line of the synopsis: "a true crime story about a crime that never happened." Things only get stranger with time as we watch the main character on a downward spiral while investigating the disappearance of a set of twins from when he was a youth in central Connecticut.

The story is told from the main character's point of view. He is an unreliable narrator - he spends much of the book drinking heavily and not eating. This leads him to maybe make conclusions he wouldn't have made if he was sober. At least he questions some of them once he sobers up. I thought that the author did a good job of showing how the main character declines with time.

In order to read the book, I had to suspend disbelief early on and read it as a mystery that the main character was investigating. It's not a neat mystery. It reads like a real mystery would with messy investigations, strange conclusions, getting into trouble, and being told to leave things alone. Still, I read on wanting to know what would happen and what kind of conclusion he would draw next.

The ending of the book was a big twist. It wasn't the one I was expecting, which is a good thing. It's nice to be surprised. Still, I felt it was a little off in the way it was explained.

Overall, it's a good book. If you like your mysteries written weirdly, maybe experimentally, then this would be a good book for you. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars for execution. It was different. I didn't really like the narrator. I wasn't fond of the ending, but it was interesting.

I received a copy of the book through Swell Media. This did not affect my opinions.

Having read and enjoyed several of Joe Clifford's previous novels, I was intrigued to read "Say My Name," to see how this book might connect with or expand on the themes of his other work. For me, this is his best book so far, and I look forward to catching up on any I've missed, as well as any new ones that are coming out soon.
I loved this 'true crime' story! Of course the truth of the tale unfolds with the telling, and part of the fun was being a detective along with the narrator. All of the plot twists were surprising and engaging, and the action moved at a satisfying pace.
The blending of the author's real life experiences with a colorful alternate world, that isn't addressed until the last pages, was mysterious and entertaining, especially for anyone who knows the author's early work, and the Lamentation series.
I highly recommend this book to anyone new to the author, as well as those who will recognize the many literary Easter Egg treats scattered throughout.

Say My Name by Joe Clifford is one of those books that has layers that go deeper than originally meets the eye. First off, Joe Clifford writes the book as himself, a writer, though he doesn't name himself as the writer, so first person point of view, a real person, real events from a real town, but then you kind of forget about all that as your pulled into the story. I noticed others wrote that he hinted and referenced his other real books, which I didn't catch, as this is the first book I've read by this author, but definitely has connections that reach deeper than I understood at first glance. It pulls you into an intriguing storyline of two girls who he kind of knew growing up, and after he moved out, grew up, life imploded and left him reeling, he returns back to his hometown only to be caught back up in to the whole mysterious disappearance of two more girls, whose details are scarily similar to the original event, that he can't help himself but get entwined into digging for the truth. As he uncovers new information, he's also being told subtlety and not so subtlety that his search for truth is not wanted. There are many twists and turns that make you think you know what's going on, and then you're left retracing what you know to figure it out. Kept my attention and curiosity and appreciated the creativity of a multi-layered story. Well done, and looking to read more from Mr. Clifford.
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This review is my own opinion*

A unique novel that blurs the line between fiction and true crime. The protagonist of this book is an author who moves back to his hometown of Berlin, CT, seeking a fresh start after his divorce. He soon hears about the disappearance of two teen girls from a nearby town, which brings back memories of the twin girls who disappeared from Berlin in the 80s, when he was a teen himself. He becomes obsessed with this case, and decides to write a true crime novel about the disappearance. His writerly intuition is telling him that these cases must be related, and he is determined to find the truth, no matter who gets hurt in the process.

Wow, this was a strange one. I honestly couldn't tell how much of this was based in reality and how much was fiction, which is definitely the author's intent. I couldn't help but dislike the narrator, with his constant disregard for the feelings of others, and all the times he drove while under the influence. Big no, no. But I was hooked by the mystery and couldn't wait for the truth to come out. A memorable read, sure to be enjoyed by fans of true crime and mystery in general.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Joe Clifford is guaranteed to deliver with every book he releases. Once again I lost myself in a Joe Clifford book, for a few thrilling hours. SAY MY NAME had me thinking I had figured out the major plotline... nope. A few twists and turns and I was once again flummoxed and pleasingly surprised in the end. I loved the buildup and not seeing the ending I expected! An excellent leading character, and an amazing story. Another good one Joe!

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.

Gripping! A true crime novel, with an excellent premise. I will look for the crime fiction books by this author.

Yet another strong outing from Joe Clifford. Once again basing his story in icy, small-town NE, this time Clifford blurs the lines between fiction and non-fiction with a cold case, true crime podcast style narrative that will have the reader wondering how much is real, how much fiction, and where that line blends/blurs.

Tense weaving of truth and fiction to create a complex mystery that will lead you into the wee hours turning the page. For fans of deep mystery and also fans of true crime, this is a gem.

An author returns to his home town after a divorce. He’ returns for a job that ends up not happening, and now with time on his hands he’s brought back into a mystery that might have never happened. But Joe needs to find out the truth before he can move on.

After his divorce, the main character, (a mystery writer), is forced to return to his hometown of Berlin, CT, and finds himself trying to solve the unsolved case of two girls who went missing when he was much younger. The novel is listed as "true-crime story about a crime that never happened- or did it?" It may be a true story, but may be fictionalized, either way I liked it. His interest is piqued when two girls go missing after he returned to Berlin and it brings to his memories the girls who disappeared in his past.

I have recommended this book to friends who love mysteries. It was one of those books I couldn't put down. I had to find out who it was and why it happened. There is a lot of dialogue and searching in the main character's head, but it was well worth it to get to the end of the book.

I was given the opportunity to read this book by NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a very different style of psych thriller …. unlike anything I've encountered before…, and it held my interest from start to finish! The anonymous mystery writer crafts a narrative blending reality and fiction, centered on the unsolved disappearances of two sets of twins from different eras. The story is filled with numerous suspects, red herrings, and clues that meant that this is one that needs concentrating on, but the payoff was absolutely worth it!