Author:Joseph Knox
'A triumph. Dazzlingly original' Sunday Times
'Riveting and relentless...A unique story, brilliantly told' Terry Hayes
'Brilliant, compelling and original' Steve Cavanagh
'Highly original and mischievous' John Boyne
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'What happens to those girls who go missing? What happens to the Zoe Nolans of the world?'
In the early hours of Saturday 17 December 2011, Zoe Nolan, a nineteen-year-old Manchester University student, walked out of a party taking place in the shared accommodation where she had been living for three months.
She was never seen again.
Seven years after her disappearance, struggling writer Evelyn Mitchell finds herself drawn into the mystery. Through interviews with Zoe's closest friends and family, she begins piecing together what really happened in 2011. But where some versions of events overlap, aligning perfectly with one another, others stand in stark contrast, giving rise to troubling inconsistencies.
Shaken by revelations of Zoe's secret life, and stalked by a figure from the shadows, Evelyn turns to crime writer Joseph Knox to help make sense of a case where everyone has something to hide.
Zoe Nolan may be missing presumed dead, but her story is only just beginning.
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Readers love TRUE CRIME STORY:
'Perfectly combines the best parts of true crime, fiction and mystery. Superb'
'My favourite read of 2021...fascinating, perplexing and bloody brilliant'
'I've been looking for something different and new in the crime genre. Here it is'
Scandalously entertaining...Knox is a fantastic writer. His ambitious fourth novel satirises and celebrates the true-crime genre with glee ... by turns horrific and hilarious
—— Mark Sanderson , The TimesTruly immersive: complex, disturbing, unexpectedly funny and very smart
—— Laura Wilson , The GuardianOne of the most engaging cold-case novels I have read
—— Natasha Cooper , Literary ReviewKnox the author pulls off a hybrid triumph: at once an old-fashioned whodunnit and a smart postmodern literary novel asking questions about the ethics of all editing, as well as the true-crime genre. Dazzlingly original.
—— John Dugdale , Sunday TimesThe gifted Joseph Knox continues his upwards trajectory...forging something original and innovative.
—— Barry Forshaw , Financial TimesBest new fiction. Knox tears up the rule book, this bravura performance it's darkness leavened by very black humour
—— John Williams , Mail on SundayThis satire of the true crime genre is ingenious, funny and totally original
—— The SunReads like a cinematic true crime documentary. Brilliant, compelling and original.
—— Steve CavanaghAn absolute triumph. It sucked me in, chewed me up, spat me out and left me blinking like the moment the lights go on at a fuzzy basement nightclub. Phenomenal, current, bleakly devastating. An iron gauntlet in the guts. Loved it.
—— Matt WesolowskiHighly original and mischievous novel - a complete triumph
—— John BoyneAbsolutely brilliant. I think it's a game-changer
—— Martyn WaitesPure genius - all the things you want to a crime novel to be, also hilarious. I love it
—— Jane CaseyTrue Crime Story is phenomenal. One of the most original thrillers I've read in years, perhaps ever. A gritty, twisted murder mystery told in the unique style of a true crime account. I've rarely raced through a book so fast. I'm just gutted that it's probably ruined me for thrillers for a good long while! Absolutely remarkable.
—— Robyn YoungWOW ! this is a work of outstanding and staggering genius! You always get beautiful prose and a crackling plot from Mr Knox. But this has extra madness. It's the most original book I've read in ages
—— Imran MahmoodThe most exciting and original crime book you'll read this year
—— Anna MazzolaDark, seedy, and not to be trusted, and that's just the character Joseph Knox, as written by Joseph Knox!This is a very clever book indeed. Fiction so convincingly written as true crime that I ended up Googling the victim just to check I hadn't got the wrong end of the stick.
—— Jack GrimwoodTotally gripping, original, and white- hot suspenseful
—— Robert CraisAn audacious idea, ingeniously executed
—— Sarah HilaryOne of the most unafraid contemporary crime writers ... a genre defying complex construct of smoke and mirrors, this book is very, very clever.
—— Helen FieldsA story that'll leave your head spinning and questioning just who gets to shape the narrative when a woman goes missing...
—— StylistIngenious...brilliantly original
—— Laura Shepherd RobinsonHugely ambitious
—— Irish IndependentInventive, playful and hugely enjoyable.
—— Sunday ExpressSupple and urgent - another slab of Knox brilliance
—— MetroKnox has produced something extraordinary ... post-modern playfulness [embedded] in a rich and compelling plot that twists and turns until the final pages
—— The Big IssueAstonishing! So clever, so original! Highly recommended
—— Jane FallonThis clever novel reads like a true crime story (at times you have to remind yourself it's fiction), which makes it all the more compelling
—— IndependentAn ingenious thriller
—— Choice MagazineA very stylish novel revealing not only the unreliability of witnesses, but also the voyeurism in much crime reporting, crime investigation, and yes, in those of us who enjoy crime fiction
—— The TabletBook of the year
True Crime Story by Joseph Knox, a provocative mix of real and fictional crime in which the author himself investigates the disappearance of a student named Zoe. But is she a real or fictional character? With a fragmentary narrative style, this is something new in the overcrowded crime genre
Joseph Knox cements his reputation as one of the best of the new guard of British crime writers with True Crime Story, in which one Joseph Knox - a deliciously unflattering self-portrait - becomes entangled in the investigation into the disappearance of a student. It's a meta-fictional trick that helps to create a genuine (and genuinely pleasurable) sense of unease.
