Play Audiobook Sample
The Crime Writer Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(3.04) - 651 listener ratings
Quick Stats About this Audiobook
Total Audiobook Chapters:
Longest Chapter Length:
Shortest Chapter Length:
Average Chapter Length:
Audiobooks by this Author:
Publisher Description
A crime writer finds himself entangled in his own gruesome mystery in this fast-paced psychological thriller.
Drew Danner, a crime novelist with a house off LA's storied Mulholland Drive, awakens in a hospital bed with a scar on his head and no memory of being found convulsing over his ex-fianc├®e's body the previous night. He was discovered holding a knife, her blood beneath his nails. He himself doesn't know whether he is guilty or innocent. To reconstruct the facts, the writer must now become the protagonist, searching the corridors of his life and of the city he loves. Soon Drew closes in on clues he may or may not have left for himself, and as another young woman is similarly murdered he has to ask difficult questions—not of others but of himself.
Download and start listening now!
"A Las Angeles novelist is accused of murdering his ex finance. He is acquitted on an insanity plea due to a brain tumor. After the tumor is removed he is a free man. He then begins his own investigation into her murder. It's a pretty good story though it has some unlikely occurrences. "
— Chuck (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
-
“Outstanding in every way. Hurwitz’s previous books—great as they were—look like practice swings before this titanic blast.”
— Lee Child, #1 New York Times bestselling author -
“It’d be so simple to say that The Crime Writer toys and pokes and jabs with the genre. And of course it does. But by merging author and hero, Hurwitz sharpens a brand-new edge in his voice. An elegant, engaging, and wonderfully human book.”
— Brad Meltzer, #1 New York Times bestselling author -
“The Crime Writer is the must-read crime novel of the year. Brilliantly rendered with hip intelligence and fierce originality, this book is a stunner. Gregg Hurwitz may well have created a brand name franchise and deservedly so.”
— Robert Crais, #1 New York Times bestselling author -
“With The Crime Writer, Gregg Hurwitz has taken a quantum leap forward in the realm of American suspense literature. A thrilling, mind-bending journey, it is also deeply humane and beautifully written. You’ll turn the final page with profound regret.”
— Dennis Lehane, New York Times bestselling author -
“An intimate, tension-filled story that starts strong and grows to a smashing finish.”
— Newsday -
“Hurwitz’s intelligent, skillfully plotted thriller, with its clever mystery and undercurrent of menace, is a gripping read.”
— Telegraph (London) -
“Hurwitz’s intelligent, skillfully plotted thriller, with its clever mystery and undercurrent of menace, is a gripping read.”
— Daily Telegraph (London) -
“The Crime Writer unfolds like a modern film noir…Hurwitz is a tight and quick-moving writer. He is at his best while describing Drew’s Los Angeles, with all its gaudiness and hype.”
— Pittsburgh Post-Gazette -
“[An] intimate, tension-filled story that starts strong and grows to a smashing finish…A hero truly worth rooting for.”
— South Florida Sun-Sentinel -
“Hurwitz’s carefully interwoven plotlines and taut writing—as well as his pulsing descriptions of Los Angeles—make for a deeply satisfying read, and the ending, revealed with masterful simplicity, shows the complex desires that make each of us capable of murder. A performance worthy of applause.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review) -
“An exhilarating tale…the first part of this exciting thriller may be the best opening ploy in the mystery genre this year.”
— Midwest Book Review -
“Gregg Hurwitz has written seven previous novels and has consistently produced work of exceptional quality, The Crime Writer perhaps being the pinnacle of that output thus far…One of my favorite reads of the year.”
— JanuaryMagazine.com -
“Hurwitz’s L.A. thriller has noir pulp chutzpah in spades…The fast pace and ingenious setup provide considerable tension.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Danner’s anguish is compellingly described, and the plot has more twists and turns than Mulholland Drive. At least half a dozen characters are vividly drawn, and nearly all are like Danner—struggling to recover from some tragic and life-altering event. Hurwitz’s insights about L.A. life sound knowing and are often ruefully funny, e.g., ‘L.A., where a porn star runs for governor and an action figure wins.’ Crime fans looking for something different will love this one.”
— Booklist -
“An exhilarating tale…the first part of this exciting thriller may be the best opening ploy in the mystery genre this year.”
