What I'm Reading: A Novel Crime by Deborah Levison
A review of a crime story centering on the publishing industry
A NOVEL CRIME by Deborah Levison
Mary Jo Codburn is desperate. She’s facing an empty nest, alone and wondering what ever happened to her dreams of becoming a published author. Her job in real estate is lackluster. Her writing group is fine, but it’s not getting her any closer to published. When she stumbles upon an embarrassing incident for a bestselling author, she does what anyone would do. She blackmails her to help her with her own novel and to introduce her to agents and publishers.
Renaming herself Summer Brannigan, Mary Jo careens headlong down a path of blackmail and con artistry. Mary Jo’s descent into kidnapping and ultimately murder is like watching a train wreck in slow motion. Levison manages to make Mary Jo just earnest and delusional enough to draw the reader deeper into this far-fetched plot until the twist at the end. In the end, I found myself wondering if maybe Mary Jo was the one who had been conned by her own desperation.
Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.
A NOVEL CRIME is out March 31, 2026.