What it is: a crime-thriller-comedy mashup
Did I like it: you bet
I was not supposed to buy this book: it was slightly over budget, I already had two other books in my basket, and it doesn’t fit the reading challenge. But the title, the cover art, the summary on the back; it was all too good to ignore. And because I have no self-control in a bookshop I walked back, took the book and hurried to the check-out before I could change my mind. And am I glad I did because this book did not disappoint!
The kick-off felt a bit contrived but once the story really starts, it’s a fun and fast read that moves without further hiccups all the way to The End.
The heroine of this story is Roxy. Roxy is thirty-something and works as a temping employee who only stays long enough in a job to save up for a new thrill-seeker adventure. She is single, takes self-defense classes and reads romance novels. Then one day Roxy accidentally ends up in the novel her favorite romance novelist is writing. Except this author is, for the first time ever, writing a murder mystery. This is something Roxy isn’t aware of until her first date with mister tall, dark, and handsome turns out to be less romantic and more murder-y.
During her escape Roxy grand-theft-autos a car. Still in this car at the time is Grant, an English literature professor who becomes Roxy’s unwilling partner-in-crime. Roxy needs Grant to be part of the adventure because he reads mystery novels and she has no idea what the genre is like and what she can expect. Grant tries to explain that not knowing what to expect is what makes a mystery novel in the first place. Together they bicker and slapstick their way through the story, which sees them tick off a number of tropes while they desperately try to reach out to the author to make it stop.
If you think this all sounds a bit weird or much or unreal, the book might not be for you. Because yes, it is all that and then some. If you think this all sounds like a hoot-and-a-half, the book is exactly for you. Because yes, it is just that and then some.
It’s a book about a book and it contains a lot of self-awareness, such as a character pointing out that something is not going to translate to the page, and any incredibility about a scene being blamed on the author who doesn’t have experience with the genre. It’s meta in the best of ways. It’s also difficult to discuss without giving away any spoilers. So I’ll just say this: if you’re looking for a fun and fast-paced read, look no further and dig in!
Bookworm in the City 