—— Best Books of 2021, The TelegraphBrilliantly original, so tense and so moving
—— Lucy Clarke, bestselling author of The CastawaysIngenious. Criminal mastermind. Twists and misdirections are embedded in Wrong Place Wrong Time's clever narrative
—— Writing MagazineMcAllister has always been a plot master, but with Wrong Place, Wrong Time she's surpassed herself. So riveting you'll pull a sickie and ignore all family and friends until the breath-taking final page
—— Celia WaldenA tightly crafted plot from a great thriller writer
—— PrimaA genre-defining masterpiece that turns everything you think you know about crime, family and memory on its head. I'm so jealous of everybody who gets to read this for the first time. An instant classic
—— Holly SeddonAn extraordinary novel. Intricately plotted, beautifully written and impossible to put down. This is a Groundhog Day thriller lived and told backwards, which is such an incredibly smart concept - but Wrong Place, Wrong Time is not just clever, it's heart-wrenching and full of emotion too. McAllister is a writer at the absolute top of her game
—— Beth O'LearyUnquestionably her best book yet. Mind bending and extraordinary. What an amazing achievement. All the stars!
—— Jill MansellA genuine premise, compelling characters, and an absolute masterclass in plotting
—— Lucy Clarke, bestselling author of The CastawaysThe latest novel from Gillian McAllister is perfect in every way. Pretty sure she's going to take over the world with that book
—— Imran MahmoodMcAllister is . . . at the top of her game. Revelations come at a satisfying pace in this smart, compelling thriller . . . It's the book we'll all be talking about this summer, so you might as well get ahead of the game and read it now
—— S.J. Watson , Perspective Magazine, 'Thriller of the Month'Mindblowingly brilliant, it's a cracker - everyone should preorder IMMEDIATELY
—— Lisa HallWrong Place Wrong Time is an astonishingly accomplished psychological thriller that pinpoints the ferocious love between mother and son, and the lengths we go to for that love. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I was entertained, but more than that: I was moved
—— Laura Jane WilliamsWrong Place, Wrong Time is an intricately plotted, highly original thriller full of heart, layers and jaw-dropping twists. Gillian McAllister is one of the finest suspense writers in the market today and this outstanding novel deserves every success
—— Phoebe MorganThe most inventive thriller of the year
—— Daily ExpressThe next I Let You Go, the next Gone Girl, the next Girl on the Train . . . Wrong Place, Wrong Time will be a huge hit, deservedly so
—— Sarah Turner, Costa Book Awards JudgeAmbitious, menacing and shocking - a brilliant concept and her best book yet
—— Woman & Home, 'BOOK CLUB AWARDS'McAllister pulls off this adventure with aplomb. Tightly plotted. Couldn't put it down . . . Don't miss it
—— GuardianWrong Place Wrong Time contains layers of intrigue and secrecy . . . You'll turn each page of Jen's story, eager to find out - as she did - what secrets have been hiding in plain sight all along. You'll recommend this book to everyone you know
—— HeraldMasterfully crafted in every way, this novel races along-backward-for a reading experience so intriguing and immersive that you'll only pause to wonder how McAllister has done it. An original and emotional thriller that nails the tender moments of a mother's love as much as the big, impressive twists. A total stand-out and great fun to read-I loved it
—— Ashley Audrain, New York Times bestselling author of THE PUSHWRONG PLACE, WRONG TIME is the spellbinding story of a mother going back in time to try to prevent her son from committing a murder. Masterfully plotted and wholly original, McAllister keeps the surprises coming until the very last page, with an ending as satisfying as it is haunting.
—— Stephanie WrobelPage-turning time-loop thriller . . . An intelligent puzzle full of heart and good sense
—— Guardian, '50 hottest new books for a great escape'It's extraordinary, just One of Those Books. She's carved through time, and created something three dimensional. It's like peering into the interior of a beautiful twisty shell. I absolutely loved it.
—— Eve ChaseClever, original, and so addictive it should come with a warning. I loved it!
—— Alice FeeneyGillian McAllister takes detective fiction in a new direction with this novel. Convincingly portrayed, and the criminal plot is cleverly designed
—— Literary ReviewTense . . . an affecting portrayal of a family careening toward crisis. [A] twisty book by a writer with a fine grasp of the subtleties of familial dysfunction. Unexpectedly tender
—— New York TimesThis book is clever, clever, clever. Tightly plotted with a great cast of characters and tension in every line, I lived it and loved it
—— Fiona BartonA super-clever, belter of a book that will stay with you long after you finish it
—— SunWrong Place, Wrong Time is a mind-bending, time-twisting knockout of a book. Genius plotting and pacing easily make this one of my favourite reads this year. Gillian McAllister is a rare talent
—— Samantha DowningOnce I started reading I whizzed through the book in a couple of sittings. Such deft crafting! It would make great TV
—— Clare ChambersThis unique, riveting novel is best described as Groundhog Day meets crime drama
—— Yours MagazineA game-changer. What an amazing book
—— Phil Williams , Times RadioBrilliant. A genre defining book. So clever. It's going to be huge
—— Hannah Beckerman , Times RadioChannels Groundhog Day with an endlessly replayed murder, as a woman's unassuming son kills a stranger - over and over again. The familiar plot motif is given an unguessable reset, and McAllister ensures that characterisation is as central to the novel's success as the plotting
—— Financial TimesIt's terrific. It's ingenious. A GREAT concept
—— David KoeppFull of originality, this is a memorable thriller that will stay with readers long after the last page
—— The Upcoming