— Midwest Book Review
Awards
-
Finalist for the 2008 International Thriller Writers Award for Best Novel
-
Shortlisted for the 2008 CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger
-
A 2007 Library Journal Best Book for Thrillers
-
A 2007 January Magazine Best Book for Crime Fiction
-
A Book Sense Pick for August2007
-
A Book-of-the-Month Club Selection
The Crime Writer Listener Reviews
-
" Good book. It was a fast read and I liked the main character. And I never expected it to end like it did. "
— Britney, 2/8/2014 -
" Spannend! "
— Marielle, 1/29/2014 -
" A story with a difference. The main character in the book is an author and he's trying to find out if he's a murderer or not. I enjoyed the storyline but I must admit that I skimmed some paragraphs where I became bored with descriptions that I didn't feel were relevant. I loved the outcome! "
— Judy, 1/26/2014 -
" Wonderful writing, a crime writer trying to solve a murder he committed after suffering a seizure due to a brain tumor, but too much to swallow by one plot element. Excellent LA travelogue, witty dialogue, certainly a page turner, just lacking plausibility. "
— Kendall, 1/24/2014 -
" Started slow for me but is a very good book. "
— Patricia, 1/18/2014 -
" This is a great book! I could not put it down and finished it in 4 hours. "
— John, 1/16/2014 -
" Would rate this 3.5 if I could. Enjoyable, but I can't justify 4 stars. "
— Rock, 1/11/2014 -
" An everyday guy who gets stuck in a scene he'd find hard to dream up. Terrifying to put yourself in his shoes, but great to take the journey to the end with him. "
— Tammy, 1/6/2014 -
" I know I read this, but it didn't stick with me in any way...reviews and descriptions bring it back a bit...enough to know I read this (as well as a note to myself that I did, in fact, read this a few years ago). I might have liked it more, but here's the thing...I can't remember exactly how it ended. Nice. "
— Jennie, 1/1/2014 -
" I adore Gregg Hurwitz. He is an absolute master of creating vivid suspense stories. "
— Scarlett, 12/13/2013 -
" Entertaing, a few interesting turns and tricks. I found the characters likeable. It was an easy but good read. "
— Randomboredom, 11/23/2013 -
" This was ok, likeable enough lead character, typical los angeles setting type mystery. Wouldnt come close to a michael connelly novel, but easy to get through quick read. "
— Joe, 10/16/2013 -
" I had never heard of Gregg Hurwitz before, but after reading this I'm going to look through the rest of his catalog. It was a solid mystery that kept the reader guessing as we rushed along with the protagonist in his attempts to exonerate himself. "
— Jp, 6/24/2013 -
" Details and advive about writing crime fiction. Addresses character, motve, and plot. "
— Fredrick, 6/6/2013 -
" Another well crafted thriller. Again with violence and language. Characterization is well-done. I was engaged all the way through. "
— Becky, 3/29/2013 -
" I was on an adrenaline high reading this book. Hurwitz kept me intrigued throughout. Great crime/mystery/thriller book! "
— Jim, 12/24/2012 -
" was quite good, very easy to read, even if was a bit stupid in parts "
— Kelly, 12/22/2012 -
" He writes an interesting yarn. "
— Tony, 11/17/2012 -
" I thought it started off really boring. I kept reading because I thought it would get better. I was wrong. "
— Mike, 9/15/2012 -
" ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzz "
— Kathy, 8/23/2012 -
" Started out a bit slowly, but really gained momentum, especially following the introduction of Junior. I very much enjoy this author's work. "
— Deb, 6/27/2012 -
" Awesome reads....keeps the pages turning "
— Roxie, 6/23/2012 -
" Had me hooked from start to finish. Excellent stuff. "
— Martin, 4/23/2012 -
" A clever conceit that actually comes off with wit and style - a refreshing and legitimately new twist on the genre. "
— Jessica, 10/2/2011 -
" Ok. Bit to reminiscent of Harlan Coben, but ok. "
— Ruth, 8/29/2011 -
" So Len brought this home to me and I thought it might be kind of trashy, but it's like a meta-crime novel, a novel of the fantastic, in which to solve the crime he has to write the story. It's way fun. I do not vouch for anything else he's written, as this appears to be a major departure. "
— Anna, 5/5/2011 -
" I sooo want to read it! "
— Maria, 3/5/2011 -
" I thought it started off really boring. I kept reading because I thought it would get better. I was wrong. "
— Mike, 1/30/2011 -
" Wonderful writing, a crime writer trying to solve a murder he committed after suffering a seizure due to a brain tumor, but too much to swallow by one plot element. Excellent LA travelogue, witty dialogue, certainly a page turner, just lacking plausibility. "
— Kendall, 1/20/2011 -
" I'll be looking at getting other works by this author. I really enjoyed his writing style; he made me laugh out loud several times, much like Robert B. Parker does. "
— Rebecca, 1/11/2011 -
" Usually books with a writer as the protagonist scare me off. I’m not a fan of investigative reporters etc. <br/>This book rang true. A mystery writer accused of murder. Great plotting good characters. What’s not to like. "
— Walter, 12/30/2010 -
" This is a great book! I could not put it down and finished it in 4 hours.<br/> "
— John, 12/29/2010 -
" Good psychological thriller, where Drew Danner (a crime writer) awakens with his murdered ex-girlfriend's bllod all over him and no memory of what happened. He works diligently to remember and solve the mystery. "
— Skip, 4/3/2010 -
" Overall, very well done but I had the killer down to three early on, then down to one before the end with only the motive to determine. The novel would have been stronger without the charaters of Caroline and Junior, who were colorful, but in a way wrong for novels and more fitting for movies. "
— Greg, 3/23/2010 -
" book on t ape. <br/>very good in the car. gripping. <br/>great ending. fooled me. <br/>Drew danner crime novelist and brain tumor. <br/> "
— Steve, 2/11/2010 -
" All I can say is WOW. This book was so intence. Totally through me for a loop. Did not expect that ending. WOW!!!! "
— Janet, 1/21/2010 -
" Good book, easy read. "
— David, 1/3/2010
About Gregg Hurwitz
Gregg Hurwitz is the critically acclaimed bestselling author of the Orphan X series, among other books. His books have been nominated for numerous awards, shortlisted for best novel of the year by International Thriller Writers, nominated for CWA’s Ian Fleming Steel Dagger, chosen as feature selections for all four major literary book clubs, honored as Book Sense picks, and translated into twenty languages. He holds a BA degree in English and psychology from Harvard and a master’s degree from Trinity College, Oxford.
About Scott Brick
Scott Brick, an acclaimed voice artist, screenwriter, and actor, has performed on film, television, and radio. He attended UCLA and spent ten years in a traveling Shakespeare company. Passionate about the spoken word, he has narrated a wide variety of audiobooks. winning won more than fifty AudioFile Earphones Awards and several of the prestigious Audie Awards. He was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine and the Voice of Choice for 2016 by Booklist magazine.