THE CRIME WRITER
Gregg Hurwitz
Viking
Mystery
Hardcover: 0670063215
Paperback: 9780143113447

Gregg Hurwitz is known primarily as a writer of thrillers. So the release of THE CRIME WRITER, which (apparently) is a stand-alone work, comes as a bit of a surprise, though an interesting and, ultimately, a welcome one. It incorporates Hurwitz's trademark elements --- strong and occasionally quirky characters, realistic dialogue and a propelling, compelling story --- with a double-barreled mystery.

THE CRIME WRITER begins with Drew Danner, a mystery author of some renown, awakening in a hospital bed, accused of killing his ex-fiancée and with no idea of whether or not he is guilty. Acquitted by reason of insanity, Danner sets out to methodically reconstruct what occurred on the night of the murder. His investigation has hardly begun, however, before another woman is slain under horrifyingly similar circumstances, with the evidence again pointing to Danner as the perpetrator.

Danner's investigation takes on a new urgency, as it becomes apparent that someone is trying to frame him. He is aided by a group of interesting friends and acquaintances --- an ex-baseball player of some unfortunate notoriety, a quirky editor and a police laboratory technician, among others --- but he keeps running into dead ends, even as he is plagued with self-doubt regarding his own guilt or innocence. The reader is kept guessing, leading up to a number of surprise revelations --- it's almost impossible to figure out all of them in advance of the conclusion --- and a satisfactory, if not wholly unexpected, resolution.

Hurwitz has a fine eye for background detail, and setting THE CRIME WRITER in Los Angeles, his city of residency, gives him the opportunity to provide the reader with some interesting back street triptychs that you won't get from the double-decker tour buses. Hurwitz also merges elements of himself with his protagonist, providing an interesting variation on breaking down the literary equivalent of the fourth wall. His combination of classic crime noir elements --- Los Angeles, multiple suspects, a compelling mystery --- and a unique narrative format and characters make THE CRIME WRITER a must-read.

   --- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

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