Crime Writer

by

Vinnie Hansen

A twisty plot with an atmospheric feel, I felt as though I was being watched.

Crime Writer is a thrilling new novel by author Vinnie Hansen, and the more I read, the more I could sense the emotions of the main character, and I almost felt as though I was being watched. When a patrol officer is gunned down while making a routine traffic stop, the ride-along in his car, a local mystery writer, becomes the only witness and a loose end for the killer. 

Author Zoey Kozinski has hit an inspirational snag in her latest novel. She is on a ride-along with the local police to help get her creative juices flowing again and develop her fictional main character, a cop she’s tentatively named Stan. In her notes, Stan sees his partner shot down before he, too, is hit. Those notes, left in the car when her escort, Officer Stan Austin, was murdered, naturally caught the attention of investigators. Suddenly, she’s under the scrutiny of the police while being hunted by the murderer. 

Set in a small coastal California town, Zoey quickly begins to feel like a sitting duck, especially in her off-the-beaten-path tiny home, perched on the edge of a friend’s possibly-illegal marijuana fields. The story gets dark and down to business immediately, with the murder of the officer occurring early in the story. The action unfolds from multiple points of view, keeping the suspense building and the tension high. Zoey slowly succumbs to the stress, which is exacerbated by the arrival of her mother, and you could feel the pressure radiating off the page. As the police question her role in the shooting, there is also the presence of Jimmy Patak to consider. Was he just a Good Samaritan who stopped at the scene that night, or something much more sinister? A difficult aspect of the story was the reaction of Officer Austin’s widow, who claimed that Zoey’s presence in the car as a ride-along had presented a distraction that led to her husband’s death. It falls to Zoey herself to investigate and clear her name, while still trying to stay out of the sight of the real killer. 

I recommend CRIME WRITER to readers of thrillers, suspense, and mysteries. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.